Abstract
In this presentation, we will reflect on the social and economic dynamics that contribute to the linguistic vitality of French in sub-Saharan Africa, from its introduction on the continent's west coast in the 16th century to the present day. Migration will be the common thread running through our reflections. We will analyze the reasons why a Creole based on French has not developed in Africa, despite prolonged language contact between French and African languages. For the contemporary period, we'll show why contemporary African migration by nationals of the former French and Belgian colonies has not contributed to the spread of the language on the rest of the continent, particularly in an English-speaking country like South Africa.
