Indigenous languages thrive on TikTok with humour, culture

As South Africa prepares to observe International Mother Language Day on Saturday, experts say content creators on TikTok are increasingly helping to promote everyday use of indigenous languages, often through digital content centred on traditional food, farming and humour.

Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) acting CEO Julius Dantile said social media platforms make content creation in indigenous languages feel less intimidating and more accessible.

“People are most likely to speak more or show more confidence when they communicate their message in their own language.”

Dantile said South Africa’s multilingual population presents significant potential for indigenous language content online, particularly considering English is spoken as a home language by less than 10% of the population.

Creators producing content in languages such as Setswana and isiXhosa are able to cultivate loyal audiences while reaching broader multilingual viewers through subtitled or cross-cultural content.

“A language cannot truly develop or thrive without active, everyday use,” Dantile said, noting social media has democratised content creation by allowing anyone with a smartphone to build an audience or earn income through brand partnerships.

When ordinary life stories are told in an indigenous language, it normalises their use

—  Prof Linda Du Plessis, North-West University

Prof Linda Du Plessis, senior deputy vice-chancellor for teaching and learning at North-West University, said it is important to understand indigenous languages are deeply tied to identity and lived experience.

“These languages carry history, identity, culture and community memory. They are more than a spoken language, which is why it is important to cherish them,” she said.

Du Plessis said social media platforms have become informal spaces where young people can experiment with using their home languages without fear of correction or formal expectations.

“Social media has transformed communication into a practice that does not have to be perfect to be recognised. Young people borrow words from other languages if it helps them to better express themselves. This builds confidence and signals you can express yourself in your mother tongue.”

She said storytelling — whether about relationships, exercise, fashion or food — plays a significant role in normalising indigenous languages beyond traditional or rural contexts.

“When ordinary life stories are told in an indigenous language, it normalises their use.”

For creators who focus on traditional South African food and farming practices, language has become a way to preserve cultural knowledge for future generations.

Snethemba Mazinga, known as ufarm_julia on Tiktok, a local farming and food content creator, said using her mother tongue when sharing traditional meals online allows her to explain cultural meanings that may otherwise be lost in translation.

“Our traditional dishes are deeply connected to our culture, our families and our history, and those stories are best told in the language they were born in,” she said.

In one of her recent videos, she shared a meal prepared with her family, including hard-body chicken, dumplings and fresh papaya sourced from their farm, a dish she said represents family gatherings and traditions passed down through generations.

“When I farm or cook traditional meals and explain them in my native language, it teaches viewers how to pronounce the names properly. It transforms a recipe into a cultural lesson.”

Mazinga said language allows her to explain why certain crops are farmed, when specific dishes are prepared and what they represent culturally.

“Some ideas and expressions don’t translate easily into English, so using my own language helps me share the emotions, traditions and cultural significance in a more meaningful way.”

Comedy creator Atlegang Songo, known as Papi Nice Tingz, said using indigenous and local languages in his content reflects how many young South Africans naturally communicate through code-switching.

“I use my mother language and other local languages because that’s how I naturally think, joke and express myself. Comedy works best when it is authentic, and our everyday South African languages carry humour, tone and cultural references that English alone can’t always capture,” he said.

Songo said mixing languages in digital content helps young people feel represented online.

“A lot of young people grow up code-switching every day, so seeing that reflected online makes them feel seen and understood. It normalises being proudly local while still being part of a global digital space.”

Experts said documenting indigenous languages through digital storytelling — whether through food tutorials, humour or everyday experiences — enables the preservation of folklore, idioms and oral histories in ways that resonate with younger audiences.

TimesLIVE