Language

Zambia has a great many tribes and being a geographically large Nation, its peoples are from all over Central and Southern Africa.  Perhaps because of the number of tribes represented in Zambia there is no single group of people that feels they are superior in either strength of numbers or historic tradition.

Zambia was a British protectorate until independence in 1964 and as a result the official language is still English.  All media and business is in English and the majority of Zambians speak it reasonably well. Only in strictly rural areas would there be any problems communicating in English.

Bemba is the most commonly spoken African language in Zambia. In the past it was largely confined to the Copperbelt province since the Bemba people originally came down from the Congo.  More recently, with the easy movement of people throughout Zambia, the language has taken on more popular appeal and is probably the most commonly spoken language in the Capital City, Lusaka.

In the Luangwa Valley and the Eastern Province of Zambia, the language is Nyanja.  This literally means "language of the lake" and originated from the shores of Lake Malawi to the East.  Nyanja is still the language spoken across all of Malawi and this bond, coupled with many traditional beliefs and practices, ties the Kunda tribe of the Luangwa Valley more closely with their neighbours than with many other peoples living within Zambia.

Other commonly spoken languages in Zambia are Tonga, Lozi, Tumbuka, Nsenga, Lunda, Luvale and Mambwe.

It is always greatly appreciated when travellers from afar attempt to speak a few words in the local language.  It is as true in Zambia as anywhere else in the world and usually just a couple of words in greeting will do the trick.

Since Nyanja is the language spoken by the staff at Norman Carr Safaris, we will concentrate on this and give you just a few useful words to try and get your tongue around before you come out on safari.

• 10 Nights South Luangwa Safari
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• Best of Zambia
• Zambia in a Week
• A Zambian Honeymoon

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