@Wiseborn (and others) what language were you mostly speaking during travel in Africa?

[El_Mero_Mero]

@Wiseborn

French is widely spoken. Do any of you speak French?

Were you just using English or a native African language?

 

[qwer]

I spoke English and used google translate or hired a translator

 

[10bandz]

French and english are spoken. Learning French now

 

[qwer]

It also depends on the country but English French Swahili and Arabic should cover most countries. You have local languages like Zulu Tswana Yoruba Wolof

 

[El_Mero_Mero]

Thanks for the replies so far.

In the countries where you guys got by using just English, did you notice if most people around you were automatically/initially speaking French, or was it something else?

@10bandz are you learning French mainly for the purpose of traveling throughout Africa, or is it for something else?

 

[Ugo Ogugwa]

Pidgin

 

[Guizmo]

French

 

[Mastamimd]

English

 

[El_Mero_Mero]

For those that say that they communicated mostly in English, and weren't strictly in tourist areas, were you able to get around with just English and a little assistance from Google Translate relatively easily? (I know that it depends on the country that was traveled, but I mean in your own experience how was it)?

 

[Nagarjuna]

I used my French waaaay more than I thought I would

 

[Wiseborn]

@Wiseborn

French is widely spoken. Do any of you speak French?

Were you just using English or a native African language?

English, but I am slowly learning Swahili which is the main language out there.

 

[the bossman]

@Wiseborn

French is widely spoken. Do any of you speak French?

Were you just using English or a native African language?

What country(s) are you interested in specifically?
It's a big ass continent so it just depends where

If you're going to Ghana or Nigeria it's English everywhere versus if you were going to say Côte d'ivoire or Sénégal Then yea get on your French

 

[Wiseborn]

What country(s) are you interested in specifically?
It's a big ass continent so it just depends where

If you're going to Ghana or Nigeria it's English everywhere versus if you were going to say Côte d'ivoire or Sénégal Then yea get on your French

I live(d) in Kenya just left during COVID and planning to return sometime this year or early next year.

 

[qwer]

For those that say that they communicated mostly in English, and weren't strictly in tourist areas, were you able to get around with just English and a little assistance from Google Translate relatively easily? (I know that it depends on the country that was traveled, but I mean in your own experience how was it)?

Mostly English worse case you can hire a translator

 

[TheKongoEmpire]

In Africa, you can READ English but rarely if ever hear it even in Accra. I just heard they local languages. The only place where it was somewhat different was DRC. And even then, they would just back and forth between French and Lingala. Even then, it depends where you are. In Jozi, straight Zulu. Kumasi was Twi, Dagbani and Hausa. Accra was Twi and Ga, Dagbani and Hausa in the zongos. Kenya was Swahili as was TZ. Keep in mind, once you Le ave the main city and go to smaller towns this is when you start hearing even more localized languages. To the point where you may not hear Swahili for example depending what parts of Kenya or Tanzania you go. In Uganda the main language was Luganda even though you may read English you may never hear English spoken at least between the people it might be a different case when it comes to mass communications and even then it was half local half English.