“A Name That Recognises You”: Local Analysis of Semiotic Dynamics in Semi-Informal Markets in South Africa

Abstract

[EN]This article explores the linguistic landscapes (LL) of semi-informal markets in townships in the Tshwane (Pretoria) Metropolis in South Africa. Similar to other urban African markets, the LL operates in a context of longstanding and ever-changing multilingualism and multiculturalism. Several indigenous and colonial South African languages are spoken in the area and many traders in the markets are immigrants from other African and South Asian countries. Despite this multilingualism, the environment is dominated by English. The analysis is draws on the semiotic reading of the LL by residents regarding the indexicality of traders’ names (Silverstein 2003). Local sign writers provide insight into their instrumental role in shaping the LLs of these areas. Furthermore, we draw on the notions of emplacement, spatial scope (Blommaert 2013; Scollon and Scollon-Wong 2003), and Pennycook’s (2017) concept of assemblages of semiotics to discuss the significance of mobile phone numbers in unregulated, potentially high-risk activities.