A site that aims to cover the often-ignored language practitioners market in South Africa and the African continent is now online, and owners say its newly-added features will set it apart from the competition.

Lingoproz has previously been termed a “long overdue solution” to the dearth of language services directories in the region, and its launch promises to bridge the language gap in the African continent.

The site, which claims to be the only one of its kind in the region and caters to more than 80 languages — including the most spoken languages in South Africa such as Afrikaans language, Northern Sotho language, isiZulu language and isiXhosa language -- counts its search function as its primary edge, helping language professionals and clients to meet and seal deals easier. It allows the practitioners to simply list down their services for a prospective patron to find and, hopefully, hire.

Also going live is Lingoproz’ special terminology forum, where language practitioners can seek the help of other practitioners when they encounter “tricky” vocabulary. The site operators envision this section of the site to grow over time and eventually become a reliable database for practitioners to consult – similar to a dictionary – by means of a search function for terms in old entries.

In addition, the site’s article collection is already available. The Lingoproz Live! Magazine offers a host of “handpicked” language-related articles that vary in both style and content – from humorous to academic – aiming to provide users of the site with some interesting reads whenever they visit. More importantly, users are encouraged to submit their own articles to reach fellow practitioners in the field.

More features, such as a calendar of events, an index of resources, and an encyclopaedia of languages and language services will be added within the next few days. The latter will be filled with information kindly provided by Ethnologue.com.

is Africa’s online platform for language professionals that besides connecting South Africa-based language practitioners and clients also offers a wealth of features for information, interaction and entertainment. The site includes a free, fast, and easy-to-use search tool to lead prospective clients to the right professionals. The terminology forum and Lingoproz Live! magazine are already online, while an event calendar, an index of resources and an encyclopaedia of languages and language services will be added shortly.