October special: all 6 levels for $79 · Save $20 on a complete language pack, A1 to C2. Ends 31 October. Choose a pack
Skip to content
Bantu Plaza BantuPlaza
Sign up
How a lesson works

Hop on a call, meet face-to-face

Every lesson happens over live video, one-on-one with your tutor. Book a time that works and show up ready to talk.

Find a tutor →
What teaching looks like

Teach from anywhere, on your schedule

Set your own hours, meet students face-to-face online, and get paid for every lesson you teach.

A tutor teaching a student over a live video call
A tutor smiling during an online lesson
A tutor at her desk, ready for a lesson
How Bantu Plaza works

Reconnect with your mother tongue.

Start speaking in a free 5-minute lesson, no account needed. Then keep going your way: Teach Yourself lessons, a tutor, or both (which works best). Study builds the words and grammar; a tutor turns them into real conversation.

Choose your language Browse tutors
Free to browse every profile · No card needed to sign up · No subscription
Four steps

Choose a language, study it, speak it

1
Try a free 5-minute lesson

Choose your language and speak your first real phrases straight away, with no account needed. Pick from isiZulu, isiXhosa, chiShona, Setswana, Sesotho, Afrikaans and Ikalanga.

2
Study at your own pace

Work through the Teach Yourself levels (interactive lessons, vocabulary, grammar and exercises) whenever it suits you. The free phrase guides are there too.

3
Practise with a tutor

Book live one-to-one lessons to speak, get corrected kindly and get used to real conversation. Read the profiles, and watch an intro video where a tutor has added one, to find someone you like.

4
Do both and move up

Keep studying and speaking, and work your way up from A1 to C2. Learners who do both get to real conversation fastest.

Why Southern African languages

Why learn the language of home?

Learning Setswana, isiZulu, isiXhosa or Sesotho gets you the jokes at the dinner table, the words your elders use and the songs you half-remember.

Reconnect with heritage

For people living abroad who want to talk to family back home.

Work across Southern Africa

Do business from Johannesburg to Maseru in the language your clients speak.

Travel with confidence

Trade tourist phrases for real conversations with the people you meet.

Pass it on to your kids

Keep the language alive at home, so it doesn't stop with your generation.

No tutor needed

Or learn on your own, at your own pace

Not ready for a tutor yet? Start free with phrase guides, buy a whole language for $99, or teach yourself one level at a time from $9.99. Practise on your own, then book a tutor when you want to hear it spoken.

See all the ways to learn →
Two ways to start today

Are you here to learn or to teach?

Learn the language of your family, or teach your own to learners abroad. Setup takes about 2 minutes.

For students

Have a real conversation with your family in the language of home.

Free to join. Pick a tutor you like the look of, then book your first lesson.

  • Browse native and fluent-speaker tutors and book in minutes
  • Track words, streaks and your goals
  • Lessons in your browser, nothing to install
  • See what each tutor teaches before you book, and switch tutors free
  • Kids aged 8–17? Sign up as a guardian and book a "Kids welcome" tutor. They are 21+ and approved by our team to teach children
Create your free account See tutors first
Free to join, no subscription
For tutors

Share your language. Earn from home.

Set your own rates and schedule. Keep 70% of every lesson at one flat rate. Reach learners around the world.

  • Apply in 5 minutes, hear back within 48 hours
  • Open to native speakers aged 18+ (21+ to teach children)
  • PayPal payouts twice a month (1st & 15th)
  • One flat fee: keep 70% of every lesson from day one
  • Built-in classroom, scheduler, payouts
Apply & start teaching See commission
Set your own rates and teach as much or as little as you like
FAQ

Common questions

What is a bundle?
A bundle is a pack of prepaid lessons with one tutor, bought up front at a discount: 8% off a 5-lesson pack and 15% off a 10-lesson pack. You redeem one credit each time you book a standard lesson. 5-lesson pack: use within 1 month. 10-lesson pack: use within 3 months. Unused lessons expire and aren't refunded. There is no subscription. It is the most cost-effective way to learn regularly with a tutor you click with.
Is there a booking fee?
No. The price you see is the price you pay. There is no separate booking fee added at checkout. Your tutor sets one all-in rate, and that is what you are charged. Prepaid bundles work out cheaper per lesson.
What is Bantu Plaza?
Bantu Plaza is an online school for Southern African languages. You can start with a free 5-minute lesson and Teach Yourself interactive lessons in isiZulu, isiXhosa, chiShona, Setswana, Sesotho, Afrikaans and Ikalanga. Live one-to-one lessons with native and fluent-speaker tutors are available in isiZulu, isiXhosa, chiShona, Setswana, Sesotho, Afrikaans and Ikalanga.
How much does a lesson cost?
Each tutor sets their own price. You will see every tutor's rate clearly on their profile before you book. Every tutor has a short intro video on their profile, so you can hear how they teach before you book.
Do I need to download anything?
No. Lessons happen right in your browser, with no Zoom, Skype or app to install. You can click "Join lesson" from 15 minutes before your start time.
What if I don't get on with my tutor?
Watch a tutor's intro video before you book so you can hear how they speak and teach. If the first lesson isn't right, there's no obligation to book another, and you can change tutors at any time, free of charge.
How are tutors paid?
Your payment is taken when you book, and your tutor receives their share after the lesson has taken place. Tutors keep 70% of what you pay (one flat rate). Payouts run on a regular cycle, around the 1st and 15th of each month, with the payment reference shown on the tutor's dashboard.
How do I become a tutor?
Click "Teach on Bantu Plaza", fill in our short form, record a 60-second intro video, and choose your prices. We get back to every applicant within 48 hours.
How can I pay?
You can pay by card (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX), PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay where it's available.
Can I cancel or move a lesson?
Yes. Lessons are booked for set times. More than 12 hours before the start you can reschedule from your dashboard (subject to your tutor's availability), or cancel for a full refund to your original payment method (a bundle lesson goes back into your bundle). With less than 12 hours' notice, 50% of the lesson price is paid to your tutor and the other 50% is refunded (for a bundle lesson, added to your account as credit). Once a lesson has started it can't be cancelled, and missed lessons are charged in full. In a genuine emergency (such as bereavement or hospitalisation) email us and we may reinstate or refund it. If your tutor cancels or doesn't show up, you choose a full refund or account credit.
Can I learn in a group?
Group classes are coming soon. None are open right now. When a tutor opens a class, it will appear on the Group classes page. Until then, you can book one-to-one lessons with any tutor.
EN PT