With a population topping 80 million people, Egypt is the largest country in the Arab world. It is also one of the most visited countries on earth, with its historically significant sites drawing millions of international tourists. The Egyptian dialect of the Arabic language is the most commonly used in the surrounding Arab nations, and the introduction of numerous multinational companies to the region has prompted the need for superior translation and localization services. The demand for second-language training is at an all-time high as the salary gap between monolingual and bilingual workers stands at 70-80%.

The “Rainbow Nation” is renowned for its cultural and ethnic diversity, boasting no less than eleven official languages. Freedom of expression is now enshrined in the South African constitution, protecting cultural, religious, and linguistic beliefs and practices. English is the language of business and the country’s lingua franca, but Zulu, Afrikaans and Xhosa are widely spoken. Indeed, most South Africans speak more than one language, making them among the most linguistically proficient in the world. South Africa also has a highly developed economic infrastructure, traditionally centered on the exploitation of natural resources like gold, platinum and coal. Part of its continued success on the international stage comes from an emphasis on training in the workplace. The National Skills Development Levies Act requires employers to spend at least 1% of payroll on training, but on average they expend at least 4% of this budget on building the skills of their workers.