UCT Language Indaba 2025: turning policy into practice

The University of Cape Town (UCT) hosted its second Language Indaba recently at Molly Blackburn Hall, drawing staff, students, and national partners into conversation on multilingualism in higher education.

With the theme “Sharing Best Practice on Language Policy Implementation in Higher Education”, this year’s gathering marked a decisive step in shifting the university’s multilingual language policy from theory into practice.

UCT Vice-Chancellor Professor Mosa Moshabela opened the event with Nelson Mandela’s famous reminder: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” The quote, he said, captures why multilingualism is central to student success, inclusivity, and transformation at UCT.

National and institutional partners took the stage, including representatives from the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) and the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR), who highlighted the importance of developing and authenticating African language terminology for higher education.

From awareness to best practice

UCT’s Multilingual Language Policy and Implementation Framework were approved by Council in December 2024 and came into effect in January 2025. The policy recognises English, Afrikaans, and isiXhosa as the university’s official languages and requires faculties and divisions to develop context-specific implementation plans. In addition, UCT’s policy identifies Afrikaaps (Kaaps), South African Sign Language (SASL) and Khoekhoegowab and N|uu as languages for development by UCT.

“When I greet you in your own language, I’m showing that I see you, your history, and your ancestors. It’s more than a greeting; it’s recognition.”

According to Professor Lolie Makhubu-Badenhorst, the director of the Multilingualism Education Project (MEP) and chair of the Language Policy Committee, the indaba makes visible the breadth of work happening across the institution. Professor Makhubu-Badenhorst also serves as the chairperson of PanSALB.

“Faculties and departments were working in silos. [The Faculty of] Health Sciences would be doing one thing, CMD [Communication and Marketing Department] another, and [Libraries] something else. The indaba brings these strands together so that the whole community can see the scope of innovation at UCT,” she explained.

Translating policy into practice

Several pioneering initiatives were profiled. Course descriptors across faculties are being translated into isiXhosa, giving students a multilingual entry point into their studies. Selected PhD abstracts are now available in isiXhosa, signalling that advanced research can be communicated in African languages. CMD has begun translating the vice-chancellor’s communications, as well as news articles, into isiXhosa and Afrikaans.

“Multilingualism isn’t an optional extra; it is fundamental to inclusivity, social cohesion, and student success.”

In the Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment (EBE), terminology development workshops bring together engineers and linguists to coin isiXhosa equivalents for technical terms. These undergo verification by the National Language Board under PanSALB to ensure national consistency and academic rigour. “This is a meticulous process,” Makhubu-Badenhorst noted. “But it means that isiXhosa technical vocabulary becomes usable not only at UCT, but across the sector.”

Progress has been strong, but challenges remain. One obstacle is myth and misunderstanding. “Some people still believe it’s impossible to write a thesis in isiXhosa, or that African languages can’t handle complex academic work. This is not true. Across South Africa, master’s and doctoral theses have been written and examined in indigenous languages. These myths need to be dispelled.”

Multilingualism and transformation

For Makhubu-Badenhorst, the role of multilingualism in advancing transformation goes far beyond compliance. It speaks directly to dignity, social cohesion, and inclusivity. “When I greet you in your own language, whether it’s isiXhosa, Sesotho, Kaaps, or even just local slang, I’m showing that I see you, and I see your history. It’s not just a greeting. It says: I appreciate you, I recognise your ancestors, and I value your culture.”

She emphasised that multilingualism helps heal the divisions of the past. “Apartheid separated us into rigid categories. Now, when a white Afrikaner student dances to isiXhosa music or speaks Sesotho, or when a Xhosa student picks up Afrikaans slang, it creates social cohesion. It breaks down the idea that only one group must make the effort. It has to be mutual.”

This sense of recognition, she added, is vital in the teaching and learning environment, in sports, in residence dining halls, and even in casual encounters. “If I walk into a shop and greet someone with molo rather than ‘good morning’, the interaction changes. It becomes warmer, more human.”

A national conversation

The indaba also featured colleagues from North-West University and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, who shared experiences of embedding Setswana, Sesotho, and isiZulu into their institutional cultures.

“Success will be when multilingualism is no longer seen as a project, but as the way we do things at UCT.”

Participants visited various stalls and heard presentations from a range of faculties and divisions, including Commerce, Humanities, Science, Law, EBE, Health Sciences, UCT Libraries, and the Office for Inclusivity & Change. Each was given time to share how they are promoting multilingualism and to highlight specific projects. “This creates a ripple effect,” Makhubu-Badenhorst observed. “When one faculty sees what another is doing, they are inspired to take up similar initiatives.”

The indaba is now an annual platform to track UCT’s progress. In 2024, it introduced the policy. In 2025, it showcased best practice. In 2026, it will focus on lessons learned from the first years of implementation. “Multilingualism touches on identity and student belonging,” Makhubu-Badenhorst reflected. “It is about transformation in the deepest sense. By 2030, success will be when multilingualism is no longer seen as a project, but simply as the way we do things at UCT.”