As brands rethink how they connect with diverse audiences, language is becoming a strategic focus. media update's Venelize de Lange spoke with Eben Keun about the evolving role of multilingual marketing in South Africa.
As the world becomes increasingly digitised, standing out online is getting harder — but in the South Africa media space, language is emerging as a powerful differentiator.
With audiences expecting communication that feels relevant, while also culturally grounded, indigenous languages are playing a growing role in how brands build connection and credibility across platforms.
At the forefront of this shift is Eben Keun, Managing Director at iPendoring, South Africa's leading awards platform for creative work in indigenous languages.
In this Q&A, Keun shares his perspective on how brands can approach language more strategically, sharing insights on how to reshape industry thinking around multilingual marketing and creative excellence.
What major trends are you seeing in how South African audiences respond to language-specific marketing?
South African audiences are responding powerfully to marketing that speaks to them in their own languages.
We're seeing that indigenous language content isn't just connecting on a functional level, it's resonating emotionally in ways that English or global campaigns simply cannot.
As Mandela famously said, "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head, if you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart." This emotional connection is driving real engagement and results for brands willing to invest in multilingual work.
What's particularly interesting is the surge in entries to the iPendoring Awards, with consistent year-on-year growth of 12%. This tells us that more agencies and brands are recognising the power and impact of executing work in indigenous languages, and they're being recognised for it.
The quality of multilingual campaigns has evolved significantly, with agencies now understanding that it's crucial for campaigns to be executed in multiple languages to reach the right audience effectively.
Have you noticed any shifts in brand investment towards indigenous language content over the past few years?
Absolutely. We've witnessed a fundamental shift in how brands approach indigenous language content.
When we took over as managing agents of iPendoring in 2018, the awards primarily focused on Afrikaans work, with other indigenous language work recognised in a separate "Truly South African" category. We transformed this to recognise all indigenous languages on equal footing.
Now, an Afrikaans and an isiZulu radio advert compete side-by-side in the same category. This structural change reflects a broader industry shift. Brands are moving away from treating indigenous language work as niche or secondary.
Instead, they're seeing it as essential to reaching their audiences authentically. The consistent 12% year-on-year growth in entries demonstrates that more brands are investing in this space and seeing tangible returns.
We're also seeing far more quality work in the "smaller" indigenous languages, where relevant, which shows brands are going deeper into linguistic diversity rather than just focusing on the most widely spoken languages.
What common mistakes do marketers make when targeting multilingual audiences?
One of the biggest mistakes is treating indigenous language work as an afterthought or simply translating existing English campaigns. Cultural nuance is deeply embedded in how indigenous languages are communicated. It's almost impossible to translate something from one language to another without also explaining a key cultural nuance.
This is why direct translation rarely works and often feels inauthentic to audiences.
Another common error is not weaving indigenous language content into every part of an idea. When campaigns perform strongly across multiple categories, it's because the indigenous language approach was integrated from the start, not bolted on at the end.
Culturally grounded work has the flexibility to succeed in audio, print, film, digital and integrated spaces, but only when the insight is strong and the execution is consistent across all touchpoints.
Marketers also sometimes fail to involve cultural experts in the creative process. The 'Afrikaraoke' campaign's success was significantly strengthened by Dr Evans Netshivhambe's involvement, which kept the songs accurate and culturally respectful. This kind of collaboration is essential for maintaining credibility and authenticity.
What are brands still getting wrong concerning the role of language in purchasing decisions?
Many brands still underestimate the emotional power of language in driving purchasing decisions. They understand that language matters on a functional level, helping consumers understand product information, but they miss the deeper emotional connection that speaking to someone in their mother tongue creates.
Language doesn't just go to the head, it goes to the heart.
Brands are also still treating indigenous language campaigns as niche rather than recognising that they can compete at the highest level across the full creative spectrum. The fact that we saw multiple campaigns win across multiple categories demonstrates that culturally grounded work isn't limited in its reach or effectiveness.
Indigenous language campaigns aren't a separate, smaller market, they're a powerful way to connect with mainstream South African audiences.
Additionally, some brands fail to recognise that in a world dominated by AI and global campaigns, indigenous language creativity is more important than ever. Global campaigns will never be able to make South Africans feel seen and heard in the same way that locally relevant, culturally nuanced indigenous language work can.
This isn't just about translation, it's about keeping South Africa's languages alive, relevant and central to how stories are told.
Did you find this Q&A insightful? Let us know in the comments section below.
*Image courtesy of contributor and Canva