Code-switching isn't just casual chats — it's shaping South African media. Venelize de Lange from media update unpacks how creators and broadcasters use multiple languages to sound real, reach wider and build trust.
Language is more than what you speak or simply how you communicate. Language is its culture and its people, and, boasting 11 official languages, there is no country more rich in language than South Africa.
South Africa lives languages. In a single conversation (or even one sentence) a speaker might shift between English, isiZulu, Afrikaans, or any of the other many vernaculars. This linguistic flexibility, known as code-switching, is not necessarily a mistake, but a mode of connection.
In the media today, from TikTok creators to township radio stations, code-switching is emerging as a powerful tool for authenticity and audience intimacy.
Via GIPHY
On social media, creators who mix languages do more than entertain, they build a bridge between formal and home speech worlds.
A recent South African study surveyed followers of influencers and found that many expect and welcome code-switching: it gives clarity, signals authenticity and helps resolve lexical gaps where one language might lack a word or nuance.
This aligns with research on digital communication, which shows that bilingual speakers switch languages partly to appeal to their audience or express cultural identity.
Additionally, analyses of South African print ads demonstrate that code-switching is deliberate. English to Afrikaans, or vice versa, is used as a rhetorical device to evoke inclusivity or local flavour.
Via GIPHY
But, this fluid layering of languages isn't limited to digital spaces. In township and regional radio, presenters have long used multiple languages to resonate with listeners.
What's new is that national broadcasters and media brands are increasingly adopting the same approach, realising that purely English content often misses listener nuance, emotional tone and cultural reference points.
For journalists, podcasters, vloggers and content creators, this insight into code-switching offers an important lesson: audiences don't just listen to what you say, they feel how you say it.
Code-switching, when done with craft and respect, can break down lexical barriers, build audience trust and make content more shareable. It invites the listener in, signaling that your message speaks their language — both literally and emotionally.
After all, in South Africa, language isn't just spoken — it's lived.
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