Bridging the Digital Divide Exploring the Integration of South African Indigenous Languages in ICT for Economic Growth
Main Article Content
Keywords
ICT, Economic Development, South African Languages, Digital Inclusion, Language Adoption, Digital Divide
Abstract
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is vital for promoting economic participation and growth. However, the prevalence of English as the main language of ICT presents a significant hurdle for many individuals, especially in Africa, hindering their full involvement in the digital economy. Language is essential for understanding and interaction, and as industries increasingly move to digital platforms, integrating South African indigenous languages into ICT has become necessary for wider participation. Despite extensive research emphasising the need to incorporate African languages into ICT, highlighting key advantages and challenges, a considerable gap remains in examining practical approaches for implementation and a focus on a country perspective with South Africa as one of the examples. This qualitative study aims to explore the reasons behind the slow uptake of South African indigenous languages in ICT and suggest potential strategies for their integration. Data was gathered through a desktop review.
The findings reveal a strong demand for incorporating African languages into ICT; however, there is limited investment to support this initiative. The study also highlights issues with language translation, as many African languages lack support from commonly used translation tools, underscoring the need for greater involvement from South African indigenous language speakers in the development and application of these tools. Additionally, the motivation to embrace South African indigenous languages is often insufficient, as many South African language speakers may not fully appreciate the value of their languages due to the longstanding prevalence of English in global communication. The research suggests that highlighting the significance of these languages, enhancing their perceived worth, employing South African indigenous language speakers for ICT development, and securing increased investment are crucial steps for successful integration.
Article Metrics Graph
References
Andrianaivo, M., & Kpodar, K. (2010). ICT, financial inclusion, and growth: Evidence from African countries (Draft). African Economic Conference Proceedings. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Available at: https://archive.uneca.org/sites/default/files/uploaded-documents/AEC/2010/Papers/session_i.2.1_1._ict_financial_inclusion_and_growth.pdf. Accessed: 05 July 2025.
Dia, I. A. (2013). ‘African languages, and information communication technologies and development’. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 2014(225), 113-130. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijsl-2013-0068.
Fadipe, A. (2024, November 19). ‘Why tech giants must do more for African language inclusion’. Global Voices Lingua. Available at: https://lingua.globalvoices.org/2024/11/why-tech-giants-must-do-more-for-african-language-inclusion/. Accessed: 05 July 2025.
Finnan, A. (2025, July). ‘South Africa: Rediscovering Indigenous languages’. Aswica.co.za. Available at: https://aswica.co.za/south-africa-rediscovering-indigenous-languages/. Accessed: 08 July 2025.
FoodBev SETA. (2022). Bridging the digital literacy divide in rural and township communities. Available at: https://foodbev.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Bridging-the-Digital-Literacy-Divide.pdf. Accessed: 05 July 2025.
Gitau, C., Kabongo, S., Modupe, A., Marivate, V., Sindane, T. A., Lastrucci, R. and Dzingirai, I.J. (2021). Masakhane Web: A Machine Translation Platform for African Languages. University of Pretoria, South Africa.
International Trade Administration. (2024, September 19). South Africa - Digital Economy. U.S. Department of Commerce. Available at: https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/south-africa-digital-economy. Accessed: 21 October 2025.
Lediga, M.M. & Fombad, M.C. (2018). ‘The use of information and communication technologies in public libraries in South Africa as tools for bridging the digital divide: the case of the Kempton Park public library’. Public Library Quarterly, 37(3), 296-305. https://doi.org/10.1080/01616846.2018.1471964
Lewis, D. H. (2017). ‘Realising linguistic justice: Resources versus capabilities’. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 38(7), 595-606. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2016.1192178
Lund, S., & Cruz, M. (2025, April 29). ‘Bridging the digital divide in Africa: Enhancing technology adoption for economic growth’. Brookings. Available at: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/bridging-the-digital-divide-in-africa-enhancing-technology-adoption-for-economic-growth/. Accessed: 05 July 2025.
Mahlaule, M., Marwa, N., & Akinrinde, O. (2024). ‚Constraints, challenges, and opportunities for digital business in rural and township economy’. Indonesian Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship, 10(3), 685-696.
Morales-Gálvez, S., & Riera-Gil, E. (2021). ‚What are just language policies? The current paradigms of linguistic justice’. Catalan Social Sciences Review, 11, 39-61. https://doi.org/10.2436/20.3000.02.56.
Mwiinga, P. (2023). Introduction to Information Communication Technology. Preston Mwiinga Enterprise. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371986689_introduction_to_information_communication_technology. Accessed: 08 July 2025.
Nkhwashu, N. (2025). ‘Bridging the digital divide: Why African languages must be included in AI’. ITWeb. Available at: https://www.itweb.co.za/article/bridging-the-digital-divide-why-african-languages-must-be-included-in-ai/lwrKxv3YkKBMmg1o. Accessed: 08 July 2025.
Ohamadike, N. (2025, July 6). Digital technology must speak African languages. Mail & Guardian. https://mg.co.za/thought-leader/opinion/2025-07-06-digital-technology-must-speak-african-languages/. Accessed: 08 July 2025.
Osborn, D. Z. (2006). African languages and information and communication technologies: Literacy, access, and the future. In J. Mugane, J. Hutchison, & D. Worman (Eds.), Selected proceedings of the 35th annual conference on African linguistics (pp. 86–93). Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Proceedings Project. https://www.lingref.com/cpp/acal/35/paper1299.pdf.
Primus, M. (2025). ‘Breaking the digital divide: Why Africa’s future depends on embracing its languages in AI’. IOL Technology Opinion. Available at: https://iol.co.za/technology/opinion/2025-02-11-breaking-the-digital-divide-why-africas-future-depends-on-embracing-its-languages-in-ai/. Accessed: 05 July 2025.
Saba, C. S., Ngepah, N., & Odhiambo, N. M. (2025). ‘The nexus between ICT diffusion, financial development, industrialization and economic growth: Evidence from Sub-Saharan African countries’. Journal of African Business, 26(2), 454–478. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228916.2025.2451550.
Singh, A. (2021). ‘An introduction to experimental and exploratory research’. Social Science Research Network (SSRN). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3789360.
Siziba, L. and Maseko, B. (2024). ‘Enabling the Economics of African Languages in Language Policies of South Africa and Zimbabwe’. African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies, 6(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v6i1.1351
Ugwu, C. N., & Eze, V. H. U. (2023). ‘Qualitative research’. IDOSR Journal of Computer and Applied Sciences, 8(1), 20-35.
Wiley, K., & Goulding, A. (2023). The conceptualization of digital inclusion in government policy: A qualitative content analysis. In I. Sserwanga, L. E. Freund, C. C. Marshall, M. H. Lim, & A. Grove (Eds.), Information for a better world: Normality, virtuality, physicality, inclusivity. iConference 2023 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 13972, pp. 527–543). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28032-0_40.
Williams, C. (2023). ‘African language inclusion in technology good for growth’. IOL. Available at: https://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/opinion/african-language-inclusion-in-technology-good-for-growth-3311e8d6-b8da-4e53-8515-e83d65730772. Accessed: 08 July 2025.
Xulu, Z. C. (2024). ‘Integrating technology in teaching African languages in South African universities: A call for digitalisation’. Journal of the Digital Humanities Association of Southern Africa, 5(1),1-14. https://doi.org/10.55492/dhasa.v5i1.5030.
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Licensing information
Creative Commons CC Attribution 4.0 International Public License
© Author(s)
How to Cite
