New project expands AI access for African languages

The African Next Voices project recorded 9,000 hours of speech to train tools for real-life use.
African researchers have built the continent’s largest AI dataset to support 18 languages and expand access.

Africa is working to close the AI language gap, as most global tools remain trained on English, Chinese, and European languages.

The African Next Voices project has created the continent’s largest dataset of spoken African languages, covering 18 tongues across Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. Supported by a $2.2m Gates Foundation grant, the dataset includes 9,000 hours of speech in farming, health, and education settings.

Languages such as Hausa, Yoruba, isiZulu, and Kikuyu are now available for developers to build translation, transcription, and conversational AI tools. Farmers like South Africa’s Kelebogile Mosime already use local-language apps to solve agricultural challenges.

Start-ups, including Lelapa AI, are building products in African languages for banks and telecoms. Researchers warn that without such initiatives, millions risk exclusion from vital services and cultural knowledge could be lost.

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