What makes the South African accent so unique?

Question

Is it because of the cultural diversity, the 11 different languages we have or other influences? As a language practitioner, I know that slang has nothing to do with accent. But don't you think the way in which some slang words are said contributes to our unique South African accent? And what is a South African accent really? Is it the Afrikaans-English accent or the Bantu-English accent?

Answer 1

In a country with so many different mother tongues, the second-language English accent is obviously influenced by the unique South African mother language, whether it be Zulu, Afrikaans, etc., as you mentioned. The Afrikaans English accent being a favorite topic of ridicule, especially by the producers of TV ads in SA these days.
I do, however, believe the mother tongue English speakers of SA has a unique accent (the so-called 'soutie'-accent) among English accents.
I'm referring to what Leo di Caprio had a hard time mastering (and did it fairly well) in the movie Blood Diamond. Having worked with people from all other major English speaking countries over the past 6 years, I can vouch that it's definitely not like any other.
What makes it unique? Well, to me (as an English second language speaker) it is an unpretentious sound that some may describe as 'flat'. It's most definitely influenced by the other languages and accents in SA as well. I love it, though - it's part of the boiling pot of identities that is South Africa.

Answer 2

There are four major distinct accents in the USA - New England, mid west, west coast and southern - and many smaller variations such as New York. The UK has more than a hundred different accents. A trained linguist in the UK can put someone within 20km or where they went to school, often closer than that, just from the way they speak. Australia, South Africa and New Zealand have very distinctive accents and each can pick the other immediately. English people can do the same. Accents within Australia are developing with South Australia the easiest to pick. The problem for Americans is that you don't get exposed to accents other than American accents very often while everyone else hears other accents frequently. Many films are re-recorded with American accents dubbed over the originals and successful programs made elsewhere are remade for the USA, often to the detriment of the program. Australians are so used to other accents that we know where you come from the moment you open your mouth. American accents are no more distinctive than Scottish accents or Northern Ireland, or Cornwall, or Liverpool, or Leeds, or Birmingham.

Answer 3

I think it is because the English speaking South Africans are virtually all bilingual or multilingual. If you go to any other English speaking country on earth you'll find the opposite is true. A low percentage off Americans, Brits, Aussies and Canadians speak a second language fluently.
By speaking a second language it effects the way you pronounce your words,especially if you heard the second language since childhood. A good other example off this can be found amongst Germans. The ones that grew up in the west and learnt English as a second language, sounds quite different when speaking German, than the ones in the East that is not very bilingual.
By speaking a second language you "steal" words and expressions and transfer them to your own. To make them fit into your conversation you try to Anglicize them. Over generations this becomes a way off pronouncing your words and an accent forms.If these words are very hard to assimilate then people start to use them out off their original context and slang is formed.

Answer 4

The accent that south Africans are most recognized for here in England is the guttural one when Afrikaners talk English. That is the one that is easiest to tune into on trains and buses etc.

The English speaking accent is sometimes misrecognised as New Zealand. The Australian one matches more to Canadian and American. Its more strident.

The thing about London is that there are so many languages, dialects and accents here that actually now one really takes much notice anyway.

Answer 5

Nice question porgie! its one i find myself asking a lot, as im quite intersted in studying different accents and their origins.

I believe what makes our accents unique is the sheer variety of cultures that have originated or came to this country.
But one of the biggest factor in white accents has to be from afrikaans. Afrikaans relies heavily on unaspirated vowels
(as a language teacher i think you know what i mean). Consider the difference btwn "yeah" and "ja" or the africaans "nag
(night)" vs english "nag" (moan,complain). I think this style of talking has crept into other accents over time.
Also, it what makes it so different from an australian accent. To me, australian sounds heavily nasal, almost duck-like
(do australians have echoes? ;)). No offence to australians!
There is also a lot of diversity within accents. The east rand accent (Hoezit, my china!) is radically different from say the
northern suburbs. Capetonian vs cape flats; Durbanite.

Also, what makes us unique is our choice of words and/or phrasing (im not talking about slang exactly).
Theres a few characteristics that are exclusively SAfrican.
Starting sentences with "Ja, hey..." or "ja, well, no, fine" (and that means WHAT exactly?!!)
or even "just now" (how many expats get weird looks for that one?).

Im also starting to hear a new accent among young, urban blacks. Some may cynically call it a "middle-C" accent.
Its a well enunciated english that slips flawlessly into mother tongue, but theres not much evidence
of traditional Nguni/Bantu accents in it ;I need to listen to more of the mother tongue to tell if its
present there too . But yet, its 100% african.
A nice example of this is 5fms Elana Afrika.

Also, on a sidebar, listeining to expats that have been away for a while is quite intresting! Some words/phrases still
have an SAfrican feel to them, but its intermingled with their residing countries accents and terminologies, even to the
point that certain words would have that accent!

Answer 6

I have no idea what a South Afican accent should sound like..cos as you stated there is so much cultural diversity in SA. However, here in Australia, people think I have an accent and some have a hard time uderstanding me....I speak English clearly and fluently or so I thought....but we must have something that makes us sound unique...having said that, I can immediately make out a person is S.African even when I speak to them on the phone (here is Oz) ...go figure...Also my Aussie friends go nuts when I say things like "just now"and "sis!"

Answer 7

There is very little Afrikaans used in Kwa Zulu and I think English there is influenced by The English and Asians.South Africa has its unique slangs.In some ways those slangs keeps the country together.

Answer 8

My sister's been living in London for the past two years. I was chatting to her on the phone yesterday, when my IT guy popped into my office and said something to me. She heard it and asked me who's the "dutchman" in my office. To her, his accent sounded thickly afrikaans - because she hasn't heard a South African accent in so long. I didn't actually know that English was his second language til months after I'd known him - to me, he didn't have an accent at all.

I hate when foreigners confuse our accents with Australians. In my opinion, it's not because we sound like them (because we DON'T!), it's because THEY'RE so ignorant of Southern Hemispherians.

Answer 9

You know thats another good question.

Thing is im indian and majority of the indian population have a different kind of accent too.

Each race and culture seems to have its own. I think its kinda the same as the UK and US were different people from different areas have different accents yet you still know which country they are from.

I find it very interesting!!

Funny also is when people from other countries think we are from somewhere completely different, like ive had some people tell me i sound english(UK) yet i dont think i do 1 bit!!

Anyways, i dont think ive done a good job answering your q but wanted to share my thoughts and observations.

Answer 10

the thing about a south african accent is: it's a British accent with its own flavour, i think it depends what part of south africa you live in!