About Ellipse World, Translation Agency in South Africa

Part of an international language services group

Ellipse World South Africa is part of Group ELLIPSE, a language services group whose parent company, ELLIPSE WORLD SAS, is registered in France. Group ELLIPSE operates specialised translation services for legal, medical, technical, engineering and packaging translation, as well as certified translation services, for clients in several countries.

Belonging to a group gives South African clients concrete advantages. Ellipse World can draw on translators, terminology resources and project management methods developed across the group, handle multi-country projects from a single point of contact, and keep translation quality consistent between South Africa and the other markets where a client operates.

Why South Africa

Ellipse World chose South Africa for three reasons. South Africa is one of the most multilingual countries in the world, with a real and growing need for professional translation into its official languages. South Africa is the main gateway for business with the rest of the continent, where French and Portuguese are indispensable. And South Africa's legal system, with its sworn translators admitted by the High Court, places a high value on translation quality, which matches Ellipse World's approach.

How this website is written

The information on ellipseworld.co.za about sworn translations, apostilles, official languages and authority requirements is written and reviewed by the Ellipse World team, under the editorial responsibility of Ellipse World's senior linguists. Requirements of authorities and embassies change over time, so Ellipse World always confirms the current requirement for your specific document in writing before starting a translation. If you notice information on this site that appears out of date, please let Ellipse World know by email.

Serving South African clients with international needs

Many Ellipse World clients in South Africa have one foot abroad: a family relocating to Canada or Europe, a mining company with a French or German parent, an exporter selling into Mozambique or Angola, a university welcoming international students. Because Ellipse World belongs to a group that already serves clients in Europe and North America, Ellipse World understands what foreign authorities expect from a translation as well as what South African institutions require. This dual perspective helps clients avoid the most common and costly mistake in official translation: preparing a document that satisfies one country's rules but is rejected by the other.

What every Ellipse World client can expect

Trust in a translation agency is built on concrete commitments rather than slogans. These are the commitments Ellipse World makes to every client, whether the project is a single certificate or a year-long localisation programme.

A written answer to every request

Ellipse World works in writing. Every quote, instruction, question and delivery is confirmed by email, so you always have a clear record of what was agreed, what was delivered and when. Written exchanges also allow Ellipse World to answer precisely, with the relevant references, rather than giving approximate advice.

Honest advice, even when it means a smaller order

If a document does not need a sworn translation, Ellipse World says so. If only two pages of a long file are actually required by an authority, Ellipse World points this out. If machine translation with post-editing is unsuitable for your content, Ellipse World recommends full human translation instead. Clients come back to an agency that saves them money, not to one that sells them more than they need.

Fixed prices and firm deadlines

The price on the written quote is the price you pay. The delivery date on the quote is a commitment. If an unexpected issue arises, such as an illegible page or a question for the receiving authority, Ellipse World tells you immediately in writing and proposes a solution.

Corrections at no cost

If an authority, a reviewer or a reader raises a justified issue with a translation, Ellipse World corrects it free of charge. Every correction is analysed and fed back into the translator's guidelines and your glossary, so the same issue does not happen twice.

Independence and professional ethics

Ellipse World's translators translate what the document says, not what a client would prefer it to say. A sworn or certified translation must reflect the original faithfully, including errors, omissions and illegible passages, which are flagged in a translator's note. This independence is what gives a certified translation its value in the eyes of courts, authorities and foreign institutions.