By Aphiwe Mame
In August, we had the privilege of hosting Dr. Kevin Ncube, a well known and dynamic academic from Cape Town University of Technology, who specialises in Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Research. Dr Ncube led an eye-opening session titled Multilingualism for Communication Impact, which provided invaluable tools for communication specialists especially in the Impact sector. The session revolved around one key idea: creating communication that truly resonates with diverse communities that involves a deeper understanding of language.
In South Africa, a country with 12 official languages, a multilingual approach to communications strategies is not just a bonus—it’s essential. Impact organisations that work to drive social change must ensure their messaging is accessible and meaningful to the communities they aim to serve. If we are only communicating in one or two languages, we’re excluding large parts of the population from the conversation.
Dr. Ncube’s insights reminded us that just 8% of Africans can engage intellectually in a Western language(English, French etc..) with the percentage dropping to as low as 3% in some areas on the continent. These statistics are a clear reminder that localising content linguistically is key to making a real impact. He also highlighted something we found profound: language is not just a tool for communication, but for thought. He referenced Professor Makalela, who describes language as an individual resource—something we use based on our intelligence to determine what’s appropriate for different social interactions.
For communication specialists in the impact space, this means we must rethink how we define language and recognize that it’s more complex than we might initially assume.
Understanding Translanguaging
One of the standout concepts Dr. Ncube introduced was translanguaging, which, simply put, is the ability to move between languages fluidly, aka movement of ideas from one socio-cultural linguistic domain to another. It’s not just about translating words from one language to another, but about using all our language skills to make meaning and communicate effectively. This approach has the potential to strengthen reach and engagement by allowing communications for impact specialists to speak to different communities in a way that resonates culturally and socially.
Dr. Ncube argued that by using translanguaging instead of just direct translation, we elevate the cultural importance of our messages. We aren’t just giving our audience the gist of what we’re saying; we’re making sure they feel seen and understood. This process doesn’t just translate words—it centres communities in the messaging, creating a more inclusive, relatable, and impactful communication experience.
Multilingualism and Translangauging in Communications for Impact
As communication specialists working in the impact sector, we must adopt this approach if we’re intentional about creating change. When we centre the communities we advocate for, we don’t just make our messaging easier to understand—we begin building tools that can transform how language is used in this sector for the long term.
The session sparked many ideas around practical ways to embrace multilingualism. One key takeaway was the potential for creating language repositories in communications teams that don’t just focus on translation but dive into the technical terms in local languages.
For an organisation like Africa Check, for instance, this could mean exploring what the concept of “fact-checking” looks like in South Africa’s many languages. What does “fact-checking” mean in Zulu, Xhosa, or Afrikaans? How do we communicate such a technical process in a way that every community can engage with it?
By the end of the session, it was clear that multilingualism isn’t just a communication strategy—it’s a necessity for meaningful impact in a country as linguistically rich as South Africa. We walked away with a deeper understanding of how we can use language not only to inform but to connect, inspire, and empower.
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