Learn French in Cape Town
Cape Town's French story runs from Huguenot refugees in the late 1600s to French-speaking families from across Africa today. This page explains why Capetonians learn French and where to take recognised exams.
French in Cape Town
French is not one of South Africa's official languages, but it has been part of the Cape for more than three centuries. Between 1685 and 1699, around 300 Huguenot refugees settled at the Cape of Good Hope after France revoked the Edict of Nantes, and the Huguenot Monument in Franschhoek commemorates them. Since 1994, Cape Town has also received migrants from French-speaking African countries, a movement studied at Stellenbosch University, and the linguist Cécile Vigouroux has written about francophone Africans in the city, including people from the two Congos, Senegal, Rwanda and Burundi. French is offered as a second additional language in some schools, and the University of Cape Town has a French Language and Literature Section.
Why people in Cape Town learn French
Cape Town looks north to a continent where French is an official language in many countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon, so French helps anyone whose work involves projects, clients or travel there. Mauritius, Madagascar and Réunion, all within reach across the Indian Ocean, use French widely. Learners take French as a school subject or at university, and some prepare for study in France or immigration to Canada. Others want to talk with French-speaking neighbours and colleagues in their own language.
The French you'll hear
In Cape Town you are likely to hear French spoken with Central and West African accents as well as the French of France. The grammar and spelling are the same everywhere, so learn standard French as your base, since it is what the DELF and school exams assess, then listen widely to speakers from Kinshasa, Dakar or Kigali. Huguenot surnames such as du Toit, Joubert and de Villiers are a small reminder of how long French has been part of the Cape.
- Vous venez de Kinshasa ?Are you from Kinshasa?
- Ça souffle fort sur la montagne de la Table.It's windy on Table Mountain.
- On visite les vignobles de Franschhoek samedi ?Shall we visit the Franschhoek vineyards on Saturday?
- J'apprends le français pour mon travail en Afrique.I'm learning French for my work in Africa.
- Mes ancêtres étaient huguenots.My ancestors were Huguenots.
French exams in Cape Town
The Alliance Française du Cap describes itself as an examination centre for internationally recognised French diplomas and certificates. Its exams page covers the DELF and DALF, the TCF for study, immigration or naturalisation, and the TEF, along with the DAEFLE and DFP diplomas. Check which versions of the TCF and TEF are offered in each session. Nearby, the Alliance Française de Stellenbosch also lists DELF and DALF exams.
Check dates and fees with the exam centre directly; they change every session.
Where to start in the course
French Ultimate is an online course, so you can follow it from Cape Town or anywhere else. These topics are the most useful here:
Questions about learning French in Cape Town
Is French useful for working in Africa from Cape Town?
Yes. French is an official language in many African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon. If your work involves clients, projects or travel there, even intermediate French makes meetings and logistics easier, and B2 business French lets you write formal emails and take part in negotiations.
Can I study French at school or university in Cape Town?
Some schools offer French as a second additional language for the NSC or IEB, and the University of Cape Town teaches French language, literature and Business French, accepting students whether or not they have studied French before. If your school does not offer it, an online course such as French Ultimate, which has no Cape Town classroom, can fill the gap.
Should I learn African French or European French?
Learn standard French first. It is one language across Africa and Europe, with shared grammar and spelling, and the differences lie mostly in accent and some vocabulary. Once you are comfortable, listening to speakers from Kinshasa, Dakar or Abidjan will prepare your ear for many of the conversations you are likely to have in Cape Town.
Learn French from Cape Town, at your own pace
Animated video lessons that stop for your answers, speaking practice, graded stories and DELF/DALF mock exams, from A1 to C2. Start with the free placement test to see where you are.
Take the placement test