Born and bred in South Africa, I grew up in a multicultural environment. My mother tongue is German.
After the completion of my primary and high school years at Paarl Girls' High School in Paarl, I obtained a BA degree in German Literature and Psychology (1974) and a BA Honours degree in German Literature (1975) at Stellenbosch University.
I pursued a career in the South African diplomatic service for more than two decades, with foreign service postings in Vienna (1981-1985) and Bonn (1989-1992). Subsequently, until the beginning of 1996, I was Deputy Director in the Multilateral Branch of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pretoria (now known as the Department of International Relations and Cooperation - DIRCO), with a focus on South Africa's role and position in international organizations and UN specialized agencies, particularly in the fields of disarmament, non-proliferation, protection of the oceans and marine living resources (notably in terms of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) and the Antarctic Treaty System. Responsibilities included representing South Africa at multilateral conferences and meetings.
From 1996 to 1998, I was South African Consul General in Frankfurt a.M., with representative duties in the German federal states of Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Thuringia and Saxony. Activities encompassed the advancement of bilateral relations between South Africa and Germany, mainly regarding financial, economic, socio-political, socio-economic and cultural relations, as well as tourism promotion.
Since 1999, I have been a freelance translator (German/English/Afrikaans). My interests cover a range of subjects: literature (fiction and non-fiction), arts and culture, tourism, eco-tourism, international affairs, social sciences, sustainability, environmental protection, the oceans and marine living resources.
I am a member of the South African Translators’ Institute (SATI): www.translators.org.za (since 1999).
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German
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Main translator
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Author review: I can't count how many of my books I have had translated...I have had more than 50, maybe even over 100 different Translators interpreting my work...but I have never ever seen any one as dedicated and conscientious as Elfriede Du Preez. The effort she has put in..the lengths she has gone to make sure that her translation is impeccable and accurate to the finest degree is way beyond excellent! |
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German
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Main translator
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Not provided
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