Language in Tanzania

Kiswahili functions as Tanzania's lingua franca, meaning a shared language used by people who have different first languages. Kiswahili Sanifu is its standardized form for national communication, education, public administration and written use. The National Kiswahili Council, known as BAKITA, works under the Ministry responsible for culture. Under the National Kiswahili Council Act, Cap. 52 R.E. 2023, its responsibilities include development, standardization, terminology, translation, interpreting, public use, textbook review, training and cultural activities. English is also an official language under the Education and Training Policy 2023. It is especially relevant in international communication, academic work, parts of higher administration, legal practice and business. Tanzania's language landscape therefore combines broad access through Kiswahili with institutional situations in which English proficiency affects education, specialist information or participation. More than 100 indigenous languages are used in Tanzania. They belong mainly to Bantu, Cushitic and Nilotic language groups, alongside the Hadza and Sandawe continuum. Examples include Iraqw, Gorwaa, Alagwa, Burunge, Datooga, Maasai, Hadza and Sandawe. These languages remain important in families, communities and cultural life, but no uniform national administrative or education system based on indigenous minority languages has been established. Urbanisation, age and schooling contribute to language shift toward Kiswahili and English, especially among younger speakers. Local varieties of Kiswahili include Kiunguja in Zanzibar and Kipemba on Pemba, as well as varieties such as Kimrima, Kimgao, Kihadimu and Kitumbatu. They carry local identity and cultural meaning, while Kiswahili Sanifu provides the wider national standard. A local dialect does not create a separate national administrative pathway. On Mainland Tanzania, the 2023 education policy provides for Kiswahili as the language of instruction in pre-primary and primary education. English is used in secondary education, diploma teacher colleges and higher education, and in vocational education and training according to the institution. Some certificate teacher colleges, vocational programmes and individual secondary settings use Kiswahili as an exception. Kiswahili and English can both serve as subject-specific languages. Zanzibar has a different arrangement under the published Zanzibar Education Policy 2006. Kiswahili is the medium in public pre-primary and primary education. English begins in Primary 5 for mathematics and science, becomes the main language after primary education, and Kiswahili remains the language of Islamic studies and a compulsory subject through ordinary secondary education. Reports about a new education law in 2026 describe a draft, so it does not replace the documented legal and policy position here. Kiswahili is promoted in official business and public life. Primary Courts use Kiswahili, while higher courts and other legal settings may use Kiswahili or English. Court records and judgments have traditionally often been in English. A 2020 legal-sector directive and the 2021 amendment to the Interpretation of Laws Act support wider use of Kiswahili and legal translation for public understanding. The language available in a particular proceeding can still depend on the court level, document and service. The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority's Radio and Television Regulations 2018 require proper Kiswahili or English for broadcasting. A broadcaster using another language generally needs prior TCRA approval with a stated reason and period. Community broadcasting can use local languages as a bridge to Kiswahili, but local languages do not have unrestricted national broadcasting status. National media and digital public communication are strongly Kiswahili-dominant, with English used in parallel. Kiswahili supports national identity, literature, music, ceremonies and cultural policy. BAKITA also supports literature, text editing, terminology, courses and cultural events. Tanzanian Sign Language, tactile sign language and Braille are officially promoted for communication access, although the concrete service depends on the institution and setting. For people aged 10 to 35, the 2022 Population and Housing Census reported 63.2% using Kiswahili only, 0.6% English only, 23.1% both languages and 0.4% other languages for Tanzania in its relevant language-literacy measure. The Mainland figures were 63.5%, 0.6%, 22.6% and 0.4%; Zanzibar figures were 55.8%, 0.8%, 38.3% and 0.6%. These figures describe the census measure of written-language ability, not the full prevalence of every mother tongue or indigenous language. Public Kiswahili use is generally free, while interpretation, translation and specialised language services may depend on the institution and service.