Folio Group Uniting in diversity

The motto on the South African coat of arms is in the Khoisan language of the /Xam people: !ke e: /xarra //ke. It means “diverse people unite,” referring to the necessity of unity between thought and action.

On a collective scale it calls for the nation to unite in a common sense of belonging and national pride – unity in diversity. By facilitating communication between speakers of a great many languages, the Folio Group is motivated by this noble ideal.

Founded by Philip Zietsman in 1988, the Folio Group has grown from a small startup into the major-league language service provider that it is today. This is largely driven by its reputation for reliability, technical expertise, fast turnaround and meticulous accuracy. Folio is recognised around the world for its expertise in sourcing and providing African languages and all major Asian and European languages.

The Folio Team

The staff members of Folio and our many associates around the world are united by our love for language and communication. It informs everything we do and although the language services industry is a serious business, with its emphasis on accuracy in the face of continuous and very tight deadlines, we enjoy a good few laughs along the way.

Folio meets international standards of excellence across all our services. We constantly fight for the legitimacy of our industry by emphasising the importance of accredited training and certification to those who wish to work in this field.

The erroneous notion that just about any bilingual person can be a translator or interpreter undermines the value of professional language practitioners and the significance of the work we do. It also ignores the technological advances in the field and the continuous training involved. Over the years we have committed much time, energy and many resources to educating our practitioners about the importance of professional skills development.

Awards

Common Sense Advisory, the international market research firm, has included the Folio Group in its ranking of the Top 5 Language Service Providers in Africa for eight consecutive years. Folio Group was also recognised as Exporter of the Year in the SSME category by the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This award, which we have received twice, acknowledges “notable achievements in the export field” based on performance criteria including product improvement, community involvement and job creation as well as a creative and innovative approach to exporting into difficult markets.

Philip Zietsman.