Are you striving to tap into new South African markets? Indeed, South Africa represents a lucrative market for international businesses to invest in. However, reaching out to its indigenous population requires effective communication that shows your respect and commitment to the cultures and languages of the South African people. Here, the importance of translation and localization services comes in the form of a rescuer to ensure mutual understanding and foster your business expansion.
In other words, the first step to your business success in the South African markets is speaking to your target local audiences in their native languages taking into account all their cultural norms. All your business materials that aim at capturing the attention of your potential customers should be translated into the languages of your target regions. This will help you build long-lasting relationships with your target South African audiences and increase your reach and revenue.
One language that requires special attention is Northern Sotho. It is one of the official languages of South Africa and the 5th most spoken language with over 4.6 million native speakers. Thus, if you are expanding to South African markets with an extensive number of Northern Sotho speakers, you should translate your business information into this significant language to guarantee a successful business expansion.
After we have elaborated on the importance of Southern Sotho translation for your business expansion, we will provide you with some key strategies to get the highest quality Northern Sotho translation services. Yet, before moving forward, we will explore the richness of the Northern Sotho language. Let’s get started!
Uncovering the Hidden Treasures of Northern Sotho
Northern Sotho is a Bantu language that belongs to the Sotho language family along with Tswana and Sesotho. It is also called Sesotho sa Leboa, Sepedi, and Pedi. The Northern Sotho language is mainly spoken in South Africa and is recognized by the South African constitution to be among the 11 official languages. Most of its speakers are scattered in the provinces of Limpopo, Gauteng, and Mpumalanga.
Dialects
According to the University of South Africa, Northern Sotho has several dialects that are spoken in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West Province, and Limpopo. They can be classified according to location as follows:
- The South of Polokwane: Dialects such as Sepedi, Sekopa, Sekone and Setau can be found there.
- The North of Polokwane: You can find dialects like Setlokwa, Sehananwa and sa GaMatlala.
- The East of Polokwane: SePhalaborwa, Selobedu/Khelovedu and Sekhaga are widespread.
Written Northern Sotho
Most of the written language is based on Sepedi and influenced by many other dialects. The Northern Sotho literature first appeared in the 19th century. Its orthography was written in 1860 by the missionaries Alexander Merensky, Grutzner, and Gerlachshoop.
The Northern Sotho Culture
As mentioned in one of the articles published by the Sabinet African Journals, the Northern Sotho language is rich in cultural norms that reflect the beliefs, traditions, experiences, and behaviours of its community.
The Sotho people are known for their folktales and praise poems that are usually narrated in a dramatic and exciting way. One of their popular folktales tells us about a courageous boy named “Sankatana” who saves the world from a giant monster.
In music, like the Southern Sotho people, the Northern Sotho populations are interested in group singing, chanting, and hand clapping. They use instruments such as drums, rattles, and whistles, and other handmade stringed instruments. As for clothing, the Sotho people are known for wearing brightly coloured blankets instead of coats. Women often wear dresses and cover their heads with a scarf, headcloth, or hat.
6 Key Strategies for Effective Northern Sotho Translation Services
Translation is not merely about converting words from one language to another. It is the adaptation of your original content to meet the preferences, cultures, behaviours, and traditions of your target audiences. Therefore, before translating your business content into Northern Sotho, you have to consider the following best practices to make the most out of English to Northern Sotho translation services:
Study Your Target Audience
Before proceeding with translating your business information into Northern Sotho, you have to conduct a profound study of your target audience. Understand your target audiences’ needs and requirements to be able to tailor your content accordingly. Provide your language service provider with all the information you have collected so that they can tailor your original content to resonate with the expectations of your Northern Sotho-speaking customers.
Maintain Brand Consistency
It is crucial to keep the original tone, voice, and message of your brand intact across various languages. This will help you maintain your brand identity and recognition. Creating a style guide or glossary can be helpful for translators to ensure consistent terminology usage throughout the translation process.
Use Localization and Cultural Adaptation
Changing your content to meet the preferences of your target customers may seem daunting. However, in reality, it is your ticket to connect with your local audiences. Only professional translators can understand the context and cultural references of the Northern Sotho language and localize every single detail in your original content to deliver translations that are accurate and culturally appropriate. So, do not hesitate to adapt your content to match your intended customers’ cultural and linguistic requirements.
Hire a Dependable Translation Agency
Translating your business content into the language of your target audience can make or break your business reputation. Hence, make sure that you partner with a trustworthy translation agency that hires professional translators with strong experience and profound knowledge of both the source and target languages. Translators who are native speakers have an innate understanding of the language, cultural nuances, and local preferences. They can provide accurate and culturally appropriate translations that effectively convey your intended message.
Collaborate with Your Translation Team
It is essential to provide your language service provider from the beginning with all the needed information such as your glossaries, brand guidelines, and other reference materials. You should also communicate with your team during the translation process and provide your comments on the translated content to achieve the desired quality and accuracy in your Northern Sotho translations.
Conduct Quality Assurance Checks
Check if your language service provider has a quality assurance system. Reliable translation agencies layer strict quality assurance procedures to make sure that translations are error-free and culturally sensitive. This involves reviewing and editing the translated content to ensure its cultural appropriateness, consistency, and accuracy. You can also ask a native speaker located in your target region to review the translated materials to ascertain that they meet the requirements of your target customers.
Wrapping It up
Translating your business content into Northern Sotho will be a valuable investment if you are planning to penetrate the South African markets. By following the best strategies for Northern Sotho translation, you can unlock the potential of the South African market and establish meaningful connections with the Northern Sotho-speaking population.
Afrolingo takes pride in providing best-in-class translation services for almost all South African languages including Northern Sotho. Our professional translators are in-country native speakers who combine the power of technology with their expertise to deliver translations that cater to your business needs. Do not hesitate and request a quote right now!
