Africa has been dubbed the next frontier for global capitalism by many industry analysts and for good reason. The upward trajectory for Africa has already started. The average growth of African countries currently stands at 6% as other countries across the world stagnate. Africa boasts of a young population with over 50% of its population being under the age of 18. These among many reasons make various global companies such as IBM and Google throng to the promising continent. Unfortunately, there comes a problem of language barrier for global companies setting camp in Africa. Translation agencies are particularly useful for such companies looking to penetrate the over 1 billion population in Africa.
The Multiplicity Of African Languages And The Need For Translation Agencies
Unbeknownst to many people in the developed world, Africa is actually a continent with 54 different countries. There are roughly between two thousand and three thousand languages spoken in Africa. Global companies need not to panic about translating their source languages to these thousands of different languages because only 12 of these languages are spoken by 75% of the 1 billion population. The primary languages spoken in Africa are Arabic, Swahili, Berber, Amharic, Oromo, Somali, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. To penetrate the African market, global companies need to hire professional translation agencies or professional translation companies that have specialized in these primary African languages. So what exactly should you look for to tell good translation companies and good translation agencies from the mediocre ones?
What Makes Good Translation Agencies In Africa Tick
The translation market in Africa has been steadily growing in recent years, with South Africa leading the rest of the African countries in translation growth. The growth in the translation market in Africa reflects the growing need of translation services in South Africa and other countries. While there are several translation agencies and translation companies in Africa, there are some that stand above the rest. Good translation agencies in Africa are known to have robust quality assurance processes, dedicated project management teams, native translators with advanced educational backgrounds, a portfolio of global brand names as part of their clientele and highly competitive pricing. Let us now take a look at the important role of translation agencies when it comes to African languages.
The Challenges Facing Translation In Africa And The Need For Professional Translation Companies
It is not easy to operate as a translation company in Africa. The challenges are even worse for freelancers. The challenges revolve lack of access banking and money transfer facilities, lack of access to necessary information and tools and political unrest. These challenges are severe in most cases that freelancers end up delivering low quality translation. While these challenges are being addressed by most African governments, there is still a long way to go. Translation agencies and translation companies, unlike freelancers, are better poised to operate in spite of these challenges due to their capacities. Most of them operate in South Africa. South Africa is one of the few countries in Africa that has been able to adequately address most of these challenges. It is not surprising therefore that professional translation services in South Africa is booming business.
How Good Profession Translation Companies Will Help You Penetrate The African Market
Good professional translation companies in Africa will give you access to a comprehensive localization process complete with:-
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- Specialized in-house project management teams made up of experienced native translators, quality assurance engineers, software engineers and business analysts.
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- Content publishing, traditionally referred to as Desktop publishing and to latest translation software tools.
- Value-adding mobile localization for mobile phone software, PDA operating systems, user guides and social media platforms given that the youthful Africa audience prefers social media communication that is accessible via smart phones.
The Answer To Your Translation Needs In Africa
If you are looking for a good professional translation company in Africa, AfroLingo is your best choice. AfroLingo is a leading provider of translation services in South Africa and Kenya. It boasts of having served brand names such as Google, Microsoft, United Nations, Samsung, Nokia and CAT.
