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Africa is a very diverse continent made up of 54 countries, all with unique cultures, traditions and customs. Each one also has its own languages, in addition to an astonishing variety of different local dialects. In total, it is estimated that there are as many as 1,500 to 2,000 languages spoken across the African continent. Knowing which one applies to the country or region that you plan on traveling to is often tricky and to make things even more confusing, the official language is often different than the language spoken by the majority of the local people.
Some African countries have multiple official languages, with Zimbabwe boasting the most of any country in the world with no fewer than 16 government-approved tongues. In Zimbabwe (as in many other Southern African countries), several languages use clicks and are not written phonetically, making them especially hard for Western visitors to master. However, while becoming fluent in any African language is unlikely without years of practice and tuition, it's a good idea to try and learn a few key phrases ahead of your vacation.
Your effort will be much appreciated by the local people that you encounter on your travels and goes a long way to break down the barriers built by differences in lifestyle, culture and wealth. In this article, we look at how to say "goodbye" in each country's official language. Where the official language differs from that spoken by the majority of a country's people, the latter is also included. Where there are several official languages, the most widely spoken ones are listed.
Algeria
- Arabic: Ma'a as-salāmah
- Berber: Layhannike
Angola
- Portuguese: Adeus/tchau
Benin
- French: Au revoir
Botswana
- English: Goodbye
- Setswana: Sala sentle (to person leaving)/ tsamayo sentle (to person staying)
Burkina Faso
- French: Au revoir
- Mossi: Wend na kon-d nindaare
- Dyula: An bè sogoma (see you in the morning)/ an bè sini (see you tomorrow)
Burundi
- Kirundi: N'agasaka
- French: Au revoir
- English: Goodbye
Cameroon
- French: Au revoir
- English: Goodbye
Cape Verde
- Portuguese: Adeus/ tchau
- Cape Verdean Creole: Te logu/ ti prosima vez
Central African Republic
- French: Au revoir
- Sangho: Gue ngozi
Chad
- French: Au revoir
- Arabic: Ma'a as-salāmah
Comoros
- Comorian: Kwaheri (singular)/ namkwaheri (plural)
- French: Au revoir
- Arabic: Ma'a as-salāmah
Cote d'Ivoire
- French: Au revoir
Democratic Republic of the Congo
- French: Au revoir
Djibouti
- Arabic: Ma'a as-salāmah
- French: Au revoir
- Somali: Nabad gelyo/ nabadey
Egypt
- Arabic: Ma'a as-salāmah
- English: Goodbye
Equatorial Guinea
- Spanish: Adios
Eritrea
- Tigrinya: Selamat
- Arabic: Ma'a as-salāmah
- English: Goodbye
Ethiopia
- Amharic: Teanastellen
Gabon
- French: Au revoir
Gambia
- Mandinka: Fowatido
- English: Goodbye
Ghana
- Twi: Mah krow
- English: Goodbye
Guinea
- French: Au revoir
- Fulani: Jippu jam/saito minfotti
Guinea-Bissau
- Portuguese: Adeus/ tchau
- Guinea-Bissau Creole: Na bai
Kenya
- Swahili: Kwaheri
- English: Goodbye
Lesotho
- Sesotho: Sala hantle (to person staying)/ tsamaya hantle (to person leaving)
- English: Goodbye
Liberia
- English: Goodbye
Libya
- Arabic: Ma'a as-salāmah
Madagascar
- Malagasy: Veloma
- French: Au revoir
Malawi
- Chichewa: Pitani bwino/ tionana
- English: Goodbye
Mali
- French: Au revoir
- Bambara: Kan-beng
- Tamashek: Harr sad
Mauritania
- Arabic: Ma'a as-salāmah
- Hassaniya: Salamah Alaykum
Mauritius
- Mauritian Creole: Allez bye
- English: Goodbye
Morocco
- Arabic: Ma'a as-salāmah
- French: Au revoir
Mozambique
- Portuguese: Adeus/ tchau
Namibia
- Afrikaans: Totsiens
- English: Goodbye
- Oshiwambo: Kalei po nawa
Niger
- French: Au revoir
- Hausa: Sai watarana
Nigeria
- Hausa: Sai watarana
- Igbo: Ka omesia
- Yoruba: Oh dah-boh
- English: Goodbye
Republic of the Congo
- French: Au revoir
Rwanda
- Kinyarwanda: Murabeho
- French: Au revoir
- English: Goodbye
Sao Tome & Principe
- Portuguese: Adeus/ tchau
Senegal
- French: Au revoir
- Wolof: Ba beneen
Seychelles
- Seychellois Creole: Orevwar
- French: Au revoir
English: Goodbye
Sierra Leone
- English: Goodbye
- Krio: We go si bak
Somalia
- Somali: Nabad gelyo/ nabadey
South Africa
- Zulu: Sala kahle (to person leaving)/ hamba kahle (to person staying)
- Xhosa: Usale kakuhle (to person leaving)/ uhambe kakuhle (to person staying)
- Afrikaans: Totsiens
- English: Goodbye
South Sudan
- English: Goodbye
Sudan
- Arabic: Ma'a as-salāmah
Swaziland
- Swati: Sala kahle
- English: Goodbye
Tanzania
- Swahili: Kwaheri
- English: Goodbye
Togo
- French: Au revoir
Tunisia
- French: Au revoir
- Arabic: Ma'a as-salāmah
Uganda
- Luganda: Weraba
- Swahili: Kwaheri
- English: Goodbye
Zambia
- English: Goodbye
- Bemba: Shalapo
Zimbabwe
- English: Goodbye
- Shona: Chisarai zvakanaka
- Ndebele: Lisale kuhle