Mapulaneng, meaning “the place of the Mapulana people,” spans north-eastern Mpumalanga and south-eastern Limpopo in South Africa. SePulana, a non-official community language, is widely spoken in Bushbuckridge. Long marginalised during apartheid, the maPulana have since advocated for sePulana to gain official recognition. In 2018, a government body began using sePulana on official signage, and in 2019 the Mapulaneng Writers’ Association launched six newly published novels in the language. For the maPulana, access to Scripture in sePulana will encourage deeper study of God’s Word and strengthen outreach to those who are unreached. The community is eager to see sePulana valued and affirmed.

Itireleng Florence Chiloane is a single parent and a reviewer for the Sepulana Bible Translation project. She loves the Lord to an extent that she assists in building church structures for churches of South Africa. She is a mother of three and ready to serve the ministry whole heartedly.

She says that the Sepulana Bible translation transformed her spirit and faith. Her English vocabulary has increased and her love for reading the Bible has improved drastically since she joined the team. As a retired teacher and a Curriculum Implementer, the position of being a reviewer inspired her to start writing Sepulana songs, as well as praying and preaching the Word of God more in the language she understands the most.