Learn South African Sign Language and Deaf Culture

Marsanne Neethling serves as the Coordinator for the South African Sign Language (SASL) Portfolio at Stellenbosch University's Language Centre, bringing specialized expertise in SASL interpreting and linguistics. She holds a Master's degree in Intercultural Communication with a focus on SASL linguistics. Initially joining Stellenbosch University as an educational interpreter in 2017, she has expanded her role to coordinate various SASL-related projects, mentor other SASL interpreters, and promote SASL interpreting both within and outside the university context. Her work is instrumental in enhancing accessibility and inclusion for the deaf community in higher education settings.

Susan (Modiegi) Njeyiyana is a Deaf lecturer and course coordinator in the Department of General Linguistics at Stellenbosch University, where she teaches South African Sign Language (SASL) acquisition to hearing students. With a Master's degree in Linguistics focusing on lexical variation and change in SASL, she has made significant contributions to both academia and the Deaf community. As a respected Deaf poet and academic, her works including "June 16th" and "Bear Wash Day" have inspired many Deaf poets and children to explore storytelling in their own language. Her research examines how SASL developed differently across cultural groups during apartheid and its subsequent evolution. She received the Promising Young Linguist award for her research on SASL dialects in Deaf schools and is preparing to begin her PhD studies in 2024, continuing her advocacy for SASL recognition and improved educational opportunities for the Deaf community