Translation in All South African Languages and 30+ World Languages
Ellipse World connects South Africa's twelve official languages with the languages of its trading partners, by matching every document with a native-speaking professional translator.
A translation agency fluent in South Africa
Language in South Africa is never just a technical question. It is linked to identity, history, access to services and constitutional rights. Section 6 of the Constitution recognises the official languages and asks the state to promote their use and to take practical measures to elevate the status of indigenous languages. In 2023 South African Sign Language became the twelfth official language. For businesses and public bodies, this means that communicating only in English often leaves part of the audience behind.
Ellipse World translates into and from every official language, and also between South Africa and the rest of the world. Ellipse World's language services are built on one rule: translators work into their native language. An isiZulu translation is produced by a first-language isiZulu speaker, a French translation by a French native speaker, and so on. A second linguist then revises the translation. This is how Ellipse World achieves translations that read naturally and respect regional usage.
The sections below describe each language Ellipse World translates, the content most often requested and the points that require particular care.
The official languages of South Africa
Ellipse World translates between English and each of the following languages, and between any two of them when required.
Afrikaans translation
Afrikaans is widely spoken in the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Free State and Gauteng, and remains an important language of law, agriculture and business. Ellipse World provides Afrikaans translations of contracts, court documents, title deeds, academic records and marketing, including sworn Afrikaans translations for the High Court. Afrikaans
isiZulu translation
isiZulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa, especially in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Ellipse World translates public health campaigns, municipal notices, consumer contracts, HR and safety policies and advertising into isiZulu for maximum reach. isiZulu
isiXhosa translation
isiXhosa is spoken mainly in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape. Ellipse World translates education, health, legal information and community content into isiXhosa, with careful handling of the language's rich system of noun classes and respectful forms. isiXhosa
Sepedi translation
Sepedi, also called Northern Sotho or Sesotho sa Leboa, is the leading language of Limpopo and is widely spoken in Gauteng and Mpumalanga. Ellipse World translates mining safety material, agricultural information and public services content into Sepedi. Sepedi
Setswana translation
Setswana is the main language of the North West and is also the national language of Botswana. Ellipse World's Setswana translations serve platinum belt employers, public bodies and companies that communicate with audiences on both sides of the border. Setswana
Sesotho translation
Sesotho (Southern Sotho) is the principal language of the Free State and an official language of Lesotho. Ellipse World translates education, financial inclusion, health and consumer content into Sesotho. Sesotho
Xitsonga translation
Xitsonga is spoken in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng, and in neighbouring Mozambique. Ellipse World provides Xitsonga translations for health programmes, rural development projects, tourism around the Kruger and government information. Xitsonga
siSwati translation
siSwati is spoken in Mpumalanga and is the national language of Eswatini. Ellipse World translates public notices, health information and cross-border business documents into siSwati. siSwati
Tshivenda translation
Tshivenda is spoken mainly in the northern part of Limpopo. Ellipse World translates community, health, agricultural and educational content into Tshivenda for public and private sector clients reaching the Vhembe region. Tshivenda
isiNdebele translation
South African isiNdebele is spoken mainly in Mpumalanga and Gauteng. It is one of the less widely resourced official languages, so Ellipse World works with experienced isiNdebele linguists and validates terminology carefully. isiNdebele
English translation
English is the main language of business, government and the courts in South Africa. Ellipse World translates foreign documents into South African English, respecting local spelling, legal terms and date and currency conventions. English
South African Sign Language
SASL became an official language in 2023. Ellipse World can coordinate SASL versions of video content and the adaptation of written material for Deaf audiences, working with qualified SASL practitioners. SASL
World languages translated by Ellipse World
South Africa trades with Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and the whole African continent. Ellipse World covers the languages these relationships require.
French translation
French opens West and Central Africa, North Africa, Mauritius, Madagascar, France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada. French is one of Ellipse World's core languages, used for legal, mining, technical and certified translations. French
Portuguese translation
Portuguese is essential for business with Mozambique and Angola, and with Portugal and Brazil. Ellipse World translates contracts, tenders, logistics and personal documents in European, Brazilian and African Portuguese variants. Portuguese
German translation
Germany is a major investor in South Africa, especially in the automotive and engineering sectors. Ellipse World translates technical manuals, supplier documentation, contracts and certificates into and from German. German
Spanish translation
Ellipse World translates Spanish for trade with Spain and Latin America, for academic exchanges and for personal documents of Spanish-speaking residents in South Africa. Spanish
Mandarin Chinese translation
China is South Africa's largest trading partner. Ellipse World translates contracts, product documentation, import paperwork and marketing into Simplified Chinese, and Chinese documents into English. Chinese
Arabic translation
Arabic connects South Africa with the Gulf states, Egypt and North Africa. Ellipse World translates commercial, legal and halal certification documents, and personal documents for residents and travellers. Arabic
Swahili translation
Kiswahili is a lingua franca across East and Central Africa. Ellipse World translates Swahili content for companies expanding into Kenya, Tanzania and neighbouring markets. Swahili
Shona and Ndebele (Zimbabwe)
Ellipse World translates Shona and Zimbabwean Ndebele documents, frequently required for permits, family matters and employment of Zimbabwean nationals in South Africa. Shona
Chichewa, Amharic and more
Ellipse World also translates Chichewa (Malawi), Amharic (Ethiopia), Somali, Lingala, Kinyarwanda and other African languages often encountered in South African immigration and court matters. African languages
Dutch and Italian translation
Dutch, closely related to Afrikaans, and Italian are frequently requested for tourism, wine exports, property purchases and personal documents of European residents in South Africa. Dutch
Hindi, Gujarati and Tamil
South Africa has one of the largest Indian-origin communities outside India. Ellipse World translates Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil and Urdu documents for family, business and immigration purposes. Indian languages
Russian, Japanese, Korean and Turkish
Ellipse World covers these languages for mining, energy, automotive and technology projects, as well as personal and academic documents. All languages
Popular language pairs in South Africa
Translating into African languages: what makes the difference
Translating into isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sepedi or Tshivenda is not the same as translating into French or German. Several of South Africa's official languages have been standardised relatively recently, and modern technical, legal or medical vocabulary is still developing. A translator often has to choose between a borrowed English term, an established local equivalent or a short explanation. The right choice depends on the audience: a rural health campaign and a legal notice require different solutions.
Ellipse World handles this with three practices. First, Ellipse World uses translators who live in or come from the communities the text is written for, so the language sounds current rather than academic. Second, Ellipse World checks terminology against reference works and the guidance of language bodies such as the Pan South African Language Board. Third, Ellipse World records every terminology decision in your glossary, so the same choice is applied in future documents.
Ellipse World also pays attention to readability. Public information should be translated in plain language that readers at every education level can understand, which is often more effective than a word-for-word rendering of an English source written for specialists.
Which languages should your business translate into?
If you communicate with South African consumers, employees or citizens, translating everything into twelve languages is rarely necessary or affordable. A focused approach usually works better. Ellipse World recommends starting from three questions.
Where are your readers?
Language use varies strongly by province and even by municipality. A campaign in KwaZulu-Natal reaches most readers in isiZulu and English; in the Western Cape, Afrikaans and isiXhosa are the priorities; in Limpopo, Sepedi, Xitsonga and Tshivenda. The locations page summarises the main languages of each province.
What is at stake if they misunderstand?
Safety instructions, medical information, consumer contracts and employment conditions carry real consequences when misunderstood. South African law also expects certain consumer documents to be in plain and understandable language. For these documents, translating into the home languages of your readers is the most responsible option.
What will the authority accept?
For official documents the question is different: the receiving authority decides. South African courts and Home Affairs generally require documents in English, or sworn translations into English. A foreign embassy may require the language of its country. Ellipse World will tell you in writing which language and which type of translation your document requires.
How Ellipse World checks translations in languages you do not read
Many clients order translations into languages they cannot read themselves. A marketing manager in Johannesburg may need a campaign in isiZulu and Sesotho; a law firm in Cape Town may need a contract in Portuguese. Trusting a translation you cannot verify requires a clear process, and Ellipse World applies the same steps in every language.
- Native translator and independent reviser. Two different linguists work on every translation, both fluent in the target language.
- Glossary validation. Key terms, product names and recurring expressions are agreed with you before or during the first project, and kept for future work.
- Back translation on request. For high-stakes content such as clinical questionnaires or public safety messages, Ellipse World can provide a back translation into English so you can see exactly what the target text says.
- In-country review. Your local team or distributor can review the translation, and Ellipse World integrates their comments and records them in the glossary.
- Final formatting check. Special characters, diacritics and right-to-left scripts such as Arabic are checked in the final file, not only in the translation tool.
This process gives you a written record of how each translation was produced and checked, which is particularly useful for regulated content, public sector projects and audits.
Questions about the languages we translate
How many official languages does South Africa have?
South Africa has twelve official languages: English, Afrikaans, isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sepedi, Setswana, Sesotho, Xitsonga, siSwati, Tshivenda, isiNdebele and, since 2023, South African Sign Language.
Can Ellipse World provide sworn translations in African languages?
Sworn translations depend on the availability of a sworn translator admitted by the High Court for the language pair concerned. Ellipse World confirms availability before quoting, and offers a certified translation when it is accepted by the receiving authority.
Is a translation into isiZulu more expensive than into Afrikaans?
Prices depend on the language pair, subject, volume and deadline rather than on the language alone. Ellipse World provides a fixed written quote for each project, so you know the exact price before work starts.
Do you translate between two foreign languages, for example French to Portuguese?
Yes. Ellipse World translates directly between many language pairs without going through English, which avoids double translation errors and saves time.
Which variant of Portuguese or Chinese do you use?
Ellipse World adapts the variant to your audience: European, Brazilian or African Portuguese, and Simplified or Traditional Chinese. If you are unsure, Ellipse World will recommend the right variant based on your target market.
Your language is not listed?
Ellipse World works with a wide network of professional linguists. Send your document and receive a written answer and a fixed quote.