This is where I try to answer all your frequently asked questions about the what, the who, and the wherefore art thou of Afrikaans to English sworn translation and standard translation.
NO. In South Africa and European civil law countries such as France, Germany, Spain and Italy, a sworn translator has taken an oath before a court of law and will certify their translations by adding a formal declaration of accuracy accompanied by the sworn translator’s official stamp. In Australia, Canada, the US and UK, there is no true equivalent to a sworn translator as translations can be certified by any professional translator, although some of these countries require translator certification or accreditation via their national translators’ organisations.
YES. A sworn translation into English of your personal or official bilingual or Afrikaans documents for use in other countries should generally be accepted as a ‘certified’ or ‘official’ translation for emigration and legal purposes. If in doubt, please seek advice from the embassy or requesting authority of the target country.
I can provide an Afrikaans to English sworn translation of most personal or official documents, such as birth, death and marriage certificates, degree, diploma, trade and matric certificates, academic transcripts, school reports, divorce and adoption orders, WhatsApp messages, bank statements, antenuptial agreements, etc. For more examples of the types of documents, please have a look at the categories.
• High-resolution colour scan of your original document or certified copy
• Confirmation of the country or requesting authority and the purpose
• Your desired deadline
• Your method of delivery/collection: courier or personal
• Confirmation of any distinguishing marks on your document: watermarks, fingermarks, fold/punch/staple marks or tears
• If you need an apostille (a certificate that authenticates the origin
of a public document, such as a birth/marriage certificate, or divorce order)
Please get in touch for a free quote for Afrikaans to English sworn translation.
NO. A sworn translation is usually done from the original document or a certified copy. So, I have to look at and inspect your document with my own eyes and compare it to the sworn translation before releasing both documents to you personally or sending it back via courier. Some foreign authorities don’t accept scanned and emailed sworn translations.
YES. The responsibility to check the requirements of the requesting authority lies with you as the client. So, I can email you a scanned copy of your sworn translation on request for personal record-keeping, but please keep in mind that scanned and emailed sworn translations might not be accepted by some foreign authorities.
NO. If you need an apostille, it must be issued by the high court in the same jurisdiction in which the sworn translator has been sworn (in my case, the Western Cape Division of the High Court). A free apostille service is available from the Registrar located in the basement of the High Court in Keerom Street, Cape Town CBD. Office hours are Monday to Friday 9:00-13:00 and 14:00-15:00, and you don’t need an appointment. You can find more information about apostille services on the DIRCO website.
I accept EFT bank payments and card payments via Yoco (Visa and MasterCard) for totals over R1 000. I only accept exact cash on collection for totals below R1 000. I also accept international payments via PayPal, Wise or Payoneer. Please get in touch to discuss your payment preferences.
I usually ask for at least a sample of the text to be translated on which I will base my quote. (Asking for a translation quote without providing at least a sample is like asking a house painter to quote when you didn’t show him the back room where the kids’ science experiment exploded.) Then we’ll discuss your total word count, desired deadline, audience, purpose and reference material.
After acceptance of the quote and deposit payment, I’ll schedule your translation and start the research and translation process. I may contact you during the course of the work if I have queries (a good translator asks lots of questions!). Finally, after proofreading and a quality check, I’ll send your translation via email. Please get in touch to discuss your translation needs or to request a free quote.
I provide English to Afrikaans translation, Afrikaans to English translation and Dutch to English translation of legal documents, corporate documents, non-fiction books, and for software localisation. I also have experience in translating medical, financial and marketing documents. For more examples of the types of documents, please have a look at my specialisations or portfolio.
I normally translate between 2 000 and 3 000 words per day depending on the subject matter, my current workload, and life getting in the way. Even though the mainstream media would like you to believe otherwise, good translation is still done by humans, not machines.
YES. If I woke up on the right side of the bed. Because I juggle multiple projects at any given time, your urgent request might require me to work in the evening or over a weekend. Please note that urgent requests or weekend work will be subject to an extra charge of 25-50%.
NO. I’m human and also need my rest and the chance to have a life at the weekend or do other things in the evening. But show me the money and I might change my mind.
I issue an invoice when the translation has been delivered, which is payable within 30 days, unless otherwise agreed. I accept EFT bank payments, card payments via Yoco (Visa and MasterCard), cash on collection (below R1 000 for sworn translation), and international payments via PayPal, Wise and Payoneer. Please have a look at my terms and conditions for more information.
How long is a piece of string? All jokes aside, pricing for translation is usually based on the number of words in the original document and will also depend on the subject matter, complexity and desired deadline. Sometimes, project or even hourly pricing will suit your project better. Short documents (usually less than 500 words) will also incur a minimum fee. Please get in touch to discuss your translation needs or to request a free quote.
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