Brightlines provides professional English to Zulu and Zulu to English translation services delivered exclusively by native linguists with cultural, regional and sector specific expertise.
Overview
Zulu (isiZulu) is one of Southern Africa’s most widely spoken languages, yet it remains a low resource language in AI systems. Machine translation tools consistently struggle with Zulu grammar, noun class system, tone and morphology. AI output is often unusable, making human translation essential.
Why AI Translation Is Unreliable for Zulu
AI systems perform poorly for Zulu due to several structural and linguistic challenges:
- Noun class system complexity
- Agglutinative morphology
- Tonal language unrepresented in writing
- Dialects and regional variation
- Limited high-quality digital training data
What We Translate
- Websites and landing pages
- Marketing and creative content
- HR, legal and compliance documentation
- Technical manuals and engineering materials
- Training and eLearning content
- Video scripts, captions and subtitles
- Product descriptions, labels and packaging
Industries We Support
- Marketing and communications
- Education and eLearning
- Public sector and NGOs
- Legal and HR teams
- Engineering, energy and manufacturing
- Healthcare and community services
Our Translation Process
- Native specialist translators
- Human-led translation
- No AI involvement
- Quality assurance by a second linguist
About the Zulu Language
Zulu (isiZulu) is spoken by over 12 million people, mainly in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. It is part of the Nguni subgroup of Bantu languages.
Key characteristics:
- Extensive noun class system
- Agglutinative structure
- Tone-dependent meaning
- Strong oral tradition
- Regional variation
Why Organisations Choose Brightlines
- Native linguists with sector expertise
- Proven capability across low-resource African languages
- Accurate, culturally aligned human translation
- ISO-aligned quality processes
- Dedicated project management
- Fast and reliable turnaround options
Our translation services - FAQ
Do you use native translators?
Yes, always. All our translators are native speakers and most are still resident in their native country. We pride ourselves on ensuring that all Brightlines’ translators are native. We do not accept applications from non-native candidates or allow them to register on our online recruitment database. All our translators are rigorously tested.
How long will the translations take?
The turnaround for the translation will depend on the word count. As a rough guide, assume that the translators can comfortably process about 2500 words of non-specialised text per day. Proofreading can effectively be completed on a basis of 4000-6000 words a day. Our minimum turnaround time is usually about three days, although it is possible to shorten this if you are in a rush for the final files and we will always be happy to discuss this with you.
What is the variation in your translators’ experience and qualifications? Are they native speakers? Will the cost increase if we use a more experienced translator?
All our translators have to go through a series of tests to make sure they are as good as they say they are, and only if they pass are they allowed to work for Brightlines. There is quite a range of experience and qualifications, but all translators have a minimum of five years’ experience. All translators translate into their mother-tongue without exception and are generally based in-country so they are up-to-date with the local language. We match translators with projects/clients depending on the subject matter, and most of our translators have industry experience in their speciality – there is no better experience than being immersed professionally in the industry they specialise in. Our costs are based on translator experience, speciality (i.e. medical, creative, scientific) and the language choice.
Which languages can you translate into?
We have an extensive database with hundreds of trusted and tested translators covering all commercial languages. If you cannot see the language or dialect you need please ask.
I don’t know the word count; can you base the quote on the number of pages?
Our pricing structure is based on a rate-per-word, but we can estimate from a page count. If we can’t see the source document then we would usually estimate between 300 – 500 words a page depending on the density of the text and the presence of photos and images.
Does the translation need to be proofread?
Brightlines is an ISO 9001:2015 certified company. This means that quality is safeguarded. We adhere to the “four-eyes principle” and translations are always checked by a second professional proofreader (who is not the translator). If the translation is for internal use and reference purposes only (i.e. not to be published, distributed or used in a court of law), or you simply don’t wish to have proofreading, we can remove the proofreading stage.
Get in touch
If you need Zulu translations, get in touch with our team, or get a quick quote.
