Languages

English is the official language of Zimbabwe, but most Zimbabweans are native speakers of Bantu languages, especially Shona, spoken by 76% of the population, and Sindebele, spoken by 18%. Although most city-dwellers have at least a little knowledge of English, it is worth acquainting yourself with a few words of Shona or Sindebele for less urban settings. This is not as easy as one might desire, since Sindebele involves a complicated system of clicking sounds that require a fair bit of effort for the non-native speaker.