Abstract
According to Census 2011, the three languages with the highest number of first language (L1) speakers in the West Rand District Municipality in Gauteng are Setswana (27.3%), Afrikaans (16.9%) and isiXhosa (14.9%). This district municipality comprises the following three local municipalities: Mogale City (including Krugersdorp); Rand West City (including Randfontein) and Merafong City (including Carletonville). Setswana has more L1 speakers in two out of the three local municipalities, namely Mogale City (31.7%) and Rand West City (24.3%). In Merafong City, Setswana has the second highest percentage of L1 speakers at 21.4%, the highest being isiXhosa at 24.9%. While this district municipality does not have a majority language, Setswana is the most spoken among its black residents. The objective of this article was to analyse how Setswana is used in business interactions at clothing stores in the West Rand District Municipality. A qualitative approach (through interviews and participant observation) was used to gather data at clothing stores in Krugersdorp, Randfontein and Carletonville. Customers preferred to be addressed in Setswana by salespersons at clothing stores, but they conceded that the language lacks adequate terminologies to be used effectively in this industry.
Highlights
Language has an important connection to an individual’s cultural heritage and society (MacMillan 1998:17)
The use of black South African languages (BSALs), such as Setswana, in the socio-economic sector is of great significance in areas where such languages have a majority or a significant number of L1 speakers
One such case study is in Gauteng’s West Rand District Municipality where Setswana has more L1 speakers than other languages, including English, where business transactions are not conducted in Setswana, but in English
Summary
Language has an important connection to an individual’s cultural heritage and society (MacMillan 1998:17). The use of black South African languages (BSALs), such as Setswana, in the socio-economic sector is of great significance in areas where such languages have a majority or a significant number of L1 speakers. Anecdotal evidence suggests that in South Africa, business transactions are conducted in English, even when customers and salespersons speak a common BSAL. One such case study is in Gauteng’s West Rand District Municipality where Setswana has more L1 speakers than other languages, including English, where business transactions are not conducted in Setswana, but in English. Phaahla (2006a) asserts that: Since the democratic elections of 1994 in South Africa, people have been grappling with the issue among others, of the financial costs of using more than one official language in commerce and industry, but without giving due weight to the fact that South Africa is a multilingual country expect to say that using several official languages in parallel would be contingent on practicality and expense. Phaahla (2006a) asserts that: Since the democratic elections of 1994 in South Africa, people have been grappling with the issue among others, of the financial costs of using more than one official language in commerce and industry, but without giving due weight to the fact that South Africa is a multilingual country expect to say that using several official languages in parallel would be contingent on practicality and expense. (p. 142)
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