The legacy of colonialism and apartheid in South Africa is that indigenous African languages remained frozen in feudal eras while society — and the world in general — experienced social transformation and industrial revolutions. These languages were deliberately and systematically not resourced to draw, to influence and develop lexical instruments to explain products of industrial and technological developments.
When I arrived at university, I found that the universities taught indigenous African languages through the medium of English and perhaps in Afrikaans too at the universities of Stellenbosch and Potchefstroom. This approach benefitted students from the white community, but dealt a cultural blow to indigenous African students as the key messaging was that these languages were not scientific — and this continued with the imposition of English and Afrikaans as superior languages, thus an imposition of deculturisation of our people, a continuation of colonial conquest.
Over three decades later, I registered for a Doctor of Business Administration at a UK university in 2019. I was admitted on the basis that the focus of my study was on de/constructing Brand Africa. I did two modules without any drama. But when I got to the Research Methodology module, I got stuck. My lecturer challenged the construct of Brand Africa and claimed that the study was going to be too big to manage, unfocused and impossible to develop a common thematic line as Africa was a huge continent with diverse nations. This was despite me advancing peer-reviewed literature on Brand Africa from Westocratic approaches and epistemologies. After I was forced to suspend my studies in early 2020 — not necessarily for this reason — I then decided to continue with my research on Brand Africa which I wrote as weekly articles in the news portal that I established in September 2020. These articles resulted in two books from the collections: De/constructing Brand Africa: A Practitioner’s Perspective and De/constructing Brand Authenticity: Crafting an Honest Narrative for Brand Africa’s Global Ascent.
But the onslaught against indigenous African languages doesn’t start and end in lecture halls. In the mid-1990s I joined the mainstream publishing industry through Heinemann Publishers for six years — four of which as Publishing Director. I discovered that black African staff were pigeonholed into indigenous African language publishing, and there were none in the publishing of STEM textbooks. This was the area that needed to be transformed. But I started in the indigenous languages publishing section first.
It doesn’t mean if I’m a Motswana, I can edit Setswana texts or I can translate English narratives into Setswana texts. The industry had two standards when it came to the art and science of translations. With English and Afrikaans, they knew one had to be a linguist, but when it came to our indigenous African languages, they lowered the standard or ignored it completely. Although I appreciated the contribution of Robert Moffat in translating the Bible into Setswana in 1857 (it took him 40 years) — the first Bible translation into an indigenous African language in South Africa — I insisted only indigenous African language linguists had to be employed as editors. I was against assuming that anyone whose indigenous language was their mother tongue could automatically be an editor or translator without proper academic training.
It is important for higher education institutions to train linguists and translators. Translations are a necessary tool for forging social cohesion and a global Pan-African identity. Translating text from one language to another does not only cross-fertilise these languages, but it is to a large extent a dialectical process. Each language’s thesis will be met with the antithesis in influencing it, and the outcome from such contradictions will be a synthesis and transvergent languages much richer than their original form before such engagements.
This is tantamount to the dialectics of culture in which we need to celebrate what we have become and not what we used to be, because as a society, community or nation we’re always in a state of becoming. For this reason, I am unnerved by the outcome of last year’s general elections in which we saw the strong emergence of ethnonationalism and narrow nationalism, with political parties advocating for this receiving considerable support.
By translating text, you introduce your readers to the world hitherto unknown to them; you introduce them to a new heritage and culture. This develops mutual understanding.
From a marketing perspective, translations are cash cows. Let’s look at the Africa Continental market integration through the AfCFTA. We’re looking at a combined market of 1.4 billion consumers. Tariffs are scrapped on over 90% of products produced in Africa — blessing us with price competitiveness. The building of rail and road infrastructure is underway to increase intra-African connectivity — thus increasing our efficiencies.
This goes beyond the nation state and the continent; it’s about connecting the world in this global economy. UNESCO has referred to this as creating a Dialogue of Great Civilizations Across Time. This is about the ongoing, historically significant process of communication, mutual understanding, and exchange between various cultures and societies to foster global cooperation, peace, and shared development. UNESCO, in institutionalising this concept, emphasized that in a world of diverse cultures and increasing globalization, only through dialogue can humanity effectively address common challenges and build a peaceful, inclusive future.
Such dialogue fosters mutual understanding, eliminating discrimination and prejudice by building trust between nations and peoples. It promotes universal values such as peace, justice, equity, and freedom, connecting civilizations through a shared spiritual bond. It also allows societies to adapt to globalization by reconciling the universality of human rights with the diversity of human experiences. In this way, common global challenges such as instability, poverty, and environmental degradation can be confronted more effectively. Importantly, dialogue ensures both continuity and innovation: civilizations learn from each other, assimilate strengths, and innovate to keep their traditions vibrant and relevant. And finally, this process is democratic and pluralistic, requiring the active participation of women, youth, and all sectors of society to ensure inclusivity and sustainability.
In conclusion, translation must be understood not as a technical exercise but as an emancipatory act that transforms education, markets, and societies. My journey — from encountering the silencing of African languages at university, to resisting the dismissal of brand Africa in the UK, to challenging double standards in publishing — reveals how translation sits at the heart of our liberation. If African universities and policymakers invest in translation and linguistics with the seriousness they deserve, they will not only redress the historic injustices of colonialism and apartheid but also equip Africa to lead in building the global dialogue of civilizations. Translation is how we unlock the true voice of Brand Africa and ensure it speaks with clarity, dignity, and authority to itself and to the world.
Happy Heritage Day on 24 September to all South Africans.
Tujenge Afrika Pamoja! Let’s Build Africa Together!
Enjoy your weekend.
Saul Molobi (FCIM)
PUBLISHER: JAMBO AFRICA ONLINE
and
Group Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
Brandhill Africa™
Tel: +27 11 759 4297
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