Prof Napjadi Letsoalo

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Dr Napjadi Letsoalo
Chair of the Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages at the University of South Africa

Dr Napjadi Letsoalo is Chair of the Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages at the University of South Africa and holds a PhD in Linguistics, specializing in phonetics and syntax. His research spans paremiology, lexicography, indigenous languages, gender, language politics and youth registers.

He has earned multiple national and international honours, including Young Linguist of the Year (2017), Best Paper Awards (2018, 2020), UNISA’s Excellence Award in Tuition (2019), and the PanSALB Multilingualism Youth Award (2024). In 2025, he was appointed to the Pan South African Language Board and elected deputy chairperson.

Dr Letsoalo is also an editor and author, contributing to works such as Mzansi Taal, TsošaMoya Kids, and the Unisa Multilingual Proverbs Dictionary.