“It Literally Means I See You”: Joburg Woman Explains Why She Loves the Zulu Language

• A South African woman shared a heartfelt video explaining what drew her to the Zulu language and why she fell in love with it
• The Zulu greeting sawubona carries a meaning that goes far deeper than most people realise, and her take on it struck a chord with many
• South Africans flooded the comments with pride, corrections and their own take on what the language means to them

A young woman from Joburg, Sammi, shared her love for the Zulu language on 31 January 2026. She spoke about why she finds the language so beautiful, focusing specifically on the depth behind its greetings. She explained that sawubona and sanibonani do not just mean hello, they translate to "I see you" and "we see you," with the idea that a person's ancestors are always present. Her excitement for this discovery showed as she ended her explanation with a funsqueal that said everything words could not.

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The Zulu language is one of South Africa's 12 official languages and has over 13.5 million native speakers. It belongs to the Bantu language family and shares roots with Xhosa and Swati, all branching from a common ancestor known as Proto-Bantu.

The language is also known for its click sounds, with around 15 variations in total. It's one of the more complex sound systems in the world. More than half of South Africa's population understands Zulu, making it the most widely spoken home language in Mzansi.

Why Mzansi loves the Zulu language?

The greeting @sammisw0rld spoke about sits at the heart of Zulu culture. The idea behind sanibonani is that no one ever stands alone. When you greet someone, you acknowledge not just the person in front of you but also the spiritual presence they carry with them. Many South Africans grew up with this concept, but rarely stop to think about it deeply.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

Mzansi loves the Zulu language praise

South Africans shared their thoughts and explanations giving more oomph to TikToker @sammisw0rld's Zulu language praise:

@fanelebryan wrote:

"Zulu means heaven, so Zulu people come from heaven."

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@A L C H E M I S T said:

"That's why you deserve a Zulu king. Can we please have more of this interesting conversation over a cup of coffee?"

@28Seventy corrected:

"It's actually the other way around. Sawubona = I see you. Sanibonani = We see you and your ancestors."

@Sunshine added:

"Growing up, I was taught to use the plural greeting even if the person is alone, because no one is ever truly alone; they are always with their guides and ancestors."

@Yenkosi explained:

"Hence, we don't respond if you talk before you greet, because you didn't see us 💃🏼💃🏼"

@imthatdude2.0 said:

"That is why Zulu people take greetings very seriously. By saying sanibonani, you are greeting the person and their ancestors."

@Richard Xulu posted:

"Forever Zulu 🤝🙏"

@MD1zn admitted:

"Eish, I'm Zulu, and I've never digested the greetings like that 🔥🔥"

More on people celebrating SA culture

• Briefly News recently reported on an Afrikaans man who stunned the internet with his traditional Zulu indlamu performance.
• A KwaZulu-Natal man gave a short Zulu click sounds lesson that went far beyond South Africa's borders, with viewers admitting they never knew how to make them.
• A man shared a crash course on how to speak like a South African, breaking down everyday slang and phrases.

Source: Briefly News