Enquire
Why book with us?

What are you looking for?

Hello traveller!

It's in Cape Town now.

We're sorry. Our safari planners aren't available now. Our office hours are 08:00 - 19:00 (GMT+2).

Call us to speak to an experienced safari planner.


Alternatively, we recommend...

travel-form-icon

Complete our travel enquiry form to connect with a safari planner

ENQUIRE TODAY

Languages in Rwanda

Africa's best authentic tailor-made safaris

Unusually for Africa, Rwanda is essentially a mono-linguistic state. The first language spoken in Rwanda is Kinyarwanda. In addition, most Rwandans speak a little of at least one international language.

Historically, French was the most widely recognised European language due to almost 50 years of Belgian colonisation. These days, English probably has the greater presence, partly because so many long-term exiles who returned after the genocide were educated in Uganda, Kenya, or Tanzania. English also partly replaced French as the international language of education in 2009.

In rural areas, KiSwahili, a coastal Bantu language that has come to serve as the lingua franca of East Africa, is still more widely understood than either English or French.

From a visitor’s perspective, it’s pretty easy to get around in either English or French, both of which are recognised as an official language alongside Kinyarwanda. But English is undoubtedly the primary language of the tourist industry.

Ready to plan your tailor-made safari?

904 Reviews - 5/5 Stars

Craft your journey with the expertise of our dedicated Africa Safari Experts

Start Planning

What Our Guests Have to Say?

Read recent reviews from travellers who have planned and booked their trips with us

star-iconstar-iconstar-iconstar-iconstar-icon
Google review

"This is the second safari holiday we have used Dev to organise. We had the privilege of visiting three beautiful lodges on this trip, Devs recommendations in three different locations, Sabi Sands, Timbavati, and Makalali, which entailed a lot of organising ..."

Vivienne Lister, Australia21 May 2026

Read More
star-iconstar-iconstar-iconstar-iconstar-icon
Trustpilot review

"We had a wonderful safari experience, and Justin from Discover Africa made everything seamless from start to finish. Communication before the trip was clear and helpful, and we felt well supported throughout. Some truly special moments including the fant..."

Tim Curtis, Netherlands18 Feb 2026

Read More
star-iconstar-iconstar-iconstar-iconstar-icon
Trustpilot review

"We travelled last August on a trip planned with Dev at Discover Africa. It was a family trip that i wanted us to remember forever and we definetly will! We could not have had an easier or more wonderful time and we would never have been able to plan and man..."

Megan Gray, United Kingdom16 Feb 2026

Read More
star-iconstar-iconstar-iconstar-iconstar-icon

"From start to finish, every phase of our trip was seamless. From the man who greeted us at Nairobi airport when we arrived to the woman who assisted us at our departure, we were taken care of perfectly. Our lodges at Saruni Samburu and Saruni Mara were beau..."

Lynne Calero, United States20 Nov 2025

Read More
star-iconstar-iconstar-iconstar-iconstar-icon

"Very professional; quick to respond. The trip itself was fantastic. The lodging and the game drives were great. Guide was great; he anticipated where hard-to-find animals would show up. Lodge staff were very friendly. Food was great. "

Akos Ledeczi, United States12 Nov 2025

Read More
star-iconstar-iconstar-iconstar-iconstar-icon

"We have just returned from a trip to 3 different safari camps in Botswana, a short trip to Victoria Falls and a gorilla trek in Rwanda that was booked with Susan from Discover Africa. We couldn't be happier with the direction and support she gave us to trul..."

Robyn Dell, Canada02 Oct 2025

Read More
View All Testimonials

Our safari traveller reviews are independently verified and sourced from trusted third-party review platforms.