The most spoken language in South Africa is Zulu. There are 10 677 305 Zulu speakers in the country and approximately 80,9% of them live in KwaZulu-Natal.
Missionaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) arrived in Port Natal in 1835. Newton Adams was among this group who distinguished themselves as the first translators of the Zulu Bible.
Important dates in the history of the Zulu Bible:
| 1848 | First book of the Bible to be translated – the Gospel according to Matthew Pietermaritzburg: ABCFM The 'First Book for Readers' published in 1837 contained the first samples of the Bible translated into Zulu (portions of Genesis and two Psalms) but the Gospel of Matthew was the first complete book of the Bible to be translated. It was originally translated by George Champion and revised by Newton Adams. |
| 1865 | First New Testament Natal: American Zulu Mission Translated by missionaries of the ABCFM. |
| 1883 | First Bible New York: American Bible Society Translated over the years by missionaries of the ABCFM, including George Champion, JC Bryant, Lewis Grout and JL Döhne, revised and corrected by Andrew Abraham, and finally edited for publication by SC Pixley. |
| 1959 | Latest translation of the Bible London: British and Foreign Bible Society Translated by Otto Sarndal and a committee including Johannes Astrup, Gustaf Krause, Heinrich Filter, S Dahle, MH Mpanze, W Weber, NC Haldersen and others. |
| 1986 | Latest translation of the New Testament and Psalms Cape Town: Bible Society of South Africa Translated by Dean Nils Joëlson, project co-ordinator, Mr DT Maseko and Mr K Magubane. A translation team comprising Ms Queen Masondo, Rev Elliot Sithole and Prof Koos van Rooy and currently completing this translation. |