Language use in the South African advertising industry: a survey of advertising agencies in a multicultural society

Abstract

The commitment to multilingualism in the South African Constitution is not reflected in any formal regulation of language use in the advertising industry. Rather than external regulation by government, control in the industry is achieved by a long tradition of self-regulation. This article reports on a questionnaire investigating the industry’s response to multilingualism. With reference to the work of Klein and De Mooij, among others, the authors then discuss the factors contributing to the present state of affairs in the South African marketplace.