The fastest way to learn South African English is to spend most of your study time on South African English you can mostly understand. That kind of input is called comprehensible input. The plan below names sources from South Africa for each level and splits an hour of study for you.
Find the level that sounds like you. Its bar shows how to spend an hour of study.
- Level 1
I'm just starting out or know only a few words.
- Read and listen 35 min
- Review 15 min
- Speak 10 min
Choose one of two ways to start. The easiest way is Bubblegum, where Poppy, your AI tutor, writes short South African English lessons at your level about your interests and goals and explains the grammar as you go. The other way is a tutor who teaches from zero. We found no textbook made only for South African English, so a tutor can take you through the basic dialogues and grammar one lesson at a time. Plan on a few weeks of hard study to learn the basic grammar before you start using apps.
- Level 2
I can read simple sentences.
- Read and listen 40 min
- Review 10 min
- Speak 10 min
If you use Bubblegum, read its Level 2 lessons with the translation hidden, and look up only the words that stop you. If you work with a tutor, ask for a new short dialogue each session and read it aloud together.
- Level 3
I can read short stories and messages.
- Read and listen 40 min
- Review 5 min
- Speak 15 min
At this level you need more words, so read and listen a lot. Bubblegum reuses the words you saved in new Level 3 lessons. Look up a local word in the Dictionary of South African English and play its audio, then talk about what you read with a partner on Tandem.
- Level 4
I can follow longer texts and different points of view.
- Listen and read 45 min
- Review 5 min
- Speak 10 min
Watch a news video on SABC News. Follow the main idea first, then watch it again for the parts you missed. Read Bubblegum lessons at Level 4 about things you're into.
- Level 5
I can follow complex topics, but miss some details.
- Read and listen 50 min
- Speak 10 min
Read a Politics or Business story on SABC News, and guess new words from the sentence before you check them. Retell one story aloud each week. Poppy can write your Level 5 lessons about anything you're into.
- Level 6
I can follow detailed arguments and understand what is left unsaid.
- Listen and read 50 min
- Speak 10 min
Read an opinion piece on SABC News, then tell a friend whether you agree and why. Read Bubblegum lessons at Level 6 about the things you care about too.
Treat these splits as a first guess. Go up a level when the lessons feel easy, and go down one if you're lost after a few lines.
Reaching A2, a basic level, takes about 180 to 200 guided learning hours from complete beginner, according to Cambridge English, and B1 takes about 350 to 400. Guided hours mean lessons plus study with a teacher's guidance. These figures cover English in general. Cambridge doesn't give separate hours for South African English.
| Study Per Week | A2 (180–200 hours) | B1 (350–400 hours) |
|---|---|---|
| 3½ hours | About 12 to 13 months | About 23 to 26 months |
| 7 hours | About 6 to 6½ months | About 11½ to 13 months |
| 14 hours | About 3 to 3¼ months | About 5¾ to 6½ months |
| 28 hours | About 6½ to 7 weeks | About 3 to 3¼ months |
Treat the table as a rough picture of the workload. Studying on your own may take more or fewer hours.
- Learning From Another Country's English OnlyMany courses use American or British English, so words like robot and takkies can surprise you later. Mix in South African English lessons and news early.
- Saving Speaking for LaterChats happen fast. Start with a few greetings from your first weeks, and add more as you go.
- Word Lists AloneA word on a list has no scene around it, so it is easy to forget. Learn words from short lines with audio, and review the whole line later.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn English. You learn from English you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your South African English lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so that you can review words in new contexts without having to use flashcards.
- Lessons are in South African English, read aloud in Cape Town English accents.
- Lessons keep British spellings, like colour and centre, and use local words like braai when a scene calls for them.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, and you can export them to Anki.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Lessons teach everyday South African English and don't cover every regional or home-language accent.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Which South African English App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning English, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our South African English comparison also covers tutors on italki and Preply, Tandem, and a free dictionary.
Can I Learn South African English in Three Months?
Three months is about 13 weeks, so at 3 to 5 hours a week you study for about 39 to 65 hours. That is about a fifth to a third of the 180 to 200 hours Cambridge gives for A2. Pick a goal you can check, such as greeting a coworker in South African English and asking how their weekend was.
How Much Should I Study South African English Each Week?
Plan on three to five hours a week of South African English you can follow, split into sessions of at least 15 to 30 minutes. Longer sessions let you finish a whole news video or story, and two or three of them in a week help more than many very short ones.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
