Afrikaans is the home language of 10.6% of people in South Africa, the third-largest share in the 2022 census, and it is also spoken in Namibia. Stellenbosch University calls it a sister language of Dutch. Duolingo has no Afrikaans course, and few apps give you things to read and listen to once you know the basics.
Here are the apps and services that teach Afrikaans, grouped by what they help you do. You can start with one and add another when you need it.
Custom Lessons Made for You
Bubblegum
Bubblegum suits learners who want Afrikaans built around their own lives. Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, what you want to learn. She writes lessons for your level and helps you understand the words and grammar. You can read and listen, and ask her about anything that is unclear. News and stories give you more Afrikaans to read about music, food, family, and other things you care about.
The trade-off is that Bubblegum does not replace real Afrikaans voices. For recorded speakers and a ready-made course, try uTalk and Ling, and for conversation, try the apps in Learn With People.
- Read Afrikaans lessons for free.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Read and listen to news and stories in Afrikaans about things you care about.
- Ask Poppy about a sentence while you read.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, so you review them by reading instead of using flashcards.
- Lesson audio uses AI voices, not recordings of Afrikaans speakers.
- You cannot import your own books or articles.
- The free plan includes one new custom lesson each day.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Follow an Afrikaans Course
If you want someone to choose what comes next, start here. Ling gives you an ordered path through Afrikaans words and sentences.
Ling
Ling has an Afrikaans course for beginner and intermediate learners, with games such as matching cards and completing sentences. Its page says it suits heritage learners as well as travelers.
- Topic lessons in five levels, from beginner up.
- Native-speaker audio and speaking practice.
- Flashcards
Mobile
Build Vocabulary
uTalk
uTalk helps you learn Afrikaans words through games and audio. Topics include restaurants, directions, and shopping.
- More than 2,500 words and phrases in more than 60 topics.
- Practice speaking and compare your pronunciation with native speakers.
MobileWeb
Clozemaster
Clozemaster shows an Afrikaans sentence with one word missing, and you pick or type the missing word. Seeing each word inside a sentence shows you how it is used.
- Sentences start with the most common words, so you learn the most useful ones first.
- Sentences come back for review right before you would forget them.
MobileWeb
Read and Listen to Afrikaans
LingQ
LingQ has a library of Afrikaans lessons, including a Mini Stories course that repeats basic patterns for beginners. Tap a word to see what it means and save it for review.
- Import YouTube videos or podcasts and turn them into Afrikaans lessons.
- Audio lessons come with matching transcripts.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Readlang
Readlang lets you read Afrikaans articles, books, and web pages with a translation one click away. Its public library has shared Afrikaans texts, and its video player shows full transcriptions.
- Click any word in an Afrikaans text to see what it means.
- Turn the words you click into flashcards.
- You choose your own Afrikaans texts, so you need to find ones at your level.
- Flashcards
WebBrowser extension
Learn With People
Choose a tutor if you want teaching and correction. Choose a language exchange if you want a practice partner and are happy to help with English in return.
italki
italki lists 25 Afrikaans tutors. Many of them speak English too, so you can start with explanations in English.
- Choose an Afrikaans tutor and book lessons around your schedule.
- Get feedback while you speak.
MobileWeb
Preply
Preply lists 41 Afrikaans teachers. Tutors can work with you on sounds that are new to English speakers, such as g and r.
- Compare tutors by profile and reviews.
- Live one-on-one lessons in a video classroom with chat and shared tools.
MobileWeb
HelloTalk
HelloTalk has an Afrikaans page for finding language partners, including native Afrikaans speakers. Start with messages, then move on to voice when you feel ready.
- Meet Afrikaans speakers who want to practice English.
- Practice with messages, voice, and video, with built-in translation and grammar correction.
- It can take a few tries to find a partner who matches your interests and time.
Mobile
Tandem
Tandem lists Afrikaans among its languages and has language exchange pages for South African cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg. Agree with your partner on how to split time between your two languages.
- Practice with messages, voice notes, and video calls.
- Correct each other's writing.
- It can take a few tries to find a partner who matches your interests and time.
MobileWeb
Classes, Dictionaries, and Radio
Stellenbosch University's Language Centre teaches Afrikaans to people from other countries. Afrikaans 123 is a live online course for beginners that runs for 8 weeks, and Exploring Afrikaans Language and Culture is a short introduction on edX. To look up words, the VivA dictionary portal searches many Afrikaans dictionaries at once when you sign in with a free account. To hear Afrikaans at natural speed, try RSG, the Afrikaans radio service of South Africa's public broadcaster.
Learn Afrikaans in Your Language
These counts cover menu-language choices, including script variants. Other apps’ counts and full lists come from their iPhone listings. Lesson explanations and other platforms may differ.
| App | Supported Display Languages | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 74 | Full list
|
| Ling | 67 | Full list |
| uTalk | 1 | Full list |
| Clozemaster | 37 | Full list |
| LingQ | 17 | Full list |
| Readlang | 1 | Full list |
| italki | 19 | Full list |
| Preply | 19 | Full list |
| HelloTalk | 16 | Full list |
| Tandem | 14 | Full list |
Other Apps We Looked At (6)
- AfrikaansPod101Audio and video lessons from real teachers, with more than 2,000 Afrikaans words and phrases and flash cards.
- MondlyHas an Afrikaans course, Learn Afrikaans, in its iPhone app.
- TalkpalAn AI chat app with an Afrikaans page, where you practice speaking and get feedback on your pronunciation, plus flashcards and word games.
- Learn Afrikaans (Lentil)An iPhone app with 100 structured lessons and more than 2,000 real-life phrases with native audio.
- Memrise word listsAfrikaans word lists made by other learners, such as Afrikaans for Beginners, which you can study in the Memrise app.
- Learn Afrikaans PhrasesA free iPhone app that teaches Afrikaans from basic to advanced level. It works offline and needs no account.
Common Questions
Which Afrikaans app should a beginner choose?
Start with Ling if you want a course on your phone, or a tutor from italki or Preply if you want someone to correct you. Add uTalk when you want to hear and say useful words, and Clozemaster once you can read simple sentences. Bubblegum suits learners who want lessons around their own interests. Afrikaans uses the Latin alphabet, so you do not need to learn a new script first.
Can I learn Afrikaans for free?
Yes. A free AfrikaansPod101 account includes three to five new audio and video lessons a week, and Clozemaster is free to sign up and play. Bubblegum's lesson library is free to read too.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. You can read the free lesson library and ask Poppy for one new custom lesson each day on iPhone and Android. Become a Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons and to support our team.
Sources
- Statistics South Africa: Home languages in Census 2022, a 26-year transformation
- LingQ: LingQ Introduces Afrikaans
- Stellenbosch University Language Centre: Afrikaans language and culture for Dutch-speaking exchange students
- Duolingo: Language courses
- Ling: No Afrikaans on Duolingo? The best alternative
- AfrikaansPod101: Pricing
- Clozemaster: Learn Afrikaans
- Bubblegum
- Ling
- uTalk
- LingQ
- Readlang
- italki
- Preply
- HelloTalk
- Tandem
Checked on October 4, 2026 against each app's own pages.
