In the old days, Chinese working in South Africa belonged to one of two communities, being either Cantonese-speaking natives of Nanhai, Shunte and Panyu counties along the lower Pearl River, or Hakka-speaking natives of Meihsien in northern Kwangtung province.
在伊莉沙白港教華文已逾十五載的林丹老師說：「比起以前，現在華人的日子好過多了！」教育第一早期，到南非謀生的華人分兩大系統，一是來自珠江下游的南海、順德、番禺縣民，操廣東話；另一系操客家語，來自廣東梅縣。