Afrikaans Translation Services
Ellipse World provides professional English to Afrikaans and Afrikaans to English translation, including sworn translations for courts and Home Affairs, by native-speaking Afrikaans linguists who know South African law, business and culture.
Afrikaans, a language of law, business and everyday life
Afrikaans is one of South Africa's official languages and one of the most widely spoken. It developed at the Cape from seventeenth-century Dutch, shaped by contact with Malay, Portuguese, Khoekhoe, Bantu languages and English, and became a standardised written language in the early twentieth century. Today it is spoken as a home language by millions of South Africans of different backgrounds, particularly in the Western Cape, the Northern Cape, the Free State and Gauteng, and it is also widely spoken in Namibia.
For translation, Afrikaans has a particular place in South Africa. For decades it was, alongside English, a language of government, courts, deeds registries, universities and business. As a result, a great many older official records exist only in Afrikaans: title deeds, court judgments, estate files, civil records, company documents and academic transcripts. Afrikaans also remains a living language of agriculture, media, literature, education and commerce, and a key language for reaching consumers in large parts of the country.
Ellipse World translates Afrikaans with native-speaking linguists who use contemporary, natural Afrikaans and who understand the legal and administrative vocabulary found in older documents. Every translation is revised by a second linguist before delivery.
Afrikaans translation services
Ellipse World covers every type of Afrikaans translation, in both directions.
Sworn Afrikaans translation
Sworn Afrikaans to English translations of civil records, court documents, title deeds and estate files by translators admitted by the High Court.
Certified translation
Legal Afrikaans translation
Contracts, judgments, pleadings, affidavits, wills, antenuptial contracts and property documents for attorneys and private clients.
Legal translation
Business Afrikaans translation
HR policies, employee communication, customer letters, terms and conditions and corporate documents in clear, professional Afrikaans.
Business translation
Afrikaans marketing translation
Campaigns, websites, packaging, radio scripts and social media written to sound natural to Afrikaans-speaking consumers.
Marketing translation
Technical Afrikaans translation
Safety procedures, manuals, agricultural and mining documentation, and training material for Afrikaans-speaking teams.
Technical translation
Medical Afrikaans translation
Patient information, consent forms, medical reports and health campaigns translated with exact terminology and plain language.
Medical translationTranslating Afrikaans records for official use
One of the most frequent Afrikaans translation requests in South Africa is the translation of older Afrikaans documents into English, so they can be used today in a court, a deeds office, a bank, a foreign embassy or an immigration application. Ellipse World handles these documents regularly.
Civil records
Many unabridged birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates and other civil records issued in past decades are wholly or partly in Afrikaans. South Africans applying for foreign citizenship by descent, emigrating, or registering events abroad often need sworn or certified English translations of these records. Ellipse World translates every element, including handwritten entries, stamps and marginal notes, and reproduces names exactly as they appear.
Title deeds and property documents
Older title deeds, servitudes, diagrams and conveyancing documents are frequently in Afrikaans. Conveyancers, banks, heirs and foreign buyers need to understand them, and some processes require a sworn translation. Ellipse World's legal translators know the conveyancing vocabulary of these documents and render it precisely in English.
Court judgments and estate files
Judgments, court orders, wills and estate documents written in Afrikaans may become relevant again in new proceedings, inheritance matters or foreign recognition. Ellipse World provides sworn English translations for filing in South African courts, and certified translations for foreign courts and authorities.
Academic records
Graduates of Afrikaans-medium schools and universities often need their transcripts, diplomas and course descriptions translated into English for foreign universities, employers and professional bodies. Ellipse World translates course titles, grading scales and qualification names accurately and consistently.
Reaching Afrikaans-speaking audiences
Translating into Afrikaans is not only about official documents. Afrikaans is the home language of a large share of the population in several provinces, and many readers prefer to receive important information, contracts and marketing in Afrikaans. Ellipse World translates into Afrikaans for:
- Consumer brands and retailers reaching customers in the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Free State and beyond.
- Financial services and insurers providing policy information and customer letters in the customer's language.
- Employers with Afrikaans-speaking staff on farms, in factories, in mines and in offices.
- Healthcare providers and public bodies communicating health and service information clearly.
- Publishers, schools and universities producing educational and academic material.
- Agricultural businesses in the wine, fruit, grain and livestock sectors.
What makes a good Afrikaans translation
Afrikaans looks simple to many learners, but a good translation requires native command of the language. Ellipse World's Afrikaans linguists pay particular attention to the following points.
Natural, contemporary Afrikaans
Afrikaans has a formal written standard, but everyday Afrikaans readily accepts some English words and expressions. A translation that is too formal can feel distant; one that is too informal can seem careless. Ellipse World adapts the register to your audience: formal Afrikaans for legal and official documents, warm and direct Afrikaans for marketing, and clear, plain Afrikaans for public and health information.
Forms of address
Afrikaans distinguishes between the familiar jy and the polite u. The choice shapes the whole tone of a document. Banks, insurers and official bodies often prefer u, while many consumer brands use jy to sound approachable. Ellipse World agrees the form of address with you at the start and applies it consistently.
Spelling and terminology standards
Ellipse World follows the current official Afrikaans spelling rules and uses established Afrikaans terminology in legal, technical and medical fields, rather than literal translations from English. For recurring clients, preferred terms are recorded in a glossary.
Afrikaans and Dutch
Afrikaans and Dutch are closely related, and Dutch speakers can often read Afrikaans, but they are separate languages with different spelling, grammar and vocabulary. Ellipse World translates between Afrikaans and Dutch directly when needed, for example for family records, property in the Netherlands or Belgium, or business with Dutch and Flemish partners, and never treats one as a substitute for the other.
Afrikaans language pairs
Ellipse World translates Afrikaans to and from English and many other languages.
See also: Zulu translation, Xhosa translation, Dutch translation and German translation.
Afrikaans translation across South Africa
Ellipse World serves clients needing Afrikaans translation in every province. Demand is particularly strong in Cape Town and the Winelands, in Stellenbosch, along the Garden Route in George, in Pretoria, in Bloemfontein and in Kimberley.
Because Ellipse World works online, you send your Afrikaans documents by email or upload, receive a fixed quote, and get your translation by email. Sworn translations are delivered as signed originals by courier anywhere in South Africa.
Ellipse World also translates Afrikaans for clients abroad: South Africans living in Europe, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom or New Zealand who need their Afrikaans records translated for a foreign authority, and companies outside South Africa that want to reach Afrikaans-speaking customers.
Ordering an Afrikaans translation
Send your document
Upload or email a scan or photo, and say whether you need English to Afrikaans or Afrikaans to English, and where it will be used.
Fixed quote
Ellipse World confirms the type of translation required, sworn, certified or standard, with a fixed price and delivery date.
Translation and revision
A native Afrikaans linguist translates and a second linguist revises the translation in full.
Delivery
You receive the translation by email, and signed originals by courier when a sworn translation is required.
Afrikaans translation for South Africans abroad
Many Afrikaans-speaking South Africans now live in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the Netherlands and elsewhere. When they apply for residence, citizenship, a mortgage, a professional licence or a university place, foreign authorities usually require English or local-language translations of their Afrikaans documents. Each country has its own rules, and Ellipse World adapts the certification to the destination.
- United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand: certified translations with a statement of accuracy and the translator's or company's details are widely accepted. Ellipse World checks the wording each authority expects.
- Canada: immigration and many provincial bodies require certified translations with specific declarations. Ellipse World's group has long experience of Canadian translation requirements.
- The Netherlands and Belgium: some authorities require a translation by a translator sworn in their own country. Ellipse World arranges this through the international network of Group ELLIPSE when needed.
- Apostille: when a South African document must be apostilled for use abroad, Ellipse World confirms whether the apostille should be obtained before or after translation.
Family history and personal documents
Ellipse World also translates personal Afrikaans documents that have no official purpose but great personal value: letters, diaries, family histories, church records and old newspaper articles. These translations are handled with the same care, preserving the voice and character of the original writer, including older spellings and expressions that a modern reader might not recognise. On request, a short translator's note explains historical place names or terms that have changed since the document was written.
Why choose Ellipse World for Afrikaans translation
Native Afrikaans linguists
Translations into Afrikaans are produced by first-language speakers who write natural, current Afrikaans.
Sworn when required
Afrikaans to English sworn translations by translators admitted by the High Court, delivered as signed originals.
Legal know-how
Translators familiar with the Afrikaans legal and conveyancing vocabulary found in older records.
Two linguists per text
Every translation is revised in full by a second linguist before delivery.
International requirements
Certification adapted to the authority in South Africa or abroad that will receive your translation.
Written and transparent
Fixed written quote, firm delivery date and all instructions documented by email.
Afrikaans translation: frequently asked questions
Can you provide sworn Afrikaans to English translations?
Yes. Ellipse World coordinates sworn Afrikaans to English translations by translators admitted by the High Court of South Africa, for use in courts, deeds offices, Home Affairs and other authorities.
Can you translate an old Afrikaans title deed?
Yes. Ellipse World's legal translators translate older Afrikaans title deeds, servitudes and conveyancing documents into English, including sworn translations when an authority requires them.
Do you translate unabridged birth certificates from Afrikaans?
Yes. Ellipse World translates unabridged birth, marriage and death certificates from Afrikaans into English, including handwritten entries and stamps, for foreign citizenship, emigration and other applications.
Should my brand use jy or u in Afrikaans?
It depends on your audience and tone. Financial and official communication often uses u, while many consumer brands prefer jy. Ellipse World recommends an approach and applies it consistently across your content.
Can a Dutch translator translate Afrikaans?
Afrikaans and Dutch are related but distinct languages. Ellipse World assigns Afrikaans translations to native Afrikaans linguists, and translates directly between Afrikaans and Dutch when needed.
How long does an Afrikaans translation take?
Certificates are usually translated within one to two working days, and longer documents according to a written schedule. Express delivery is available on request.
How much does an Afrikaans translation cost?
The price depends on the document type, length, subject and deadline, and on whether a sworn translation is needed. Ellipse World sends a fixed written quote before starting.
Can you translate Afrikaans letters and family documents?
Yes. Ellipse World translates personal Afrikaans letters, diaries, church records and family histories into English, preserving the tone of the original and explaining older spellings or expressions where helpful.
Need an Afrikaans translation?
Send your document to Ellipse World and receive a fixed written quote with price and delivery date.