Te reo Māori, embedded where it counts.
TRUSTED BY
We have delivered work across more than fifteen sectors, from health, energy, and finance, to tourism, government, professional services, and the arts. Our work spans communications, learning, and language strategy.
Telecommunications
2degrees
Tourism Industry Aotearoa
Tourism
Water and Infrastructure
Watercare Services
Powerco
Energy and Utilities
New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists
Health
Ako Mātātupu Teach First NZ
Education
Nelson Regional Development Agency
Local Government
Middlemore Hospital
Health
Many organisations want to use the Māori language well. Far fewer have the internal expertise to do it consistently.
The intent is rarely the problem. What is missing is the expertise behind it: someone who knows the language, understands your context, and can hold it consistent across every team and channel. For most organisations that does not exist in-house. That gap is what we close. Below are some of the most common things we see.
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Te reo Māori starts appearing across your communications. Different teams use different words, pronunciations vary, and there is a sense that something should be done without a clear place to start.
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Getting it wrong in public has a cost. An error in front of an audience is not always a minor slip, and in this space, people notice.
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The appetite is already there. In our experience, most people want to participate. What holds them back is not reluctance but uncertainty, and that is exactly what good structure resolves.
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Real capability outlasts the training. A single course can shift a team meaningfully. What we have found is that the organisations with the most lasting results are those that keep the work going beyond the first engagement, with a specialist who understands their context and stays invested in the outcome.
Built for those inside organisations who carry the language responsibility.
HR and People Leads
Building cultural capability into onboarding, team development, and organisational values, and needing practical tools that get used.
Assistants and Coordinators
Managing communications, events, and correspondence where te reo Māori is increasingly expected.
Comms and Marketing Teams
Producing public-facing content that includes Māori and needing confidence that every word is accurate, consistent, and brand-appropriate.
Te Tiriti Leads and Advisors
Driving language commitments across the organisation and needing a specialist partner who understands the dimensions of that work.
Leaders and Spokespeople
Speaking at AGMs, public events, and media appearances where te reo Māori use is visible, and where getting it wrong is not an option.
CEOs and Board Members
Setting the tone for how the organisation engages with te reo Māori, and ensuring that tone is credible and authentic.
We measure success by behaviour change, not attendance alone. These figures come from pre and post-course surveys across our cohorts.
76%
Measurably improved their knowledge level after learning with Manawa Māori
95%
Of learners who began not confident, now speak with confidence
<1%
Knowledge regression rate across matched participants
7x
Increase in daily Māori speakers after learning with Manawa Māori
A pathway, not just a product.
Most organisations do not need everything at once. They need the right starting point and a clear sense of where the work leads. This is the route most of our clients move through, at a pace that suits them.
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Foundations for Teams gives your people a consistent, practical baseline, from confident pronunciation and workplace language to professional introductions. Delivered live online across eight weeks, in cohorts of 10 to 50+.
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Foundations for Teams (From $4,500 + GST)
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A Content Review of your existing public content shows what is working, what needs attention, and where the gaps are. Often the most useful starting point for comms and marketing teams.
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Content Review (From $450 + GST)
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A Māori Brand Language Guide or Staff Onboarding Language Kit gives you the internal tools to use te reo Māori consistently, without relying on one person or fielding the same questions forever.
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Māori Brand Language Guide (From $10,000 + GST)
Staff Onboarding Language Kit (From $2,500 + GST)
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For organisations that want language expertise on hand year-round, the Annual Language Partner Retainer replaces project-by-project work with a standing relationship and direct access to our team across translation, review, advisory, and check-ins.
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Annual Language Partner Retainer (From $1,800/month + GST)
WHY MANAWA MĀORI
Specialist expertise. Personal delivery.
01
Full suite, one specialist
Team learning, translation, brand language, and ongoing advisory, all delivered by one specialist team rather than handed between vendors.
02
Connection before content
We start with people. Every engagement builds psychological safety first, so learners feel free to try rather than afraid to get it wrong.
03
Learner-first design
Everything we make is built to be digestible first, so it lands across your whole team regardless of where each person is starting from.
IN THEIR WORDS
From organisations that have worked with us.
Ready to start the conversation? Most organisational engagements begin with a discovery call. We will ask about your team, your context, and what good looks like for you, then recommend an honest starting point.