Founder of WordPal

Mr. Matias Sacotingo, founder of WordPal, is the Principal Instructor, Translator and Interpreter. Angolan by birth and nationality, and currently staying in Botswana, Mr. Sacotingo is a language teacher, a translator and interpreter by training and by profession.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Honours) from the University of Namibia specialized in English and Sociology. He also holds a Diploma in Teaching of English as a Second or Foreign Language from Heriot Watt University’s Moray House Institute of Education of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (1992) and was sworn in as a translator English<>Portuguese by the High Court of Namibia in May 2011.

His record also shows a 31 year-long experience working in the field of English< >Portuguese translation and interpreting. It includes stints in Huambo (Angola), teaching English at the Teachers’ Training High School “Ferraz Bomboko” (1989-1992). It also includes working as an in-house translator-interpreter with the Angolan Consulate General (1993-2001), in Windhoek (Namibia), working as an in-house translator-interpreter with the Angolan Consulate General (2001-2002) in Houston (Texas, USA), working as an in-house translator-interpreter with the Embassy of Angola (2002-2008), in Washington, DC (USA) and working as an in-house translator-interpreter with SADC Secretariat (2012-2024), in Gaborone, Botswana.

Other credits include serving as a freelance translator-interpreter for SADC Parliamentary Forum in Windhoek (Namibia) and with the SADC Secretariat in Gaborone, Botswana (2007-2010). He has also served as a translator-interpreter for the United Nations Development Program (1997) in Luanda, Angola (1997). During all these periods of time, Mr. Sacotingo taught and mentored scores of students who not only have excelled in schools and universities, but are today fluent and competent users and speakers of English. The latest solid working experience was.

Having lived and worked in English speaking environments and completed several years of University training in aggregate, Mr. Sacotingo possesses solid knowledge of both Portuguese and English, a unique understanding of today’s language use, needs and trends, in addition to having tried and tested language teaching and translation and interpreting skills.

Mr. Sacotingo’s clear understanding of SADC as one of Africa’s fast growing economic and development blocs gives him an edge as a language instructor, a translator and an interpreter, all of which adds the much-needed value to WordPal mission and vision.