Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
23 March 2021 | Story Mbali Moiketsi
International Mother Language Day

The Office for International Affairs recently celebrated International Language Day.  This year, we invited all faculties to submit the names of people who would be willing to contribute video clips to educate us about their mother tongue.  The videos submitted were from diverse academic staff members and postdoctoral fellows currently based in different parts of the world.  Extensive research has created this edutainment video, featuring famous language quotes, indigenous languages across the African continent, and business languages used across the African continent. Some of the indigenous languages on the African continent are fading away, caused by colonial influence.

Fun facts:
From 1994 to 2013, South Africa was in the Guinness Book of World Records for most official languages.  These are Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Sepedi, Sesotho, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu.

Since the adoption of the 2013 Constitution, Zimbabwe now holds this title with 16 official languages, namely Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, Sign Language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa. Zimbabwe therefore now holds the Guinness World Record for the country with the largest number of official languages.  

Albeit the main languages in Zimbabwe are English, Shona and Ndebele, the minor languages are Chewa, Chibarwe, Kalanga, Koisan, Kunda, Lozi, Manyika, Nambya, Ndau, Nsenga, Tsonga-Shangani, Sotho, Tjwao, Tonga, Tswa, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa.

WATCH: International Mother Language video


News Archive

Bloemfontein Campus gets ready for Kleinsêr
2013-07-30

11 July 2013

Kleinsêr poster (pdf)

Excitement is mounting on the Bloemfontein Campus, with residences getting ready to battle it out in this year’s Kleinsêr competition. The finals of the Bloemfontein-McDonald’s Kovsie Kleinsêr take place on 3 August 2013, with campus and city residences showcasing their singing, dancing and acting talent.

Leading up to the finals of the competition, Kleinsêr rotations will take place on 31 July and 1 August 2013. As with Stagedoor earlier this year, rotations will take place in the Student Life Colleges format, with new residences, House ConLaurês and House Outeniqua, joining the festivities.

Female residences kick their Kleinsêr campaign off first, with their rotations on 31 July. Rotations for male residences take place the following day.

The top male and female residence will represent the university at the national finals at the North-West University’s Potchefstroom Campus on 31 August 2013.

Tickets on sale at Offices 46 and 48, Thakaneng Bridge

Kovsie Church: R30
Scaena: R50
Odeion: R80

For more information, please contact Tonderai Chiyindiko at +27(0)51 401 9876 or Chiyindikot@ufs.ac.za.

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept