Bantu languages are a group of over 500 closely related languages spoken primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. They belong to the larger Niger-Congo language family and are characterized by their use of noun classes, which affect verb conjugation and agreement. Some well-known Bantu languages include Swahili, Zulu, and Xhosa. These languages are spoken by millions of people across various countries, including South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania. The Bantu expansion, which occurred over a thousand years ago, played a significant role in spreading these languages and cultures throughout the region.