Did you know that the Setswana Bible was the first complete Bible published in one of South Africa's indigenous languages? It was also the third Bible in an African language.

Over the years the Bible Society of South Africa has been involved in the translation of the Bible into all our country's languages – about 18 translations and 12 revisions.

Making the Bible’s message accessible and understood has always been an integral part of Bible Society work, and translating the Bible into the languages of South Africa's many language groups remains one of the key means of achieving that goal.

The source-text orientated translation in Afrikaans which began in 2006 is well underway. Visit this translation's website for more information.

In 1883 Zulus received a complete Bible in their mother tongue for the first time. The translation of the isiZulu Bible wihich is currently used by most isiZulu speakers wat completed over 50 years ago. At the request of the Zulu churches the Bible Society begana new translation of the Bible in isiZulu in August 2009. The basic translation of about half of the Bible text has already been completed and a review committee is giving attention to this.

The Bible Society of South Africa recently began with the translation of an English Bible for the Deaf (EBD) for use in South Africa and throughout Africa where English is spoken. This translation, in deaf-oriented English, is aimed especially at people who are born deaf and those who use Sign Language.  Because people learn spoken language primarily through imitation and verbal communication, people who are born deaf have unique language and reading skills.