Folio InterTel Information

Folio InterTel breaks through the language barrier by means of instant telephonic interpreting – the first and only service of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa. Our aim is to help all South Africans as well as our foreign visitors to communicate effectively with medical professionals and other service providers and officials. InterTel is a sophisticated instant telephonic interpreting service in which live interpreters can be contacted at the touch of a button in order to streamline communication between English and non-English speakers. Launched by a division of the Folio Group in 2011, InterTel’s primary focus is to address the need for professional medical interpreting in South Africa. Teams of experienced interpreters, mother-tongue speakers of many different languages and proficient in English, are available to interpret patient-doctor conversations. Without a doubt, clarifying cross-cultural communication between patients and doctors can save lives. Folio has grown InterTel into a formidable operation using 99 dedicated telephone lines and providing access to skilled interpreters in 38 languages. Please note, this is not an automated, computerised form of language translation. Interpreters are not in a call centre, but are situated remotely, using their own cellphones. InterTel functions on a tried-and-tested platform, gaining the confidence of many hospitals and clinics throughout South Africa. The 11 official languages of South Africa, in addition to a further 26 African, European and Asian languages are incorporated into the InterTel service.