The Afrikaans translation agency

• International companies in Africa

  South Africa is a country that offers many good opportunities. It has a population of fifty million and is a very interesting market in areas such as food production. About 13% of the population speaks Afrikaans as a mother tongue. It is also the second most widely-spoken language in the country. It is usual to translate advertisements into Afrikaans in the areas and regions where it is the dominant language. Many international companies with business interests in South Africa buy land, but buying a house in South Africa also involves buying land. So, it is useful if old claims in Afrikaans, which may be attached to the land, are translated into English. Other companies which get us to translate their documents out of and into Afrikaans are active in the production, mining, and mineral industries.

• Doing business in South Africa

  The strong financial sector and good infrastructure mean that South Africa offers a range of opportunities for potential entrepreneurs. Starting a business in South Africa or doing business with a South African company is a good investment. We have provided some tips below to give you an impression of what you can expect if you do business in South Africa.

  Tip 1: Work permit

  A work permit is compulsory if you want to get started as an entrepreneur in South Africa. The application process is protracted, however. A lawyer who knows their way around the applicable laws and regulations may be the best way to get started.

  Tip 2: Investment in the business partner

  South Africans believe that people have to trust each other. Therefore, a good deal of the business process is based on trust and mutual respect. However, you cannot assume that trust from day one, and you have to invest in the relationship. Meetings to strengthen the relationship generally take place in a local restaurant rather than in an office or at home.

  Tip 3: Corporate responsibility

  A company is not only judged on its innovation and products in South Africa but on its social responsibility. Investment in the local population is key. This includes training people and passing on specific expertise.

  Tip 4: Cultural background and history

  South Africa is a culturally diverse country, and your efforts will be rewarded if you take the trouble to learn more about the background and history of the area in which you do business. Culture and religion are closely connected with this background and should be studied carefully to avoid misunderstandings. If a South African sees that you know little or nothing about the country, they will be less inclined to want to work with you.

• English into Afrikaans

  The English-Afrikaans translation agency

  If you expand your business into South Africa, you will generally be understood because a great deal of the population speaks English. However, it is sometimes necessary to have business documents translated, and with contracts and other legal documents, it is especially important that nothing is lost in that translation. With leaflets and brochures, it is also important that there is a translation that takes the target group into account.

  Tailor-made translations

  We will be happy to help you with your English-Afrikaans translations. We only work with professional translators who are native speakers of the target language. In this case, it means that the translator has an excellent command of English whilst being a native speaker of Afrikaans. This means that we can be sure that you can get your message across in the translation because the translator is familiar both with the context and with those members of the public for whom the document is intended. Our translators also specialise in particular subjects. When you want a medical document translated, for example, we have a translator ready who only translates medical materials. We also have translators who specialise in legal or commercial documents or those for tourism purposes. Get in touch with one of our project managers to see what options are on offer for you.

• Dutch into Afrikaans

  Dutch and Afrikaans are so similar that speakers of either language can generally understand each other. Afrikaans arose from early Dutch dialects, and a great deal of the vocabulary, 90% according to some sources, comes from Dutch. Although speakers of either language can understand each other reasonably well, there are very significant differences in grammar, spelling, and morphology. The latter, in particular, means that a translation is often indispensable. Despite the many similarities, there is little logic behind those things which are the same and those things that are different in the languages, which can quickly lead to misunderstandings.

  For every kind of document or text

  We have exactly the right translator for your document or text.

  Thanks to an extensive network all over the world which we have built up over the years, we can always find a translator who is best suited to a particular job. This also means that the translator is always a native speaker of the target language. In this particular case, it means that the translator speaks Afrikaans as their native language and they also have an excellent command of Dutch.