American giving isiZulu lessons on social media
This American content creator's love for South Africa has inspired him to teach his fellow Americans isiZulu.
In South Africa, we take pride in our roots. With 11 official languages, we look to language as a tool that unites us, bringing 'Ubuntu' into practice.
This is especially true in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), where isiZulu is the primary language of communication among the other official languages.
We've seen a surge of Americans who have not only shown interest in our beautiful country, but some have even immigrated here. For example, an American woman shared how she moved her family to Cape Town, but after coming to KZN for a holiday, she felt that she connected more with KZN.
We came across an American content creator, Austin Andrews, who is using his TikTok page to teach Americans isiZulu.
Watch one of his isiZulu lesson videos which got over 192,000 views and even got Carol Ofori's attention.
Courtesy of TikTok.
@austinandrews71 Black American Speaking isiZulu #isiZulu #southafricatiktok #southafricatiktok🇿🇦 #southafrica ♬ original sound - Austin Andrews
Many people were amused by the long pauses between each sentence and the 'nah' at the end. However, many isiZulu speakers were impressed by Andrews' enthusiasm.
Andrews was proud to have been called a 'blessing' by TikTokers who watched some of his previous videos. People called him 'Sibusiso' and praised him for consistently learning.
One person asked him why he chose isiZulu, and he said: "I travelled to SA back in March 2024. I was in Soweto and was taught a few words, which influenced me to learn more."
"Sending love from South Africa! You’re doing great! Keep at it! 🇿🇦."
"You are doing great, mfethu, keep up the good work, ungajiki."
"By the end of the year, you will be fluent, my man, keep trying."
"Love your content, bro. I understood everything you said."
Our deeply rooted culture is strongly connected to our language; therefore, it is great to see how it has influenced someone from abroad to learn one of our official languages.
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Image Courtesy of TikTok