Professional translation services backed by international quality standards
Choosing a professional translation agency involves more than comparing prices and turnaround times. Translation accuracy, specialist expertise, quality assurance procedures and the secure handling of confidential documents are equally important considerations.
This is particularly relevant when translating legal agreements, financial statements, medical records and technical documentation, where even a minor terminological error can lead to misunderstandings or significant consequences.
The Native Translator is an international translation agency providing professional translation services to businesses, law firms, financial institutions, healthcare organisations, public-sector bodies and private individuals in South Africa.
Our approach combines structured translation processes, information security management, environmental responsibility and awareness of international standards governing the protection of electronic payment information.
The Native Translator holds ISO 17100 certification for translation services and ISO/IEC 27001 certification for information security management. ISO 14001 and the PCI Security standards also provide important international frameworks for environmental management and payment card security.
Our international network comprises more than 5,500 specialist translators with professional qualifications obtained in over 45 countries. This enables us to provide multilingual translation services across a wide range of specialist fields, including law, finance, medicine, engineering and technology.
ISO 17100 – certified translation services with documented quality assurance
ISO 17100 is the international standard that specifies requirements for professional translation services. It establishes criteria relating to translator competence, project resources, translation processes and quality assurance.
The Native Translator is certified to ISO 17100. This certification demonstrates that our translation services are delivered within a structured framework with defined requirements for translator qualifications, project management and quality control.
The standard covers the main stages of a translation project, including project preparation, the selection of suitably qualified translators, translation, independent revision and project completion.
One of the key requirements of ISO 17100 is that a translation must be revised by another suitably qualified language professional who did not produce the original translation.
This independent revision process helps identify linguistic inaccuracies, terminology inconsistencies, omissions and other issues that could affect the quality of the final document.
For South African businesses, ISO 17100 certification can be particularly relevant when selecting a translation provider for commercial contracts, company documents, annual reports, financial statements, medical documentation and technical manuals.
In specialist sectors, accurate terminology is essential for preserving the meaning of the original document and supporting its intended use.
It is important to distinguish ISO 17100 certification from the official status of an individual translator.
ISO 17100 applies to translation services and their processes. It does not automatically mean that every translator working with a certified agency is a sworn translator or holds a particular government-recognised qualification.
Likewise, a translation produced by an ISO 17100-certified agency is not automatically accepted as an official or sworn translation by courts, government departments, embassies or other institutions.
Where specific formalities or translator credentials are required, those requirements must be addressed separately.
ISO/IEC 27001 – certified information security and confidential document protection
Information security is a fundamental consideration in professional translation services.
Documents submitted for translation may contain personal information, confidential business data, legal advice, financial records, medical information, intellectual property or commercially sensitive technical material.
A professional translation agency therefore needs more than linguistic expertise. It also needs a systematic approach to identifying and managing information security risks.
The Native Translator holds ISO/IEC 27001 certification, the internationally recognised standard for information security management systems.
ISO/IEC 27001 specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving an information security management system.
The standard takes a risk-based approach to information security, requiring organisations to identify relevant threats and vulnerabilities, assess their potential impact and implement appropriate controls.
These may include organisational, technical, physical and personnel-related measures, selected according to the organisation's circumstances and assessed risks.
Information security management is based on three fundamental principles: confidentiality, integrity and availability.
Confidentiality means protecting information against access by unauthorised individuals.
Integrity involves safeguarding information against unauthorised or accidental changes so that it remains accurate and reliable.
Availability means ensuring that authorised users can access the information they require when necessary.
For South African businesses, law firms, banks, insurers, healthcare providers and other organisations handling sensitive documents, a translation supplier's approach to information security can be an important procurement consideration.
The protection of personal information must also take account of applicable South African legislation, including the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).
Depending on the circumstances, organisations may need to consider POPIA requirements relating to security safeguards, the processing of personal information by operators and the cross-border transfer of personal information.
ISO/IEC 27001 certification supports systematic information security management, but it does not, by itself, establish compliance with every requirement of POPIA or other applicable data protection legislation.
No information security certification can provide an absolute guarantee against cyberattacks, data breaches or other security incidents.
ISO 14001 – environmental management and more sustainable translation processes
ISO 14001 is an international standard for environmental management systems.
It helps organisations identify and manage the environmental impacts of their activities, meet applicable environmental compliance obligations and continually improve their environmental performance.
For a modern translation agency, environmental management may involve paper consumption, digital document handling, energy use, purchasing decisions, business travel and the use of other operational resources.
Electronic document exchange, digital project management and online collaboration can help reduce the need for printing, physical document deliveries and certain business journeys.
However, digital services are not entirely free from environmental impacts. Actual environmental performance depends on how processes are organised, which technologies are used and how resources are consumed.
ISO 14001 provides a structured framework for setting environmental objectives, monitoring performance and identifying opportunities for continual improvement.
For South African businesses that prioritise sustainability, ESG considerations and responsible supply chain management, a supplier's environmental management approach may form part of the procurement process.
It is nevertheless important to distinguish between applying environmental management principles associated with ISO 14001 and holding formal ISO 14001 certification.
An organisation should only describe itself as ISO 14001-certified when a valid certification has actually been issued and covers the relevant organisation and scope of activities.
PCI Security – secure card payments and online transactions
Payment security is an important part of the customer experience when translation services are ordered and paid for online.
The PCI Security Standards Council develops international security standards for the payment card industry.
One of the most widely recognised is the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which establishes requirements for protecting cardholder data in environments where payment card information is stored, processed or transmitted.
PCI DSS addresses areas such as access controls, payment data protection, security monitoring, system management and periodic security assessments.
For a translation agency offering online payments, it is important that the payment solution used and the allocation of responsibilities between the agency and its payment service providers meet the applicable security requirements.
PCI DSS and ISO/IEC 27001 serve different purposes.
ISO/IEC 27001 addresses an organisation's broader information security management system, whereas PCI DSS focuses specifically on protecting payment card data.
It is also important to distinguish between using a payment service provider with validated PCI DSS compliance and the translation agency itself having completed an independent PCI DSS compliance assessment.
Using a PCI DSS-compliant payment provider does not automatically mean that the business using that provider has independently validated its own PCI DSS compliance.
Why international standards matter when choosing a translation agency
When comparing translation agencies, businesses and private clients often focus on pricing, delivery schedules, language combinations and areas of expertise.
For professional translation projects, however, quality assurance, translator competence and information security are equally important.
International standards help clients understand how a service provider manages different aspects of its operations.
ISO 17100 specifies requirements for professional translation services, translator competence and quality assurance processes.
ISO/IEC 27001 addresses systematic information security risk management and information protection.
ISO 14001 focuses on environmental management, environmental objectives and continual improvement.
PCI DSS establishes security requirements for environments handling payment card data.
These standards cover different management areas and are not interchangeable.
Certification to one standard does not automatically imply certification or verified compliance with the others.
For South African companies that regularly require translations of international agreements, financial documentation, medical records and technical materials, understanding these standards can help establish a more comprehensive approach to evaluating translation suppliers.
Sworn translations, official translations and document requirements in South Africa
In addition to international translation quality standards, certain documents may be subject to specific formal requirements when submitted to South African courts, government departments, universities, professional bodies or other institutions.
In South Africa, sworn translators are commonly used when translations must be submitted for official or legal purposes.
The South African Translators' Institute (SATI) operates an accreditation system for language professionals, including a sworn translation accreditation category.
SATI accreditation and the legal requirements for a sworn translation should not be treated as identical. The requirements applicable to a particular translation depend on its intended use and the receiving institution.
Depending on the circumstances, sworn translations may involve a translator who has taken the required oath or affirmation before an authorised official and who certifies the accuracy of the translation in the prescribed or accepted manner.
Documents for which an official or sworn translation may be requested include birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce orders, academic qualifications, transcripts, police clearance certificates, powers of attorney, company registration documents and court judgments.
South African institutions may have different requirements regarding the translator's credentials, the wording of the certification, the translator's signature and the supporting documents.
For example, requirements may differ between the Department of Home Affairs, a court, a university, a professional regulatory body and a foreign embassy or consulate.
It is therefore important to distinguish between an ordinary professional translation, a translation accompanied by a translator's declaration, and a sworn translation that meets the specific requirements of the receiving institution.
ISO 17100 certification of a translation agency does not replace any legal or administrative requirements applicable to sworn translations in South Africa.
When South African documents are intended for use abroad, or foreign documents are submitted in South Africa, additional authentication procedures may also be necessary.
Depending on the destination country, document type and applicable international arrangements, these procedures may involve an apostille or other authentication or legalisation requirements.
An apostille authenticates specified aspects of a public document's origin under the applicable Hague Convention arrangements. It does not automatically certify the accuracy of a translation.
Before ordering a translation for official use, it is advisable to confirm the receiving institution's requirements regarding language, format, translator qualifications, certification and any additional authentication procedures.
The final decision on whether a translated document is acceptable rests with the institution receiving it.
Professional translations for South African businesses and private clients
The Native Translator provides professional translation services across legal, economic, financial, medical, technical and numerous other specialist fields.
Our international network includes more than 5,500 specialist translators with professional qualifications obtained in over 45 countries.
This enables us to select language professionals according to the language combination, specialist subject matter and specific requirements of each document.
For translations intended for South Africa, it is important to use terminology that reflects the country's legal, commercial, administrative and linguistic context.
South Africa's multilingual environment also makes it important to distinguish between different target languages and varieties of English.
In addition to English and Afrikaans, South Africa has a wide range of indigenous official languages, including isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga and isiNdebele. South African Sign Language is also an official language.
Translation requirements can vary considerably depending on the language, audience, industry and intended use of the document.
Legal and financial translations may require familiarity with South African legislation and terminology, including the Companies Act, 2008, the Protection of Personal Information Act and the applicable financial reporting framework.
Depending on the entity and reporting requirements, financial translations may also involve terminology associated with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
Technical translations may require specialist knowledge of engineering, manufacturing, mining, energy, information technology, industrial equipment, medical devices and other sectors relevant to the South African economy.
Through our ISO 17100 and ISO/IEC 27001 certifications, we combine structured translation quality processes with a systematic approach to information security management.
Whether you require the translation of an international commercial agreement, annual report, medical document, technical manual or document intended for official submission, our objective is to provide professional and reliable translation services.
Request a quotation from an ISO-certified translation agency
Choose a translation agency that combines an international network of specialist translators with recognised standards for quality and information security.
The Native Translator holds ISO 17100 certification for professional translation services and ISO/IEC 27001 certification for information security management.
Upload your documents through our online translation portal to request a no-obligation quotation. Completing and submitting an online quotation request takes approximately 60 seconds.
You can also contact us by email if you have any questions about our professional translation services, quality standards, ISO certifications or the secure handling of your documents.
