Professional translation agency specialising in French and English document translation with 200+ clients around the world.
​French Translation Services (Pty) Ltd is a privately held translation agency based in South Africa specialising in French and English document translation.
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Since our establishment in 2002, we have partnered with a growing number of South African and foreign clients engaged in trade, investment or service provision in Africa and in France.
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By providing accurate and timely translations performed by professional, experienced translators, our role is to create an enabling business environment for our clients through solving communication challenges.
WHAT SETS US APART
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We are the first translation agency in South Africa to specialise exclusively in French and English document translation.
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We have more than 20 years’ experience as a French translation service provider.
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Our translators are highly-skilled professionals with translation-specific qualifications (degree or diploma) and all have a minimum of 10 years’ experience.
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Being owner-managed, we offer a highly personalised service with seamless communication.
CLIENTS
QUALITY
Quality is defined as the degree of excellence of something. The goal of quality assurance is to reassure a client about the quality of a company's product or service.
How is quality assured or quantified in this industry where more often than not, clients do not understand either the source text or the target text?
At French Translation Services we are process-driven and place our emphasis on our inputs, in other words, on the calibre of the translator. The more qualified and experienced a translator is, the higher the level of accuracy.
In the field of translation, quality is above all, about accuracy, but it is also about the translator’s grasp of the source text.
A skilled translator goes beyond the mere act of translating, taking into account cultural nuances, style, colloquialisms and tone to render a quality translation.
In order to uphold this commitment to quality:
Our translators are, without exception, qualified native-speakers (in possession of a translation degree or diploma).
Our translators have, without exception, a minimum of 10 years’ experience.
We consistently implement a system of independent proofreading at the conclusion of the translation process.
THE TRANSLATION PROCESS
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Our approach is focused, our skill-set comprehensive and our service professional. We base our success on seamless client relationships and exceptional service delivery.
HOW IT WORKS
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Clients submit documents in a reliable and editable format.
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Any document submitted in a non-editable format (requiring us to generate a new document) will be subject to a surcharge to cover the time required to mirror the style and format of the original.
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We submit a quotation (based on the source text word count) as well as an estimated delivery date.
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Upon completion of the translation process, the document is submitted for independent proofreading.
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The final document is submitted to the client and payment is due upon presentation of the invoice.
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TIME FRAMES
As a general guideline, a good translator is able to cover between 1 500 and 2 000 words per day. This output is however dependent upon the complexity of the material and the amount of research required.
From the point of view of consistency in style and terminology, as well as from a cost point of view, it is optimal to entrust a project to a single translator.
Projects that are more time-sensitive requiring faster turnaround times, are handled by a team of two or more translators, depending on the volumes and time constraints. This option attracts a higher rate, but the time frame is significantly reduced.
EXPRESS TRANSLATIONS
We are dedicated to meeting delivery deadlines provided the quality of the translation is not compromised upon. In the case of unavoidable urgent work, an express order surcharge is levied. Whether or not a job qualifies as an express order is determined at the quotation stage and is based upon the scope of the project, as well as the agreed upon deadline.
Please note that no translation performed under unrealistic time constraints can ever be quite as good or as accurate, despite the best intentions. We therefore request clients to afford us the most reasonable lead times possible to complete a project.
PROOFREADING
As part of our quality checks, each document translated by French Translation Services undergoes independent proofreading by one of our linguists. Documents intended for print are submitted for additional proofreading, the costs of which are discussed upfront with the client.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidentiality and integrity are as important to us as the accuracy and quality of the service we provide.
Being privy to confidential and sensitive material places a considerable responsibility upon us. As such, we implement the following measures to ensure our clients of our commitment to these values:
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All documents are dealt with as strictly confidential and are used solely for the tasks requested from us.
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Confidentiality agreements are signed with the client prior to the exchange of any material.
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Non-disclosure agreements are signed with our translators, proof readers and any other language practitioners or industry specialists consulted during the translation process.
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No proprietary information is ever released.
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Original documents sent to us are returned to the client on request.
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No client information (including email addresses and contact information) is ever shared with third parties.
TRANSLATION FIELDS
At French Translation Services, we cover a broad spectrum of subject material. General translation fields include law, finance, media, insurance, telecommunications, retail, tourism, education, geopolitics, environment, marketing and training manuals. Over the years however, we have developed a particular specialisation in the following fields:
Mining
Environmental baseline studies, feasibility studies, environmental impact assessments, environmental management plans, stakeholder meetings, soil data, climate data, geology & resource estimation, biodiversity reports, hydrology, hydrogeology & geochemistry reports, mine simulator systems, bio-sewage systems, letters of interest, surface rights, mining codes, mining legislation, mining decrees, government correspondence, mining tenders, mining contracts, prospecting licences, curricula vitae of technical personnel, press releases, company minutes, articles of association, etc.
Aviation
Flight operations manuals (organisation and responsibilities, operational control and supervision, quality assurance, flight crew composition, qualification requirements, flight crew health precautions, flight time limitations, operating procedures, dangerous goods and weapons, security, handling of accidents and incidents, reporting of air traffic incidents, rules of the air, route and aerodrome), maintenance control manuals, agency acquisitions, aircraft lease agreements, aircraft registration, renewal contracts, aviation risk insurance, etc.
Websites
Addressing potential international customers in their native language maximises the marketing efforts of global companies. Target markets will be far more receptive if they can find information about your products and services online in their own language. With the increasing reliance on websites as the primary marketing platform of most international businesses, investing in a multilingual website has become essential to ensure a wider reach.
Airborne Geophysics & Engineering
The full spectrum of documents constituting airborne geophysical tenders and surveys (company documents, key experts, project experience, technical resources, etc.)
Geotechnical and engineering documents include: Geotechnical reports, geotechnical analyses, hydro-electric schemes, owner’s manuals, power generations systems, marine engineering, port infrastructure, quay redevelopment, traffic study reports, industrial agitators, water conveyance systems, photovoltaic and thermal solar industries, national identification systems, maintenance operating manuals, user guides, etc.
Legal and Sworn Translations
All documents to be produced before an official body in order to obtain official documents generally require a certified translation. Examples of documents include birth certificates, marriage and divorce certificates, judgments, wills, academic degrees, diplomas, adoption papers, naturalization papers, immigration documents, police clearance certificates, affidavits. Standard legal documents include contracts, company minutes, annual reports, company statutes, tenders etc.