Google has expanded the language capabilities of its artificial intelligence tools, adding support for several widely spoken African languages, including four commonly used in South Africa.
The technology company confirmed that its AI-powered search features — AI Overviews and AI Mode — can now respond in Afrikaans, isiZulu, Sesotho and Setswana, in addition to English. The update forms part of a broader effort by the company to make artificial intelligence technologies more accessible to users across the African continent.
AI Overviews provide concise summaries of search results, while AI Mode allows users to continue asking questions using text, voice commands or images, creating a more conversational search experience.
Expanding AI access for African languages
According to Google South Africa country director Kabelo Makwane, expanding language support is essential for making digital tools more inclusive.
Makwane said technology that primarily operates in global languages such as English can unintentionally exclude millions of people whose daily lives revolve around local languages.
“Language shapes how people think, learn and create,” he said. “By introducing more African languages into AI Overviews and AI Mode, we are helping users interact with artificial intelligence in ways that feel more natural.”
The expansion includes a wide range of languages spoken across the continent. These include Akan in Ghana, Amharic and Afaan Oromoo in Ethiopia, Hausa and Yorùbá in Nigeria, Kinyarwanda in Rwanda, Kiswahili in Kenya and Tanzania, Somali in Somalia and Kenya, and Wolof in Senegal.
Google said the languages were selected partly based on strong search activity among users in those regions.
Building AI systems that understand local languages
The new language capabilities build on Google’s ongoing Waxal project, an initiative aimed at improving how artificial intelligence systems process and understand African languages.
The project combines machine learning technology, linguistic research and contributions from local communities to strengthen the digital presence of African languages online.
Historically, many global technology platforms have prioritised widely spoken international languages, leaving limited digital support for many African languages. However, the growing number of internet users across Africa has increased demand for technology that can operate in local languages.
By expanding AI language support, Google aims to assist a wide range of users — including students conducting research, teachers preparing educational materials, entrepreneurs seeking information and translators working across multiple languages.
The company also said the update could make it easier for users who prefer searching in their home languages to access online information, potentially helping bridge digital knowledge gaps.
As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into everyday online tools, technology companies are increasingly focusing on making their platforms usable for diverse linguistic communities around the world.
