Africa has 79 critically endangered languages

Africa has 79 critically endangered, 66 severely endangered, 44 vulnerable, 51 definitely endangered languages. Africa is experiencing a rapid loss of indigenous cultural identity.

The current era of globalization has a melting pot effect on traditional African cultures.

Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture

Many fear the loss of indigenous cultural identity when ancient African culture is homogenized leading to cultural assimilation including loss of African languages.

Fear of loss of culture


Indigenous African cultures have been disappearing, taking valuable knowledge with them. Each African culture is a unique answer to the question of what it means to be human. In today’s rapidly changing world, people from Africa worry about losing their traditional culture, the traditional way of life is getting lost.

Living in one of the most isolated regions of Ethiopia, the Mursi tribe in the beautiful Omo Valley, are one of the most fascinating tribes in Africa

Cultures are rooted in a time and place. They define how people relate to nature and their physical environment, to the earth and to the cosmos, and they express our attitudes to and beliefs in other forms of life, both animal and plant.


Cultural Survival


The current era of globalization is having a melting pot influence on indigenous African cultures.

While this may promote the integration of societies and has provided millions of people with new opportunities, it also brings with it a loss of uniqueness of indigenous African cultures, which in turn can lead to loss of identity and even self-conflict. This is especially true for traditional African societies, which are exposed to rapid modernization.

Language is a part of culture; nearly half of the 7,000 languages spoken in the world are expected to vanish in the next 100 years.

In Africa, over 2,000 are spoken on the continent and hundreds are endangered or critically endangered. The extinction of a language results in the irrecoverable loss of unique cultural knowledge embodied in it for centuries.

Deep in our hearts, we all understand that the quality of our lives depends, to a great extent, on our being able to take part in, and benefit from our culture. The current era of globalization is having a melting pot influence on indigenous African cultures.


Cultures traditions and rituals in fear of being lost

In 2013, Kenya began a campaign toward the Maasai of educating the tribe on the negative connotations of ear stretching and upper cartilage piercing.

Some Kenyan officials believe tribalism is hurting Kenya and the more mainstream an individual is the more likely they can absorb into conventional society.

The Samburu are extremely dependent on their animals for survival. On November 11, 2011, thousands of the Samburu livestock were impounded due to a dispute over land ownership with Nature Conservancy and the African Wildlife Foundation who purchased the land and gave it as a gift to Kenya for a national park, to be called Laikipia National Park.

The Samburu's legal case was heard in the town of Nyeri December 14, 2011 and the court ruled The Kenya Wildlife Service had secured legal registration of the land.

There are 79 critically endangered, 66 severely endangered, 44 vulnerable and 51 definitely endangered African languages.

List of 79 critically endangered African languages

Akie language
Akum language
Akum language
Anfillo language
Animere language
Argobba language
Baga Mboteni language
Bakole language
Bakpinka language
Baldemu language
Bikya language
Birri language
Bishuo language
Boguru language
Boor language
Bung language
Busuu language
Cambap language
Cobiana language
Cobiana language
Dahaalik language
Danisi language
Defaka language
Dimbong language
Dulbu language
Geme language
Ghomara language
Goundo language
Gweno language
Gyem language
Hijuk language
Hoa language
Ilue language
Jilbe language
Judeo-Tunisian Arabic language
Karo language
Kasanga language
Kim language
Kiong language
Korana language
Kudu-Camo language
Kwegu language
Laal language
Luri language
Mabiri language
Majera language
Mani language
Mani language
Massalat language
Miltu language
Mlomp language
Mono language
Mvanip language
Nǀuu language
Ndai language
Nemadi language
Ngbinda language
Njerep language
Noy language
Omotik language
Ongamo language
'Ongota language
Opuuo language
Sambe language
Sanhaja of Srair language
Sawkna language
Somyev language
Somyev language
Soo language
Tamazight language
Tamki language
Tchumbuli language
Tidikelt language
Xaise language
Xiri language
Yangkam language
Zenaga language
Zenatiya language
Zumaya language