This paper forms part of a more comprehensive project on the role of Shakespeare translation in South Africa, from the perspective of Translation Studies. The aim is to investigate what strategies were used to translate Shakespeare into eight of South Africa’s eleven official languages, namely Zulu, Xhosa, Southern Soto, Northern Soto, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda and Afrikaans. No Shakespeare translations have yet appeared in Ndebele and Swati.