Website Translation and Localisation Services
Ellipse World translates and localises websites, online stores, apps and software for South African companies going international and for international companies entering South Africa, with multilingual SEO built in.
A website that speaks the language of your customers
Your website is often the first contact a customer, investor or partner has with your company, and most people prefer to read and buy in their own language. A South African exporter whose site exists only in English is invisible to many buyers in Mozambique, Côte d'Ivoire or Germany. An international company launching in South Africa may need its site in English and Afrikaans, or in English and isiZulu, to reach its target customers.
Website translation is not the same as translating a document. Text is spread across pages, menus, buttons, forms, pop-ups, error messages, metadata, image text and transactional emails. Some strings are short and lack context; others depend on variables such as prices or names. And a translated site must be found on search engines, which requires keywords that people actually type in each language.
Ellipse World combines professional translation with the technical and SEO know-how needed to publish multilingual websites. Ellipse World's group builds and runs many translation websites on WordPress and Divi, so the team understands websites from the inside, not only as text to translate.
Website and software content Ellipse World localises
Corporate websites
Company sites, service pages, about pages, careers sections, news and investor relations pages, with consistent terminology across the whole site.
E-commerce stores
Product pages, categories, filters, checkout, shipping and returns policies, and the transactional emails customers receive after purchase.
Mobile apps
App interfaces, onboarding screens, notifications, app store descriptions and screenshots text for iOS and Android.
Software and SaaS
User interfaces, error messages, help centres, knowledge bases, release notes and in-app guidance for software platforms.
Blog and content marketing
Articles, guides, case studies and resources translated and optimised for the search terms of each market.
Legal pages
Terms and conditions, privacy and POPIA notices, cookie policies and returns policies, handled by Ellipse World's legal translators.
We work with your platform, not against it
Copying and pasting text from a website into a document and back again is slow and causes errors: broken formatting, missing strings, text pasted in the wrong place. Ellipse World prefers a file-based workflow that exports all translatable content from your platform and imports the translation back, so nothing is missed and the structure stays intact.
| Platform | How Ellipse World works |
|---|---|
| WordPress with WPML | XLIFF export and import of pages, posts, menus, strings and custom fields |
| WordPress with Polylang | Translation of duplicated pages or export through compatible tools |
| Divi and page builders | Translation that preserves modules and layout, with visual checks on the live site |
| WooCommerce | Products, attributes, variations, categories and store emails |
| Shopify | CSV exports or translation apps for products, collections, pages and theme texts |
| Webflow, Wix, Squarespace | Localisation features or structured exports, depending on the plan |
| Custom sites and apps | JSON, PO, RESX, YAML, XML, Android and iOS string files |
If you are not sure how your site is built, Ellipse World can review it and recommend the most efficient workflow in its quote. When your web developer or agency handles the technical side, Ellipse World works directly with them, providing translated files ready to import.
Translated pages that rank in each market
A translated page only brings traffic if it targets the words people actually search for. Search behaviour differs between languages and countries: the most searched expression in French for a service may not be the literal translation of your English keyword, and Portuguese searchers in Mozambique, Portugal and Brazil may use different terms again.
- Keyword research per market: the search terms used by your target customers in each language and country.
- On-page optimisation: keywords integrated naturally into titles, headings, body text, image alt text and URLs.
- Metadata: meta titles and descriptions translated within character limits and written to attract clicks.
- Technical setup advice: recommendations on language folders or subdomains and hreflang tags, so search engines show the right version to the right user.
- Internal linking: links between translated pages adapted so each language version forms a coherent site.
Localisation goes further than translation
Localisation means adapting your site so it feels local to each audience. Beyond the words, Ellipse World checks and adapts:
- Currencies and prices: Rand, Euro, Metical, CFA franc or other currencies, with the correct symbol position and number format.
- Dates, times and units: date order, time format, measurement units and phone number formats.
- Addresses and forms: address fields, postal codes and mandatory fields adapted to each country, so customers can actually complete a purchase.
- Examples and references: local examples, holidays, payment methods and delivery options that make sense to the reader.
- Legal content: privacy notices and terms adapted to the language of the market, with a note when local legal review is advisable.
- Images and text in images: banners and graphics containing text identified and translated, with suggestions where visuals do not suit the market.
South African websites in local languages
For companies targeting South African consumers, Ellipse World translates sites into Afrikaans, isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sesotho, Setswana and other official languages. A common approach is to translate the pages that matter most to customers, such as the home page, key product or service pages, contact page and frequently asked questions, rather than the entire site, which keeps budgets reasonable while reaching new audiences.
How a website translation project works
Site review and quote
Ellipse World analyses your site, platform, word count and priority pages, and recommends a workflow and a fixed written quote.
Export and keywords
Content is exported from your platform, and keyword research is carried out for each target market when SEO is included.
Translation and SEO
Native web translators translate the content and integrate keywords, respecting length limits for buttons and menus.
Revision
A second linguist reviews accuracy, consistency, tone and keyword integration.
Import and visual check
The translation is imported and checked on the staging or live site for layout, truncation and broken elements.
Ongoing updates
New pages, products and posts are translated as you publish them, using your translation memory to keep costs down.
Keeping multilingual sites up to date
A website changes constantly: new products, new articles, price updates, new legal pages. The most common problem with multilingual sites is that the English version moves on while the other languages fall behind, leaving customers with outdated or incomplete information. Ellipse World offers ongoing translation for websites and apps, with a simple written process: you send new or changed content, or Ellipse World retrieves it from your platform, and the translation is delivered within an agreed time.
Because Ellipse World stores all approved translations in your translation memory, unchanged sentences are never paid for twice, and repeated elements such as product attributes, delivery terms or interface labels are reused automatically. Over time this makes keeping your site multilingual faster and more affordable.
Apps and software releases
For apps and software, Ellipse World aligns with your release cycle. String files are translated between development and release, with context provided through screenshots or comments, so translators understand where each string appears. Placeholders and variables are protected, and translated files are checked for length so text does not overflow buttons and screens.
Why choose Ellipse World for your website translation
Web know-how
Ellipse World's group builds and ranks its own multilingual websites on WordPress and Divi, and understands how content, layout and SEO interact.
Native web writers
Translators write naturally for online readers, with short sentences, clear calls to action and the right tone.
SEO included
Translated pages target the keywords customers actually use in each language and country.
Clean technical workflow
File-based export and import avoid copy-paste errors and keep your site structure intact.
Legal pages handled properly
Terms, privacy and returns policies are translated by legal translators, not by marketing writers.
Lower costs over time
Translation memory means repeated and unchanged content is never translated twice.
Which languages should your website be in?
The right languages depend on who you want to reach. Ellipse World recommends starting from your commercial objectives rather than from a list of languages.
Selling to the rest of Africa
French and Portuguese give South African companies access to most of the continent's non-English-speaking markets: French for West and Central Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, North Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, and Portuguese for Mozambique and Angola. For many exporters, adding these two languages is the most effective first step.
Selling to Europe, Asia and the Middle East
German, Dutch, French, Italian and Spanish are key for tourism, wine, food and premium goods sold in Europe. Mandarin Chinese and Arabic open large markets in Asia and the Gulf, but require careful localisation of imagery, payment methods and customer expectations.
Reaching South African customers
For South African audiences, English is often enough for business-to-business sites, while consumer brands, public services, financial services and healthcare providers gain trust and reach by adding Afrikaans, isiZulu, isiXhosa or other official languages to their most important pages.
Ellipse World can also review your analytics and enquiry data with you, in writing, to identify which countries and languages already send visitors to your site, which is often the most reliable guide to where translation will pay off first.
Website translation: frequently asked questions
Can you translate my WordPress website?
Yes. Ellipse World translates WordPress sites using WPML, Polylang and other multilingual plugins, including sites built with Divi and other page builders, and checks the translated pages visually after import.
Do I need to give you access to my website?
Not necessarily. Ellipse World can work from exported files, such as XLIFF or CSV, provided by you or your web developer. Access to a staging site is useful for the final visual check, but it is not required.
Should I translate my whole website?
Not always. Many companies start with the pages that generate enquiries or sales, such as the home page, key service or product pages and the contact page, then extend the translation as results come in. Ellipse World recommends a priority list in its quote.
Will my translated website rank on Google?
Ellipse World integrates keywords researched for each market into the translated content and metadata, and advises on the technical setup. Rankings also depend on factors such as competition and links, but properly localised content gives translated pages a strong foundation.
How do you price website translation?
Website translation is priced per word, with reduced rates for repeated content. SEO keyword research and technical import work are quoted separately when needed. You receive a fixed written quote before work starts.
Can you translate my app for the App Store and Google Play?
Yes. Ellipse World translates app interfaces, store listings, keywords and screenshot texts, respecting character limits for each store.
Can you keep my multilingual site updated?
Yes. Ellipse World offers ongoing translation of new and updated content, using your translation memory so unchanged content is never paid for twice.
Do you translate image text and videos on websites?
Yes. Ellipse World identifies text inside banners, infographics and other images, translates it and can deliver the translated text for your designer or recreate simple graphics. Video subtitles and scripts can also be translated as part of the project.
Can you work with our web agency?
Yes. Ellipse World regularly works alongside web developers and agencies, supplying translated files ready to import and answering their technical questions in writing, so your agency keeps control of the site.
Make your website multilingual
Send your website address and target languages. Ellipse World replies in writing with a recommended approach, a fixed quote and a timeline.