Zulu Translation
Overview
Zulu translation and localization is what we do.
With +10 years experience in the sector, we have grown to become a leading language service provider for many organisations and businesses worldwide. It is not only for Zulu but for all African languages that we are called upon for document translations, marketing copy, video subtitling, websites and all manner of needs.
We pride ourselves on adopting best-fit solutions for clients based upon to their specific situations and focused on their objectives. Whatever your language requirements, whether Zulu or not, we have the first-hand experience, know-how and creativity to become your quality language service provider.
Our team deal with all areas of subject matter and offer a wealth of experience when it comes to the breadth of clients they work with. Multilingual websites, sensitive political documentation, apps, arbitration transcripts, social marketing posts, videos, advertisements – we have translated anything you can think of.
To find out how we can help you, please contact one of the team who can discuss your project in more detail.
Professional Zulu Translators
When working with the Zulu language you will be drawing upon the teamwork of your Relationship Manager, the Project Management Team and of course your translator(s).
Once we understand your particular text or job, our Project Management Team assign a linguist to your text. Your linguist will be a professional in that they are either qualified in the translation/linguists field and/or come with a profession, such as engineering, training, oil & gas or finance. This guarantees a solid understanding of the mechanics of translation as well as sector specific terminology. They always work into their mother tongue – so for a text from English into Zulu only a native Zulu would carry this out.
The team is also made up of copywriters, Editors, designers, software engineers, etc. who are used in localization focused projects.
In short, we don’t compromise on quality.
For more information, please contact a member of the team who can talk you through your specific project.
Quick Facts
- Alternate names & spellings: isiZulu
- Language ISO code: zu/ zul
- Number of speakers: About 9 million speakers
- Writing system: Latin alphabet
- Spoken in: Mainly in South Africa, but also spoken in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique and Swaziland.
About Zulu
The Zulu, the mother language of the Zulu people, belongs to the Niger-Congo language family and it is part of the Benue-Congo branch.
Although it is spoken in more countries, most of its speakers are concentrated in South Africa (over 90% of Zulu speakers), where the language is not only the most widely spoken at home (followed by Xhosa), but also the most understood by the population throughout the country.
Zulu is one of the eleven official languages of South Africa (Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swati, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu) and it is closely related to Xhosa, Swati and Ndebele languages to the extent that they all can be intelligible, which results in Zulu being used as a lingua franca by all the speakers of these languages, usually using the simplified form known as Fanagalo. As a consequence of these similarities, some linguists believe that Xhosa and Zulu are dialects of the same language; however, they are considered different languages due to political and cultural reasons.
Like other indigenous languages from South Africa, Zulu did not have a written system until the European Christian missionaries arrived, having published the first Zulu grammar book in 1850.
At present Zulu is used in primary schools and it is taught as a subject both in primary and secondary schools, nevertheless the educational system is still dominated by English or Afrikaans at the university level.
Zulu dialects
The language has a number of dialects, being the major ones Zulu, (of Zululand), Zulu (of Natal), Lala and Qwabe. It is also important to mention the Zulu pidgin, Fanagalo (previously mentioned), which consists on a mixture of different South African languages.