Ethnic Makeup Of South Africa

Zulus are a group of black South Africans forming a major part of the country' s ethnic composition. South Africa is the 24th most populated country in the world and as such, has quite a diverse group of people living within its borders. The residents speak a wide variety of languages and practice just as many religions. Today, the government is made up of people from all ethnic groups. Those groups are discussed below:

Black South Africans an estimated 78.4% of the population self-identifies as black South African making this the most populous ethnic group in the country. The group itself is made up of many different indigenous African groups that speak Bantu languages.

Colored South Africans the colored ethnic group makes up 8.8% of the population and consists of people of multi-ethnic descents. Some common ethnicities include black, white, Chinese, and Malay. This group of people resisted the apartheid movement prior to its establishment, and their human rights varied based on their location.

White South Africans the first European settlers began to arrive in South Africa in 1488; the first settlement was founded in 1652 by the Dutch East India Company. This ethnic group has a Dutch, French, German, and English ancestors. Around 61% of them are called Afrikaners and speak Afrikaans, which has its roots in the Dutch language. Another 36% speak English. They account for just over 8% of the entire South African population.