Google adds five additional African languages to its translation service

Google has embarked on the largest expansion into African languages to date, adding 5 new languages — Hausa, Igbo, Somali, Yoruba, and Zulu — with over 100 million native speakers put together to its web translation service, Google Translate.

Before now, Google Translate supported only two African languages, namely, Swahili and Afrikaans, allowing users to communicate and connect with people and information easily.

With the addition of Hausa (Harshen Hausa), spoken in Nigeria and neighbouring countries with 35 million native speakers, Igbo (Asụsụ Igbo) spoken in Nigeria with 25 million native speakers, Somali (Af-Soomaali) spoken in Somalia and other countries around the Horn of Africa with 17 million native speakers, Yoruba (èdè Yorùbá) spoken in Nigeria and neighbouring countries with 28 million native speakers; and Zulu (isiZulu) spoken in South Africa and other south-western African countries with 10 million native speakers, Google wants to help about 115 million native speakers who have access to the web to connect with new people.

Google Translate is available in over 80 languages around the world and also features an Android app together with its desktop web app.