If, like me, you grew up a little obsessed about frogs, Wildlife in Vernacular is going to make your amphibian-loving heart warm!
South Africa (25 November 2025) – South Africa has never had a shortage of stories, names or knowledge about the natural world. Our elders have always known the creatures around them, by sound, by season, by spirit, and, of course, by name. What has been missing is the kind of modern, easy-to-use resource that puts all that knowledge in one place for the next generation.
That’s where Wildlife in Vernacular, Wild Vernac for short, hop in.
Founded in 2020 by Dr Fortunate Mafeta Phaka, the project took something that has lived in communities for centuries and turned it into something today’s kids, teachers and nature lovers can grab off a poster, save on their phones or use in a classroom. It’s a way of saying: these words mattered long before now, and now they finally have a platform that matches their importance.
And the frogs? Well, they’re thriving in the spotlight. Whether they’re the dramatic crooners after a stunning thunderstorm on a summer night (we call these telephone frogs, which isn’t their real name) or the tiny reed frogs perched on a leaf, they’re finally getting the kind of fun, colourful materials that make learning feel like joy instead of homework.
I first came across these posters in a conversation on our Land Rover Owners Club forum and became obsessed. Let’s be honest, I have always been obsessed with frogs (I was the little girl running around catching them and making everyone look as I cradled them before dinner was served). They are my favourite garden friends, and I have on numerous occasions named the odd toad that turned my herb planters into a cosy spot to rest. Having access to free posters for each province, in multiple languages, really got my inner amphibian nerd rather excited.
What makes this discovery even more exciting is the visibility. The celebration. The fact that a child can point at a frog on a poster and see their language reflected back at them. You can see the posters here.
This project is a major milestone for wildlife enthusiasts and for curious kids! Dr Phaka credits this as a work in progress, and so far, it’s South Africa’s frogs and reptiles that have been translated into 11 of the official languages. There are the frog posters as well and even some posters celebrating the big 5 in Sepedi, isiZulu and Xitsonga.
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Multilingual wildlife resources also open the door for better conservation conversations. When people can talk about animals in their own languages, discussions become richer, more intuitive and more culturally grounded.
Plus, let’s be real: giving frogs a little linguistic fame is just fun. They’ve been jumping, chirping, and unintentionally starring in family stories for ages. Seeing them represented in South Africa’s languages simply makes sense and adds a spark of personality to conservation.
Wild Vernac is making that possible. It’s taking knowledge that has always been part of our heritage and giving it a modern stage, from posters to guides to community tools. It’s a reminder that our biodiversity and our languages belong together, croak for croak and word for word.
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