Help Shape the Future of African Language Technologies: Participate in Our Survey
At the Data Science for Social Impact (DSFSI) research group at the University of Pretoria, we are deeply committed to advancing African language technologies that reflect the rich diversity and needs of our communities. As part of our ongoing project, Machine Translation & Language Innovation in Africa, we invite researchers, developers, linguists, educators, community advocates, policymakers, and all those passionate about African languages to participate in an important survey.
Why Your Voice Matters
African languages have historically been underrepresented in digital technology. To change this, we must build better, fairer, and more community-driven language tools such as machine translation systems and small language models (SLMs) tailored to African languages and cultures.
This survey is designed to gather insights from diverse stakeholders about real-world challenges, successes, and needs in the development and use of African language technologies. Your responses will directly inform:
Development of best practice playbooks for building machine translation models and SLMs
Ethical archiving, licensing, and data management policies
Community-driven resource sharing and capacity building
Policy recommendations to support sustainable African NLP innovation
What to Expect
The survey takes approximately 10–15 minutes to complete. It covers topics such as:
Your role and interest in African language technology
Experiences with datasets and tools
Challenges faced and successes achieved
Ethical and policy considerations
Suggestions for improving African NLP and language technology
Your participation is completely voluntary and anonymous. All data will be securely stored and used strictly for research and community development purposes. Full details and consent information are provided at the start of the survey.
How to Participate
If you are interested in helping shape the future of African language technologies, please take a few minutes to complete the survey here:
Contact Us
If you have any questions or would like further information, please reach out to:
Prof Vukosi Marivate – vukosi.marivate@cs.up.ac.za
Dr Tsosheletso Chidi – tsosheletso.chidi@up.ac.za
Join Us in Building an Inclusive Digital Future
African languages deserve digital tools that respect their unique complexities and cultural richness. By sharing your insights, you help build a future where technology empowers rather than excludes. Together, we can make sure African languages thrive in the digital age.
Thank you for being part of this important journey.