Leestempo is stadig; met ander woorde, leessperdatums is later.

Afrikaans usually writes compound nouns as a single word. So where English often uses two words, Afrikaans often joins them:

• reading pace → leestempo
• reading deadline → leessperdatum

This is very common in Afrikaans, so learners need to get used to spotting long compound words.

In the present tense, Afrikaans uses is for both singular and plural. Unlike English, the verb does not change to are in the plural.

So:

• Die sperdatum is laat = The deadline is late
• Die sperdatums is laat = The deadlines are late

This is one of the simpler parts of Afrikaans grammar.

The sentence is speaking in a general way, not about one specific item. Afrikaans often leaves out die or ’n in general statements, just as English often does.

Compare:

• Leestempo is stadig = Reading pace is slow
• Die leestempo is stadig = The reading pace is slow

The version without an article sounds more general.

After a linking verb like is, Afrikaans uses the basic form of the adjective. So you say:

• Die tempo is stadig
  not
• Die tempo is stadige

The form stadige is used before a noun:

• ’n stadige tempo = a slow pace

So in this sentence, stadig is correct because it comes after is.

Later is the comparative form, meaning later. The sentence is comparing the deadlines to some earlier or expected time.

• laat = late
• later = later
• latere = later, but only before a noun

So:

• Die sperdatums is later = The deadlines are later
  but:
• latere sperdatums = later deadlines

Just like stadige, latere is the form used before a noun, not after is.

Here met ander woorde works like a parenthetical expression or discourse marker, similar to English in other words. Because of that, it is set off with a comma, and the main clause keeps its normal order:

• Met ander woorde, leessperdatums is later.

A learner might expect inversion, but this expression usually does not behave like an ordinary fronted adverbial in this kind of sentence.

The semicolon links two closely related complete clauses. The second clause explains or reformulates the first one.

So the structure is:

• Leestempo is stadig
• met ander woorde, leessperdatums is later

A full stop would also be possible, but the semicolon shows the ideas are very closely connected.