South African Translators' Institute

The South African Translators' Institute (SATI) is the largest association in South Africa representing professional, academic and amateur translators and other language practitioners.

SATI was founded in 1956. Membership is open to anyone, and at present there are around 700 members (2008 figure).

Stated purpose

SATI's stated purpose is to promote the interests of the translation profession in South Africa, chiefly through:

* undertaking, promoting and/or publishing research
* publishing a journal and various language and translation guides
* enforcing a code of ethics for translators
* co-operating with other organisations and institutions to promote the profession
* lobbying for proper training facilities for translators
* at some future date, limiting membership to those who had passed an examination

Other developments through which SATI contributes to translation in South Africa, include:

* administering a system of accreditation based on set examinations
* granting bursaries to students of translation each year
* awarding a cash prize for outstanding translation in various fields every three years
* maintaining a database of freelance translators, interpreters and editors, which is accessible to the public
* representing South African interests internationally as a member of the International Federation of Translators (FIT)

Membership

Membership is open to anyone from any country in any profession. The only requirement for membership is that new members must agree to adhere to the SATI code of ethics and pay an annual membership fee.

There are currently no membership examinations, although the eventual introduction of such examinations has been a stated goal since the founding of the Institute.

Most members are based in South Africa, but there are members in other southern African countries and Europe.

The six categories of membership are Honorary Member, Founder Member, Ordinary Member, Accredited Member, Student Member and Corporate Member.

Code of ethics

The fifteen tenets of the SATI code of ethics are as follows:

All members of SATI shall:

* aim for best quality of text interpretation, terminology use, spelling and grammar, and tone and register
* accept full responsibility for their translations
* inform their clients of unresolved problems
* accept only work which they are capable of doing (although translators may accept work that they are incapable of doing if their clients have been made aware of the fact)
* deliver their work by the deadline and in the form agreed upon with the client
* constantly pursue self-improvement
* share professional know-how with other members
* treat as confidential all new information about their clients and work done for them
* accept no work that is for unlawful or dishonest purposes
* accept no work that is contrary to public interest
* not charge excessive rates
* respect copyright and author rights
* practise high ethical and moral standards when dealing with clients and colleagues
* participate in the activities of the Institute
* always behave and translate in a manner that advances the interests of the Institute and the profession

Accreditation

SATI has offered an accreditation examination to members since 1990. Acceptance or recognition for SATI accreditation in the translation industry in South Africa is sporadic — some translation agencies specifically prefer translators with SATI accreditation, whereas some employers of translators exhibit no preference and do not include accreditation as a recommended qualification in their employment process.

Members of SATI are encouraged to gain accreditation, but it is currently not required for membership. Accreditation is, however, required of members of the SATI executive committee and the executive committees of both formal and informal chapters of the Institute. Formal chapters are required to have a certain minimum number of accredited members. Only accredited members are allowed to vote at SATI's annual general meeting.

SATI offers accreditation for general translation, sworn translation, language editing, simultaneous interpreting and terminology in various combinations of South Africa's 11 official languages and some foreign languages such as Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. SATI has an agreement with the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters in Australia (NAATI) regarding translation accreditation in other languages that are not as common in South Africa.

Candidates taking the translation, editing and terminology examinations are given 24 hours to complete a number of texts at their own premises. During this 24-hour period they are not allowed to contact other humans. The product of the exam must be entirely their own (no external editors, proofreaders, etc.). The exam papers are mailed in hard-copy only via regular mail to the translator, and must be mailed back along with a signed statement that the translations were completed within 24 hours of opening. To counteract the possibility of cheating, the translators' exams are particularly difficult, and the specific preferences of examiners are not made known to candidates. The exam papers typically include a literary piece, an academic piece, and a choice from certain broad technical fields.

The examination papers are marked independently by two examiners. In cases where one examiner passes and the other fails the candidate, a third examiner is appointed, with the view to a 2/3 ruling.

The interpreter examinations are held once or twice a year at different centres across the country, depending on demand. Interpreter accreditation is also available for South African Sign Language.

Members who fail an examination must wait 12 months before attempting the exam again. A list of current accreditees are available on the Institute's web site.

Corporate members who adhere to specific requirements set by the Institute may also become accredited.

Structure

The Institute is run by an executive comprising a chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary, registrar and treasurer.

The following committees have also been set up to guide the Institute’s activities: Training, Publicity, Mentorship, Interpreter Accreditation, Website, Ethics and Constitutional.

SATI office-bearers and committee members work on a voluntary basis. Members of the executive are elected at an annual general meeting for a period of two years.

Members of SATI may establish regional and subject-specific chapters. There is presently only one chapter, namely the regional chapter Boland (in the Western Cape). Until recently there were also regional chapters for Gauteng and for KwaZulu-Natal and an interpreters’ chapter. In times past, there were also regional chapters for the Eastern Cape and Potchefstroom (in the North-West).

Publications

SATI publishes a journal twice a year, called "Muratho." Every second month the Institute also issues a short newsletter, the Bulletin, via e-mail. Short notices about various related topics and events, called SATI Shorts, are e-mailed every few days to members on an opt-in basis.

Other publications produced by the Institute are the Sworn Translation manual (guide to the practice of sworn translation in South Africa), Marketing your Professional Freelance Business, the Southern African Bibliography of Translation, Interpreting, Lexicography and Terminology, Rights in Practice (dealing with copyright and other rights in the language field), A Guide for Users of Language Workers (booklet for clients) and Bridging Language Barriers: SATI – The First Fifty Years (a history of the Institute).

Coat of arms

In 1979, SATI applied for and registered a coat of arms at the South African State Herald. The official description of the coat of arms is the Afrikaans version, but in English it is as follows:

:Arms: "Per fess enarched Azure and Sable, a fess, enarched in base, gably in chief, at honour point a six-pointed star, Argent.":Crest: "On a tree issuant Argent, leaved Azure, fructed Gules, two swallows perched respectant Sable.":Wreath and mantling: "Argent and Azure.":Motto: "PER INTERPRETES PONS CONDITUR." [Application GK/GN 2019: SK/GG 6175, 1978-10-06; Registration GK/GN 229: SK/GG 6298, 1979-02-09; Certificate issued 1979-04-06 (Afrikaans).]

Under South African heraldry legislation, any person or group can have a coat of arms. Coats of arms needn't be registered, but officially registered coats of arms enjoy legal recognition and protection against misuse. Only the description of the coat of arms is protected — any artist may attempt to render it, and copyright of such a depiction belongs to the artist, not the owner of the coat of arms.

References

External links

* [http://translators.org.za/sati_cms/index.php?frontend_action=display_text_content&content_id=1 South African Translators' Institute]