• Tanzania is building a Kiswahili-based AI language model as part of its 2026/2027 digital transformation strategy.

• Kiswahili is spoken by over 100 million people across East Africa and the Great Lakes region.

• Mobile subscriptions reached 111.9 million and internet users rose to 58.9 million by March 2026.

The Government of Tanzania has accelerated the development of a Kiswahili-based language model under its national digital transformation strategy. Angellah Kairuki, Minister of Communication and Information Technology, announced the initiative on April 30 during the presentation of her ministry’s 2026/2027 budget framework.

The Tanzania ICT Commission is leading the project. The commission aims to adapt AI tools to local linguistic realities to make them accessible to a broader population. The model will allow users to interact with digital systems in Kiswahili, a language spoken by more than 100 million people across East Africa and the Great Lakes region.

Authorities expect this approach to expand access to digital services, particularly in rural areas where language barriers continue to limit technology adoption. The future model will also support the production and distribution of educational and informational content in an accessible language. At the same time, it will foster the development of local digital tools.

Beyond accessibility, the project aims to structure a Kiswahili-language data ecosystem to strengthen the capabilities of local developers and innovators. It also seeks to improve the representation of African languages in AI systems, which remain largely dominated by Western languages.

This initiative comes amid strong growth in Tanzania’s digital sector. Official data show that mobile subscriptions reached 111.9 million in March 2026, up from 90.4 million a year earlier. Over the same period, the number of internet users increased to 58.9 million.

This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum