Heritage Day: Afrikaner South Africans
South Africa celebrates National Heritage Day on 24 September 2015. We are a proud Rainbow Nation with 11 official languages across our beautiful country, and today we take a look at all our unique cultures that make us one of the most diverse countries in the world.
Afrikaners are a Southern African ethnic group descended from predominantly Dutch settlers who first arrived in the 17th and 18th centuries. They traditionally dominated South Africa’s agriculture and politics prior to 1994. Some of the more common Afrikaner surnames include Botha, Pretorius, and Van der Merwe.
Population: 3.5 million (2011 Census)
Language spoken by Afrikaners: English and Afrikaans, South Africa’s third most widely spoken home language… the mother tongue of Afrikaners and most Cape coloureds.
Famous Afrikaans South Africans: Steve Hofmeyr, Charlize Theron, Minki van der Westhuizen, Jack Parow.
Watch a few videos on the Afrikaner South African culture:
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