Official names of South Africa - Definition and Overview

South Africa has eleven official languages, which is second only to India. As a result, there are many official names for the country. These are:

• Republiek van Suid-Afrika (Afrikaans)
• Republic of South Africa (English)
• IRiphabliki yeSewula Afrika (IsiNdebele)
• IRiphabliki yaseMzantsi Afrika (IsiXhosa)
• IRiphabliki yaseNingizimu Afrika (IsiZulu)
• Rephaboliki ya Afrika-Borwa (Sepedi)
• Rephaboliki ya Afrika Borwa (Sesotho)
• Rephaboliki ya Aforika Borwa (Setswana)
• IRiphabhulikhi yeNingizimu Afrika (SiSwati)
• Riphabuliki ya Afurika Tshipembe (Tshivenda)
• Riphabliki ra Afrika Dzonga (Xitsonga)
• Riphabliki ra Afrika Dzonga (Zulu)

It also recognises eight non-official languages (Fanagalo, Lobedu, Northern Ndebele, Phuthi, Sign Language, Khoe, Nama, and San).

Furthermore, a very small number of South Africans use the name Azania in preference to 'South Africa', which they disapprove of for its white colonial origins. Those using the name Azania are most often affiliated with parties coming from an Afrocentric left-wing tradition, such as the Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania, and groups originating as schisms from it, such as the Azanian People's Organisation.