The Southern Bantu languages are a large group of Bantu languages, largely validated in Janson (1991/92). They are nearly synonymous with Guthrie's Bantu zone S, apart from the exclusion of Shona and the inclusion of Makhuwa. They include all of the major Bantu languages of South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Mozambique, with outliers such as Lozi in Zambia and Namibia, and Ngoni in Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi.
Languages
Language groups are followed by their code in the Guthrie classification. Makua (P30) Makhuwa Koti Sakati (Nathembo) Lomwe Chuwabu Moniga Chopi (S60) Chopi Guitonga Nguni languages (S40) Zunda Xhosa Zulu Ndebele Northern Ndebele (Zimbabwe Ndebele) Southern Ndebele Tekela Swati Phuthi Sumayela Ndebele (Northern Transvaal Ndebele) Lala Bhaca Hlubi Nhlangwini Sotho–Tswana (S30 + K20): Tswana ("West Sotho") Birwa Tswapong Kgalagadi Sotho Northern Sotho (Sepedi) Southern Sotho (Sesotho) East Sotho (Pulana, Khutswe and Pai) Lozi Tswa–Ronga (S50): Tsonga Ronga Tswa Venda (S20)
Some classifications prior to Janson retained Shona as a coordinate branch, along with Nyasa, or excluded Makua.