Zimbabwe has the most official languages in the world and holds the Guinness World Record for being the country with the most official languages, at 16.
The 16 languages in alphabetical order are: Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda and Xhosa
The 16 languages of Zimbabwe were given official status when they were codified by Zimbabwe’s new constitution in May 2013. That moment marked the impact of centuries of history in Zimbabwe, with political and demographic factors majorly influencing the country’s linguistic landscape.
Today, languages in Zimbabwe showcase the country’s history and the diversity of its population.
