Approved UCT Language Policy officially launched

Dear colleagues and students

In underscoring our commitment to multilingualism, inclusivity and transformation in line with our Vision 2030, I am pleased to inform the university community that the University of Cape Town (UCT) Council, at its last ordinary meeting in December 2024, approved the UCT Language Policy together with its framework for implementation.

This policy will help us embrace both the extraordinary diversity within our community and an environment where language is valued as a resource for learning, research and communication.

The revised UCT language policy promotes multilingualism – with English, IsiXhosa and Afrikaans as the official languages of the university. In addition, the policy identifies Afrikaaps (Kaaps), South African Sign Language (SASL) and Khoekhoegowab and N|uu as languages for development by UCT.

The policy emphasises promoting marginalised South African indigenous languages in teaching, learning, research and communication. This includes supporting isiXhosa as a language of instruction, alongside English, and encouraging students and staff to incorporate multilingual approaches into their academic work.

The core provisions of the policy are:

• Teaching and learning: All undergraduate students will be encouraged to take a course in isiXhosa communication if they do not already have proficiency in an indigenous South African language. For postgraduate students, we aim to require PhD abstracts to be translated into one of the marginalised indigenous languages. Additionally, we will support the use of official languages in theses and dissertations.
• Research and scholarship: The policy commits the university to supporting research in and about indigenous languages, providing resources for scholars and promoting the development of discipline-specific language tools. We will also encourage research on multilingual pedagogies for higher education.
• Communication: Internal university communications, such as notices and announcements, will be made available in at least two of the official languages, where the occasion and medium of communication allows. We will also strive to ensure that our communication with external stakeholders respects language preferences, using official South African languages as well as the UCT language policy as appropriate.

Faculties and Professional, Administrative Support and Service (PASS) departments will develop language implementation plans tailored to their needs – to be approved by Senate – and with regular reviews every five years. The Language Policy Committee will support these efforts by, among others, providing translation services, supporting multilingual teaching strategies and promoting research in indigenous languages.

The UCT Language Policy and its framework for implementation was launched on Thursday, 27 February 2025 during UCT’s celebration of International Mother Language Day.

This policy reflects UCT’s commitment to ensuring that language is no longer a barrier to education but a bridge to knowledge, advancement and innovation. By striving towards being a multilingual environment, we aim to empower our students and staff to engage with diverse languages and cultures, thereby contributing to an inclusive and transformative academic experience.

We recognise that the successful implementation of this policy requires the collective effort of everyone in our community. Active participation and support by all staff and students will be vital in making this vision a reality.

We also recognise that the UCT community might have a number of immediate questions around the policy and its implementation. For any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to your faculty or department, and line managers will coordinate with the UCT Multilingual Education Project to have these addressed either via departmental group sessions or written responses.

Let us continue in our commitment to making UCT a more inclusive and diverse institution.

Together we are UCT!

Yours sincerely

Professor Mosa Moshabela
Vice-Chancellor

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements