Journal profile · LANGUAGE & LINGUISTICS
South African Journal of African Languages
ISSN 0257-2117 · eISSN 2305-1159 · Taylor & Francis
South African Journal of African Languages: CAS Zone 3 · Literature (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 0.3 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC charged, amount not published; review about 136 days (first decision after review, publisher); acceptance rate 49% (journal website); 86 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
South African Journal of African Languages is published by Taylor & Francis and is in Zone 3 of Literature in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Multilingual Education and Policy, Linguistic Variation and Morphology and Lexicography and Language Studies, together about 30.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Language and Linguistics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The South African Journal of African Languages is a peer-reviewed research journal devoted to the advancement of African (Bantu) and Khoi-San languages and literatures. Papers, book reviews and polemic contributions of a scientific nature in any of the core areas of linguistics, both theoretical (e.g. syntax, phonology, semantics) and applied (e.g. sociolinguistic topics, language teaching, language policy), and literature, based on original research in the context of the African languages, are welcome. The journal is the official mouthpiece of the African Language Association of Southern Africa (ALASA), established in 1979. After more than thirty-three years since its establishment the South African Journal of African Languages (SAJAL) continues to be a key educational resource, a knowledge-production hub and repository that remain invaluable for African languages throughout the world. As the show case of the African Language Association of Southern Africa, SAJAL’s aims accentuate the relevance of developing the African languages towards enhancing their intellectualization. The excellent articles that continue to be published bear testimony to the high quality of the journal and the African languages as fields of academic study and research. Rosalie Finlayson , retired Professor: Dept. of African Languages, University of South Africa The South African Journal of African Languages has over the years been the premier and mainstay of intellectual scholarship in Southern Africa. It publishes peer reviewed, quality, innovative and thought provoking articles that have contributed significantly to African language revalorization and to the development of theories on their structure, sociology, politics and ecology. Davie E. Mutasa , University of South Africa
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): LANGUAGE & LINGUISTICS
Editor-in-chief G NcubePublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named South Africa 5 (5 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Multilingual Education and PolicySocial Sciences14.6%
- Linguistic Variation and MorphologySocial Sciences8.8%
- Lexicography and Language StudiesArts and Humanities6.8%
- Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic VariationArts and Humanities6.7%
- Language, Discourse, Communication StrategiesArts and Humanities6.4%
- Postcolonial and Cultural Literary StudiesArts and Humanities5%
- South African History and CultureSocial Sciences4.7%
- African history and culture studiesSocial Sciences4.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Literature Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Language & Linguistics | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Literature Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Language & Linguistics | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
JCR / CiteScore quartiles on the journal's website
- CiteScore Q1 · 2025
Publisher-reported: JCR figures are Clarivate's and CiteScore figures Scopus's to confirm; both are a different system from the CAS zones.Publisher website
Database indexing
ESCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 0.3Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 0.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 0.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 0.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.2LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 0.2Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.59LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 0.59Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 47OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 197OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.4OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 33.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 54.4%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 83LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 3Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 33,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,697 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 58 | 41 | 2 |
| 2025 | 86 | 63 | 29 |
| 2024 | 52 | 32 | 47 |
| 2023 | 53 | 8 | 59 |
| 2022 | 39 | 4 | 114 |
| 2021 | 37 | 3 | 135 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
136 daysfirst decision after review
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 49%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 112 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 136 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 82 daysPublisher website ·
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access
- Open access Open access
Hybrid open access journal (Open Select). Model summary
South African Journal of African Languages is a hybrid open access journal that is part of the Taylor & Francis Open Select publishing program, giving you the option to publish open access. Publishing open access means that your article will be free to access online immediately on publication, increasing the visibility, readership, and impact of your research. Why choose open access? Increase the …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- ISSN
- 0257-2117
- Electronic ISSN
- 2305-1159
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 46, Issue 3 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about South African Journal of African Languages
What CAS zone is South African Journal of African Languages in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, South African Journal of African Languages is in Zone 3 of Literature, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Language & Linguistics. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Literature. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of South African Journal of African Languages?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 0.3 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 0.6, h-index 47.
How long does peer review take at South African Journal of African Languages?
The publisher reports about 136 days (first decision after review); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 49%. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Where are the editorial board members of South African Journal of African Languages based?
Of the 5 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are South Africa (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index South African Journal of African Languages?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, South African Journal of African Languages is indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Is South African Journal of African Languages open access, and what is the APC?
South African Journal of African Languages is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC charged, amount not published.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .