Learn Hardcore Afrikaans: Ons eskaleer die saak.

Ons is the Afrikaans subject pronoun meaning we. Unlike English, Afrikaans pronouns are often simpler in form, and ons is the normal word you use for we/us depending on the sentence.

In Ons eskaleer die saak, ons is the subject, so it means we.

Does eskaleer change depending on the subject, like English I escalate / he escalates?

No. One of the nice things about Afrikaans is that verbs usually do not change form for different subjects in the present tense.

So you get:

Ek eskaleer — I escalate
Jy eskaleer — you escalate
Ons eskaleer — we escalate
Hulle eskaleer — they escalate

Unlike English, there is no extra -s form like he escalates.

Is eskaleer a normal Afrikaans word, even though it looks like English escalate?

Yes. Eskaleer is a valid Afrikaans verb and is clearly related to English escalate. Afrikaans has many words that resemble English, Dutch, or international business/legal vocabulary.

It is especially common in formal, administrative, legal, workplace, or customer-service contexts.