Shona, 14 Other African Languages Added On Google’s Services
Google Speech, in collaboration with the AI Research Center in Accra, Ghana, has launched Voice Search, talk-to-type on Gboard, and voice input on Translate for 15 additional African languages, reported IOL.
The newly supported languages include Chichewa, Hausa, Igbo, Kikuyu, Nigerian Pidgin, Oromo, Rundi, Shona, Somali, Tigrinya, Twi, South Ndebele, Swati, Tswana, and Yoruba.
This expansion increases the total number of African languages with voice support to 25, and the total number of languages globally to 94.
The introduction of voice input in these languages enhances digital accessibility for approximately 300 million people across Africa, allowing them to interact with the web and communicate more naturally using their voices.
In Ethiopia, the addition of Oromo and Tigrinya enables over 85 million people—nearly 70% of the population—to use voice typing, searching, and translating on Google.
Kenya’s Kikuyu language now joins Swahili in Gboard and Voice Search, expanding language options for users.
Chichewa for Malawi and Shona for Zimbabwe are now supported, benefiting around 65% of Malawi’s population and approximately 12 million Shona speakers.
Voice input for Tswana, South Ndebele, and Swati has been added, enhancing connectivity for communities in Botswana, South Africa, and Eswatini.
In West Africa, Twi, along with four major languages from Nigeria—Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Nigerian Pidgin—has been integrated, serving an estimated 129 million speakers in Nigeria.
This expansion reflects Google’s commitment to developing technology that increases access for Africans, supported by its Product Development Center in Nairobi and its AI Research Center in Accra.
Alex Okosi, Managing Director of Google Africa, said the new technology will benefit over 300 million people across the continent by allowing voice interaction with the web.
He said this is part of Google’s efforts to develop technology for Africans and the world.
Matt Brittin, Google’s President for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, asserted that the upcoming decade will be “Africa’s digital decade,” with more than half the population accessing the Internet for the first time.
Brittin said Extending Voice Search, voice typing on Gboard, and voice input on Translate to 300 million Africans is a significant milestone in Google’s mission to organize and make information universally accessible and useful
African languages that were already on Voice Search and Gboard talk-to-type include Amharic, Afrikaans, Kinyarwanda, Sepedi, Sesotho, South Ndebele, Swahili, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu.
African languages with voice input already available on Translate include Afrikaans, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Sepedi, Sesotho, Swahili, Tsonga, Xhosa, and Zulu.
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