Translation · Afrikaans
Afrikaans translation services
Audiovisual translation is our specialisation — subtitles, voice-over scripts and eLearning — but our native Afrikaans translators handle any text too: corporate documents, articles, marketing and technical material. Reviewed, formatted and ready to use.
EN · 00:04
I don't have the file yet.
AF · 00:04
Ek het nog nie die lêer nie.
About Afrikaans translation
Afrikaans that reads as though it was written in Afrikaans
Afrikaans grew out of seventeenth-century Dutch dialects, and roughly 90 to 95% of its vocabulary still traces back to Dutch. That closeness is exactly what makes it risky to treat the two as interchangeable.
Grammar, spelling, and everyday idiom diverged long ago, and a Dutch text lightly adjusted reads to South African audiences as something produced by someone who did not want to pay for the real thing. Around 7 million people speak Afrikaans as a first language, mostly in South Africa, where it is one of eleven official languages, with a further recognised community in Namibia.
At GoLocalise, we work with native Afrikaans translators matched to the subject matter of each project. Every translation is reviewed by a second linguist before it reaches you, so the text has been read by someone other than the translator.
How can we help you?
Your project manager has everything covered
One point of contact from brief to delivery, and a second linguist on every text before it reaches you.
Brief review
We review your source material and your audience, and agree up front the decisions this language forces before anyone starts translating.
Linguist assignment
Your project goes to a native Afrikaans translator with experience in the relevant field.
Translation and review
The text is translated and then checked by a second native linguist for accuracy, consistency, and register.
Delivery and consistency check
Files are delivered in the format you need, with the choices agreed at the brief applied consistently from the first line to the last.
Areas of expertise
What we specialise in
From corporate video and eLearning to documentary, advertising and subtitles — always audiovisual, and always written in Afrikaans rather than adapted from Dutch.
Corporate and brand video
Company films and internal communications, written to fit the shot rather than overflow it.
eLearning and training video
Course modules and training films, with terminology kept consistent across the programme.
Documentary and interviews
Factual programming and interviews, where the register shifts between speakers and has to survive the move.
Advertising and social video
Campaigns and short-form video, cut to land inside the time available.
Subtitles and captions
Frame-accurate subtitles kept within a comfortable reading speed.
Voice over and dubbing scripts
Scripts timed to the original, ready for a native voice in the booth.
Built for video and audio
Getting Afrikaans right on screen
Afrikaans brings its own on-screen considerations. When a translation is going onto screen or into a voice booth, a few Afrikaans-specific things shape the work.
Length close to English
Afrikaans runs close to English, occasionally a touch longer, so subtitles usually fit without heavy condensing and voice-over scripts hold their timing against the original.
Clean on-screen text
Afrikaans uses the Latin script, so captions and on-screen text render without special encoding — we still proof for diacritics and line breaks against reading speed.
Made to sit with English
Afrikaans content in South Africa often runs alongside English, so we keep register and terminology consistent across both language versions of the same video.
Timed, not dumped
We deliver spotted subtitle files and two-column voice-over scripts timed to the original — never a loose document that still needs spotting.
Deliverables
How your Afrikaans translation arrives
Subtitle files
SRT, VTT, STL or TTML, burnt in or as separate files, ready to drop into your edit.
Afrikaans, not converted Dutch
Translated from your source by a native speaker, not run through a Dutch version first.
Dual-column scripts
Source and target side by side with timecodes, the format the studio records from.
Reviewed, never single-pass
Every script is checked by a second native linguist before it reaches the studio.
Translation rates
Professional Afrikaans translation
For internal documents, correspondence and material where accuracy is the main requirement.
- Native subject-matter translator
- Second-linguist review
- Subtitle files or a timed script
For marketing, eLearning and technical content, with review, terminology management and layout adjustment.
- Everything in Standard
- Terminology management
- Layout and expansion handled
- Dedicated project manager
Every project is quoted individually and backed by our Price Match Promise. Send us your files for an exact, no-obligation quote.
Trusted by global brands
We have used GoLocalise on a regular basis for projects in a number of languages. The service we receive is great. The team is always friendly and professional. The voiceovers we receive are of a very high quality and the turnaround is extremely quick. We are very happy to recommend GoLocalise to other businesses.
It was a pleasure to work with David and the team at GoLocalise. David gave me lots of help and advice, guiding me through my first subtitling project. He really knows his stuff! The experience was completely pain-free. I would not hesitate to recommend GoLocalise – outstanding work at a good price.
They're reliable, adaptive and obsessed with quality. And while you can never be 100% guaranteed of perfection, you can be sure GoLocalise will go the extra mile to get it right every time. We've worked with them now for over 5 years and we are truly thankful to have such a strong localisation partner for our business.
Related services
The rest of your Afrikaans project
Afrikaans voice over
Native Afrikaans voice actors, recorded in broadcast-quality studios.
Learn moreAfrikaans subtitling
Frame-accurate subtitles and captions, burnt in or as separate files.
Learn moreAll translation services
Our full audiovisual translation offer across 100+ languages.
Learn moreAfrikaans transcription
Verbatim or clean-read transcripts, with timecodes and speaker labels.
Learn moreAudiovisual translation in 100+ languages
Native translators for subtitles, voice over and any content. Browse another language, or ask us about yours.
Most common questions
How much does Afrikaans translation cost?
Afrikaans translation is usually priced per word for text and per minute for audiovisual work, depending on volume, subject and turnaround. Send your files for a free, itemised quote, backed by our Price Match Promise.
Are your Afrikaans translations done by native speakers?
Yes. Every Afrikaans translation is produced by a native linguist and checked by a second, so it reads naturally to a South African or Namibian audience rather than translated.
Can you also provide Afrikaans subtitling and voice over?
Yes — Afrikaans translation, subtitling and voice over from one team, so terminology and tone stay consistent across every version of your content.
Do you translate Afrikaans for subtitles and voice over, not just documents?
Yes — audiovisual is our specialisation. We deliver spotted SRT/VTT and timed two-column voice-over scripts, plus translated text when you need it.
Will an Afrikaans translation fit my existing subtitle timings?
Usually, yes. Afrikaans runs close to English in length, so subtitles fit without heavy condensing and voice-over scripts hold their timing against the original.
Can I use a Dutch translation for an Afrikaans audience?
No, and it is usually obvious. The two languages share most of their vocabulary but differ in grammar, spelling, and idiom, and South African readers notice immediately. For anything customer-facing, an Afrikaans translation produced by a native speaker is the only version that reads as intended.
Do I need Afrikaans as well as English for the South African market?
It depends who you are reaching. English covers a wide audience in South Africa, but Afrikaans is a first language for millions of people, and using it signals that the content was made for them rather than adapted. Many of our clients produce both.
How do you decide what stays in English?
Terminology is agreed with you before the translation starts, working from any glossary you already have and building one where you do not. Brand names, product names, and anything you want left in English are confirmed at the brief stage.
How quickly can an Afrikaans translation project be delivered?
Most short documents are delivered within 24 to 48 hours. Word count, subject complexity and turnaround all move the date, and your project manager will confirm the timeline at the start.
What do you need from us to quote Afrikaans translation?
Less than people expect: the document, script or subtitle file, its word count, what the text is actually for, and the date you need it by. A draft is fine — we would rather quote on what exists than wait for a final version that eats your deadline. A named project manager comes back with an itemised quote, normally within four working hours.
How quickly will we hear back, and who will we be dealing with?
More than half of enquiries get a reply within thirty minutes during office hours (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm UK time), and the itemised quote normally follows within four working hours. After that you have one dedicated project manager who owns the job from brief to final file — not a ticket queue, and not a different name on every email. If it is easier, call +44 207 095 5730 and ask for them by name.
We are still pitching and the budget is not signed off. Can we still get an Afrikaans quote?
Yes, and it is one of the commonest reasons people get in touch. Tell us it is for a pitch and you get a figure you can put in front of your own client, itemised so it stands up to being picked apart, with no obligation and no follow-up sales calls if the pitch goes elsewhere. If it lands, the quote still holds and we already know the project.
Ready to start your Afrikaans translation project?
Send us your documents, script or video and we'll come back with an exact, itemised quote.
The complete solution to localise your content
Voice over
- State-of-the-art studios
- Neumann microphones
- On-hand sound engineers
- 1,000+ voice actors
Translation
- 100+ languages covered
- Tailored to your needs
- Stringent quality control
- Dedicated project managers
Subtitling
- Experienced subtitlers
- Industry-standard software
- Burn-in and graphic editing
- Open and closed captions
Transcription
- Improve accessibility
- Reach a wider audience
- Boost SEO and video views
- Maximise video engagement