Face-to-face
Sesotho interpreters on site for appointments, hearings and meetings.
African languages
Sesotho interpreting and translation
Sesotho, or Southern Sotho, is the national language of Lesotho and one of the official languages of South Africa. We provide Sesotho interpreters and translators for legal, healthcare, immigration and education work.
Sesotho
- Script
- Latin (Lesotho and South African orthographies)
- Direction
- Left to right
- ISO 639-3
sot
Sesotho is a Bantu language of the Sotho-Tswana group, closely related to Setswana and Sepedi (Northern Sotho). In Lesotho it is the language of almost the whole population and an official language alongside English. In South Africa it is one of the official languages and is spoken mainly in the Free State, southern Gauteng and parts of North West.
Sesotho should not be confused with Sepedi (Northern Sotho), which is a separate official language of South Africa. Speakers of the Sotho-Tswana languages often understand each other to a degree, but they have their own standards. The spelling 'Sethoso' sometimes seen in English is a misspelling of Sesotho.
- Main areas: Lesotho, South Africa (Free State)
- Also used: South Africa (Gauteng, North West)
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How we help
Sesotho services
Video (VRI)
Secure video interpreting when people are in different places.
Telephone, 24/7
Telephone interpreting 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Certified translation
Certified Sesotho translation accepted by UK authorities.
SILA Linguists®
Sesotho interpreting and translation services with SILA Linguists®
Sesotho is spoken by almost the whole population of Lesotho and is a home language for many people in South Africa's Free State, southern Gauteng and North West. SILA Linguists® provides Sesotho interpreters and translators for immigration advisers, healthcare providers, courts, universities and development organisations in Britain and as far afield as North America, Australia and New Zealand. We begin by asking whether the client is from Lesotho or South Africa, because pronunciation, vocabulary and even spelling differ, and Gauteng speakers often mix Sesotho with Zulu, Afrikaans and English.
Sesotho interpreters who put clients at ease
Our interpreters support family visa applications, GP and hospital appointments, solicitors' meetings, court hearings and student services. Telephone interpreting is offered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; video interpreting is available on our SILA Linguists® app or on Teams, Zoom or a similar tool; and face-to-face interpreters attend where a longer conversation or a hearing calls for it.
Sesotho is a tonal language in which respectful forms of address carry real weight, especially with elders, and an interpreter from the same background helps the conversation feel natural. For workshops, conferences and NGO programmes we provide consecutive or simultaneous interpreting, including RSI, and a female or a male linguist can be requested. We will also confirm that the client speaks Sesotho rather than Sepedi or Setswana, which are related but separate.
Translation in both Sesotho spelling systems
Lesotho and South Africa use different orthographies: Lesotho writes li and lu where South Africa writes di and du, so food is lijo in one and dijo in the other. We use the system your readers expect and keep the original spelling of names exactly as it appears on official documents.
Birth certificates, court orders, academic transcripts and marriage records may be in English, Sesotho or both. Our certified Sesotho translations carry the translator's signed confirmation of accuracy, accepted by UK authorities such as the Home Office and universities, and by employers. For development and public health projects in Lesotho and South Africa, we translate reports, training materials and community messages into clear, natural Sesotho.
Transcription and subtitling
We transcribe Sesotho interviews, focus groups and video footage with time codes and a parallel English translation, and we produce subtitles for training films, research outputs and campaign videos, marking any code-switching into English or Zulu.
Sectors we support in Sesotho
Our vetted, trained and qualified Sesotho linguists can support immigration lawyers, NHS and private healthcare, courts and legal advisers, universities and international student offices, charities and international development agencies working in southern Africa. With SILA Linguists®, you have one dedicated coordinator, vetted linguists and confidentiality agreements that keep personal data protected under UK GDPR.
Good to know
Working with Sesotho
Interpreting
- Tell us whether the client is from Lesotho or South Africa. Pronunciation and vocabulary differ a little between the two, and South African speakers in Gauteng often mix Sesotho with Zulu, Afrikaans and English. Sesotho is a tonal language, and respectful forms of address matter, particularly with elders. An interpreter from the same background helps clients feel at ease.
Translation
- Sesotho has two spelling systems. Lesotho uses an older orthography, while South Africa adopted a revised one; for example Lesotho writes 'li' and 'lu' where South Africa writes 'di' and 'du', so 'food' is lijo in Lesotho and dijo in South Africa. We use the spelling that matches your readers, and we follow the original spelling of names on official documents.
- Documents from Lesotho and South Africa, such as birth certificates, court orders and academic records, may be in English, Sesotho or both. Certified translations are accepted by UK authorities including the Home Office, the courts and universities, and by international bodies.
Related languages
Sesotho and its neighbours
Choose a language to see its page. Getting the right variety matters: tell us the region or dialect if you know it.
Where Sesotho is often needed
- Immigration and family visa applications
- Healthcare appointments
- Courts and legal advice
- Education and student services
- International development and NGO projects
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Get in touch
Need a Sesotho interpreter or translator?
Our bookings team will confirm the details with you and arrange the right linguist. Have the language (and dialect, if you know it), the type of assignment and the date ready.