Swahili Translation Services for East and Central Africa
Our Swahili translation services cover legal, medical and business content for readers in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the eastern DR Congo and Swahili-speaking communities abroad. Native Swahili linguists match the variant and tone to your audience, a second linguist revises every file, and certified translation is available for official use.
ISO 17100
Certified by AKF
24 hours
To a fixed quote
Since 2009
Translating for clients
Swahili at a glance
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Language Pair |
English ⇄ Swahili · French ⇄ Swahili |
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Turnaround |
12,000 words per day · rush available |
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Certified |
Certified translation with a signed statement of accuracy |
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Quality |
Native Swahili translator plus a second revision on every job |
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Industries |
Legal · Medical · Public health and NGOs · Market research · Financial · Website |
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File types |
Word, PDF, InDesign, XLIFF, subtitles and other file types |
Who translates your Swahili
Native Swahili linguists, checked twice
Every Swahili project is translated by a native speaker who works in your subject area, then revised line by line by a second Swahili linguist before delivery. That is the translation-plus-revision workflow ISO 17100 requires.
17 native Swahili linguists · 5 years’ experience · 33 subject areas
How we choose and check Swahili linguists
Swahili, done right
What we get right in Swahili that generic translation misses
Kenyan or Tanzanian Swahili
Standard Swahili is shared, but word choice differs. Tanzania favors coined Swahili terms, while Kenyan readers often expect English loanwords in business and technology. We match the vocabulary to where your readers live.
Swahili time is different
Swahili counts hours from sunrise, so saa moja (hour one) means 7 a.m. We convert times in schedules, appointment letters, and dosage instructions, so nothing is off by six hours.
Grammar that changes with the noun
Swahili nouns fall into more than a dozen classes, and verbs and adjectives agree with each one. Software strings such as "{count} items" need rewording, so we flag them before translation starts.
The right register
Legal, medical and government texts need formal standard Swahili. Youth campaigns in Nairobi may call for Sheng, the Swahili-English street mix. We agree on register with you first, because the wrong one reads as careless or stiff.
Names, money and dates
Personal names stay exactly as written on the source ID. Currency appears as KSh or TSh, and dates as day-month-year. On certificates, a second linguist checks every name and number against the original.
Longer than English
Swahili words build up prefixes and suffixes, so translations often run longer than the English source. We check buttons, forms, and subtitles for space and shorten the wording where a layout can't stretch.
What we translate
Swahili translation for your industry
Need professional Swahili translation?
Send your files and get a fixed price and delivery date within 24 hours. Native linguists, second-linguist review, certified translation available.
How it works
From your files to finished Swahili in four steps
Fixed quote
Upload your files. You get a price and delivery date within 24 hours.
Native translation
A specialist in your field translates using your glossary.
Second-linguist revision
A second linguist checks accuracy, terminology and style.
Delivery and QA
Formatted files, final checks and certification if requested.
Rates and turnaround
Swahili translation rates
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Standard translation + revision |
from $0.08 / word |
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Certified documents |
from $25 / page |
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Typical turnaround |
12,000 words/day |
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Rush delivery |
Available, +25% |
Included in every price
- Native translator who specialises in your subject
- Full revision by a second linguist (ISO 17100)
- Your glossary and terminology kept consistent
- Formatting matched to your original file
- Confidential handling, NDA on request
- Fixed price before we start. No surprises.
Certified translations also include a signed statement of accuracy on our letterhead.
Fixed quote within 24 hours. No obligation.
Optional extras
- Rush delivery
- +25%
- Desktop publishing (InDesign, PDF)
- Per page
- Notarization or apostille
- On request
- Printed hard copy by courier
- On request
Related languages
Swahili translation questions
Do you translate Kenyan or Tanzanian Swahili?
Both. Tell us where your readers live and we assign a linguist from that country, so vocabulary, loanwords and tone match. If one text must serve all of East Africa, we write in neutral standard Swahili that readers in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda all understand.
Can you certify Swahili documents?
Yes. We translate Swahili birth, marriage, police and school certificates into English. A second linguist checks every name and number against the original before we sign.
How long does a Swahili translation take?
Our team translates about 12,000 words per day. A set of up to 10 certificate pages is usually delivered within 2 working days, and longer projects get a delivery date with your fixed quote. Rush delivery is available at +25%.
Do you translate from Swahili into English?
Yes. A native Swahili linguist with strong English translates these files, and a second linguist checks that nothing in the meaning is lost.
Can you translate surveys and research for East Africa?
Yes. We translate questionnaires and consent forms into Swahili, then translate the answers and interview transcripts back into English. For studies that need proof of accuracy, we can add a back-translation, where a separate linguist translates the Swahili back for you to compare.
What happens with technical terms that have no common Swahili word?
We use the established Swahili term where one exists, keep the English term when that is what your readers actually say, and record each choice in a glossary. The glossary keeps every later file consistent, and you can review it before we start.
Ready to translate into Swahili?
Send your files and get a fixed quote within 24 hours.
Complete the below form to get your Swahili quote