Freelance Afrikaans Interpreter and Translator

SILA Linguists; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work

On-site bookings

Professional development

Operations support

Flexible assignments

Job summary

SILA Linguists is seeking freelance Afrikaans interpreters and translators for legal, business, healthcare and immigration work. Work includes video, telephone, or on-site assignments across the UK.

Applicants should be fluent in Afrikaans and English; DBS check may be required for healthcare or education projects. Knowledge of South African legal terms is helpful. Flexible, remote or on-site opportunities available.

Qualifications

• Native or near-native fluency in Afrikaans and English.
• Willingness to complete a DBS check for healthcare, education or vulnerable assignments.
• Right to work in the UK for on-site assignments.
• CIOL or ITI membership welcome.

Responsibilities

• Translate Afrikaans to English for legal, civil and business documents.
• Interpret in legal and medical settings with precision.
• Maintain strict confidentiality and impartiality on assignments.
• Build glossaries for sectors you work in.
• Attend remote assignments from a quiet, private space with a reliable connection.
• Produce accurate transcripts and English translations of Afrikaans speech.

Skills

Fluency in Afrikaans

Fluency in English

Interpreting experience

Education

DPSI or equivalent qualification (advantage)

Job description

Join SILA Linguists as a freelance Afrikaans interpreter and translator for legal, business, healthcare and immigration work, by video, telephone or on site.

Afrikaans is spoken across South Africa and Namibia, both as a first language and as a lingua franca. Its regional and community varieties include Kaaps in the Western Cape. Most clients in the UK speak English well, so much of the work involves document translation, legal matters and complex medical discussions.

Translators handle South African certificates, court papers, contracts, wills and business documents. Interpreting includes court and tribunal hearings, solicitor meetings, medical appointments and business negotiations.

Responsibilities

• Translate South African and Namibian legal, civil and business documents from Afrikaans into English.
• Interpret in legal and medical settings where precision in Afrikaans is needed.
• Keep everything you hear and read on assignments strictly confidential, and remain impartial throughout.
• Build and maintain your own glossaries for the sectors you work in.
• Attend video and telephone assignments from a quiet, private space with a reliable connection.
• Produce accurate transcripts and English translations of recorded Afrikaans speech, for example police interviews or research recordings.

Requirements

• Native or near-native fluency in Afrikaans and English, spoken and written.
• The DPSI (Diploma in Public Service Interpreting), DPI (Diploma in Police Interpreting) or an equivalent qualification is an advantage; CIOL or ITI membership is welcome.
• Knowledge of South African legal and administrative terms is an advantage; Dutch is welcome.
• Willingness to complete a DBS check for assignments in healthcare, education or with vulnerable people.
• Right to work in the UK if you will take on-site assignments in the UK.
• A reliable internet connection, headset and quiet, private workspace for remote assignments.

What we offer

• Remote work by video and telephone, plus on-site bookings.
• Fair compensation for your skills and time.
• Opportunities for professional development.
• Help from our operations team before and after assignments.
• Varied assignments across healthcare, legal, government, finance and more.
• Flexible working: choose the assignments that suit your availability.

Afrikaans work with SILA Linguists®

SILA Linguists® is a language services company providing interpreting, translation and transcription across the UK, North America, Australia, New Zealand and beyond, in more than 350 languages and dialects. As a Afrikaans linguist with us, you can take on the full range of work we offer in Afrikaans:

• Afrikaans interpreting of every type: face-to-face, telephone (OPI) 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, video (VRI) through the SILA Linguists® app or the client's platform, consecutive, simultaneous, conference and remote simultaneous (RSI), community and escort interpreting.
• Afrikaans translation of documents into and out of English, from letters, medical reports and school records to contracts, research and websites.
• Certified Afrikaans translation with a signed statement of accuracy, accepted by UK authorities such as courts, the Home Office, universities and employers.
• Afrikaans transcription of audio and video recordings, with time stamps, translation of the transcript and subtitling.

Our vetted, trained and qualified linguists work in legal, police and court settings, immigration and asylum matters, NHS and private healthcare, social care, schools and universities, charities and business. Every assignment is covered by confidentiality agreements and UK GDPR.