DOCUMENT PROPERTIES

Full document name:	Language Policy
Document owner:	Legal, Risk & Compliance
Document author:	Khabonina Mthembu
Document version:	Version 2.0
Document path:	Intranet Path (To be allocated)
Creation date:	01 March 2015
Last modified date:	20 May 2025
Accepted by:	Exco
Approved by:	Executive Head: Operations
Approval date:	21 May 2025
Effective date:	Approval date

REVISION HISTORY

Revision date	Author	Revised/Created Document name	Version number	Change description
20/05/2025	Khabonina	Language Policy	2.0	No changes

1. INTRODUCTION

South Africa is a multilingual country with 12 official languages recognised under Section 6 of the Constitution. Language rights form part of the broader human rights framework enshrined in Section 9(3), which prohibits discrimination based on language, among other grounds.

Fundi Capital, operating across South Africa's diverse regions, recognises the importance of linguistic inclusion in fostering equitable access to educational finance services.

2. PURPOSE OF THE POLICY

This policy aims to promote effective, inclusive, and equitable communication in line with South Africa's constitutional values and Fundi's service delivery mandate. It is aligned with:

• Section 6 and Section 9 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa
• Section 63 of the National Credit Act (Act No. 34 of 2005)
• Sections 22–28 of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA, No. 68 of 2008)
• The Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA, No. 2 of 2000)
• Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA, No. 4 of 2013)

2.1 Key Objectives:

1. Prevent direct or indirect discrimination on the basis of language.
2. Promote multilingualism within Fundi's customer-facing communication and contractual documentation.
3. Ensure customers understand contractual obligations and their legal consequences in a language they are comfortable with.

3. APPROVED LANGUAGES FOR SERVICE DELIVERY

Fundi Capital will render its services and customer-facing documents in the following languages:

• English (Primary business language and international standard)
• isiZulu (Predominantly spoken and linguistically aligned with isiXhosa, isiNdebele, Siswati)
• Sepedi (Mutually intelligible with Sesotho and Setswana)
• Afrikaans (Widely used in finance, law, and education)

Other official languages will be considered on a case-by-case basis where service capacity allows and depending on customer demand, in line with Section 63(1) of the NCA.

4. DOCUMENTATION AND COMPLIANCE

The following customer documents will be made available in approved languages subject to availability and practicality, and in accordance with National Credit Regulator (NCR) guidance:

• Pre–agreement statements
• Credit quotations
• Credit agreements
• Section 129 Notices (enforcement notices)
• Marketing and promotional material affecting legal rights or obligations

All translations must be accurate and legally verified. Where discrepancies arise between translated and original versions, the English version shall prevail unless otherwise determined by a court.

5. STAFFING AND IMPLEMENTATION

Fundi will make reasonable efforts to staff its call centres and customer–facing functions with multilingual employees, including outsourcing where necessary, to accommodate language preferences.

• Recruitment practices will consider language skills as a value–add competency.
• Language skills will be recorded in HR records to aid in service allocation.
• Outsourced service providers shall be contractually obliged to comply with this policy.

6. AWARENESS AND TRAINING

• Language Policy awareness will form part of the employee induction programme.
• Managers must ensure their team members are trained and comply with the policy.
• Refresher training will be conducted annually or when significant changes are introduced.

7. ADMINISTRATION, MONITORING, AND REVIEW

• The Legal, Risk & Compliance Manager shall act as the custodian of this policy.
• An annual review will be undertaken to reflect changes in legislation, business operations, or stakeholder expectations.
• Material updates must be approved by the CEO.

8. POLICY NON–COMPLIANCE

Non-compliance with this policy may result in disciplinary action or termination of contract in cases involving external service providers. All reported incidents will be investigated in line with Fundi's disciplinary code and/or legal remedies available.