Sepedi

a Bantu language of southern Africa, the main member of the North Sotho group and one of the official languages of South Africa; Northern Sotho.

One of the 12 official South African languages.
Also called Pedi, Northern Sotho, and Sesotho sa Leboa.
Part of the Sotho-Tswana language group.
Spoken in South Africa, mainly in Limpopo province, as well as in Gauteng.
Mother-tongue speakers: 4,630,000
Second language speakers: 9,100,000

Sepedi, or Northern Sotho, Sesotho sa Leboa (as opposed to Sesotho, or Southern Sotho/ Sesotho sa Borwa), is one of South Africa’s 12 official languages, primarily spoken in the Limpopo province. It belongs to the Bantu language family and is used by over 4 million people as a home language. Sepedi is closely related to other Sotho-Tswana languages, such as Sesotho and Setswana, with a degree of mutual intelligibility between speakers. The language reflects a rich oral tradition, including folktales, proverbs, and praise poetry. It plays an essential role in education, media, and cultural preservation in Limpopo and beyond, fostering community identity among its speakers.

Speciality Fields:

Advertising and marketing
Education
Entertainment
Business and finance
Food, beverage and product labelling
IT
Legal and official documentation
Medical
NGOs and community organisations
Industrial safety and guidelines

Did you know?

Sepedi was one of the first indigenous South African language to have its grammar and orthography formally documented. German and Swiss missionaries in the 19th century played a key role in codifying it.
Technically, Sepedi is a dialect of Northern Sotho, but the two terms are often used interchangeably. The official language recognized by South Africa is Northern Sotho, which encompasses multiple dialects, including Sepedi.
- Other dialects include: Masemola (Masemula, Tau), Kgaga (Khaga, Kxaxa), Koni (Kone), Tswene (Tsweni), Gananwa (Hananwa, Xananwa), Pulana, Phalaborwa (Phalaburwa, Thephalaborwa), Khutswe (Khutswi, Kutswe), Lobedu (Khelobedu, Lovedu, Lubedu), Tlokwa (Dogwa, Tlokoa, Tokwa), Pai, Dzwabo (Thabine-Roka-Nareng), Kopa (Ndebele-Sotho), Matlala-Moletshi.
Sepedi speakers have a rich tradition of dithoko (praise poetry), which celebrates heroes and ancestors, expressing cultural pride and identity through rhythmic, symbolic language.
Unlike some Bantu languages like Zulu or Xhosa, Sepedi does not use click sounds, instead, it employs tonal variations to convey meaning.
Sepedi is used as a medium of instruction in primary education across Limpopo and features prominently on South African radio stations like Thobela FM, ensuring the language remains vibrant in modern contexts.