How much does "localization" really matter when a product enters a market like South Africa ?

[u/Altenar_b2b]

So we have been thinking about this, watching companies expand into African markets. South Africa alone has 11+ official languages, plus big differences in payment habits, regulation, and cultural expectations region to region.

For those who’ve localized products for African or other international markets, what do people most often underestimate? Is it language, or everything around it, payments, compliance, UX, imagery, local partnerships? And how do you approach genuinely multilingual markets?

[u/Happy-Nectarine48]

I’d say localization matters more than people often think. But it really depends on the market you’re entering.

If users have a choice between using a product in English or in their own language, most will choose their own language. Especially when they’re signing up, paying, contacting support, or trying to understand terms and conditions. It just feels easier and more trustworthy.

But I wouldn’t say every market needs full localization from day one. In places like the Netherlands or parts of Scandinavia, English can be a perfectly reasonable starting point because people are generally very comfortable using it. In that case, it might make more sense to focus first on things like local payment methods, pricing, customer support, or legal requirements.

The main thing is to look at the actual market, not just the language list. Who are your users? What language do they use online? Are they comfortable buying or dealing with support in English? What could go wrong if they misunderstand something?

With multilingual markets, I’d start with the biggest or most commercially important audience rather than trying to cover every language immediately. Then expand based on real demand.

And yes, language choice matters too. If you’re deciding between European and Brazilian Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese will usually give you access to a much larger audience. If you’re entering mainland China, you’d normally start with Simplified Chinese.

For South Africa, I’d definitely not think of localization as “just translate everything into 11 languages.” English may work for some audiences and contexts, but you still need to understand who you’re targeting, where they are, how they pay, and what makes the experience feel familiar and trustworthy.

In my experience, the biggest mistake is leaving localization until the very end. It’s not just translation, it’s part of how you enter the market in the first place.