Heelwat mense kom.

Heelwat means quite a lot of, a good many, or quite a few, depending on context. In Heelwat mense kom, it means quite a lot of people.

It is similar to baie, but not always identical:

• baie mense = many people / a lot of people
• heelwat mense = quite a lot of people / a good many people

So heelwat can sometimes feel a little more like a considerable number of than just plain many.

Because mense is the plural form of mens.

• mens = person / human
• mense = people

This is an irregular plural, so you just have to learn it as a pair:

• ’n mens = a person
• mense = people

Afrikaans does not usually use a separate verb like English am / is / are in this kind of sentence with another main verb.

In English, you might say:

• Many people are coming

In Afrikaans, you simply say:

• Heelwat mense kom

The verb kom carries the meaning come / are coming, depending on context. Afrikaans verbs are generally much simpler than English verbs in this way.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Afrikaans simple present often covers ideas that English expresses in more than one way:

• come
• comes
• are coming
• is coming

So Heelwat mense kom could mean:

• Quite a lot of people come
• Quite a lot of people are coming

Usually the situation makes it clear which meaning is intended.

Afrikaans verbs do not change according to the subject the way English verbs sometimes do.

Compare:

• English: I come, he comes
• Afrikaans: ek kom, hy kom

So with mense, the verb still stays kom:

• Heelwat mense kom
• Die man kom
• Hulle kom

This is one of the simpler parts of Afrikaans grammar.

Yes, in this sentence it is very similar to English:

• Heelwat = quantifier
• mense = noun
• kom = verb

So the structure is:

quantifier + noun + verb

That is normal in a basic Afrikaans main clause.
A more literal breakdown would be:

• Heelwat = quite a lot of
• mense = people
• kom = come / are coming

Because heelwat already works as a determiner-like word here. It is already specifying the noun.

Compare:

• mense = people
• heelwat mense = quite a lot of people

You do not normally say die heelwat mense unless you mean something more specific like the many people, and that would be a different kind of phrase.

So in this sentence, no article is needed.

Yes. Baie mense kom is perfectly natural and probably more common for many learners to meet early on.

The difference is mainly one of nuance:

• baie mense kom = many people are coming
• heelwat mense kom = quite a lot of people are coming

Both are correct. Heelwat can sound a little more like a fair number of or a good many.

A rough English-friendly guide is:

• heelwat ≈ HAYL-vaht
• mense ≈ MEN-suh
• kom ≈ kom with a short o, not like English come

A few notes:

• ee in heelwat is a long vowel.
• w in Afrikaans sounds like English v.
• The g sound is not in this sentence, so pronunciation is relatively straightforward.

It is written as one word: heelwat.

That is the normal spelling when it means quite a lot or a good many.

So write:

• Heelwat mense kom.

not

• Heel wat mense kom.

Yes, it can, if the context points that way.

Afrikaans often uses the present tense for near-future meaning, just like English sometimes does:

• English: A lot of people are coming tomorrow
• Afrikaans: Heelwat mense kom môre

So Heelwat mense kom by itself could mean present or near future, depending on the situation.

Yes. It is not limited to people. It can be used with countable nouns more generally.

Examples:

• heelwat boeke = quite a lot of books
• heelwat probleme = quite a lot of problems
• heelwat mense = quite a lot of people

So in your sentence, it is simply quantifying mense.