Google – in partnership with the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) – has launched a new AI Glossary for isiZulu, isiXhosa, and Afrikaans giving millions of South Africans the language tools to engage with artificial intelligence in their mother tongue.
The glossary defines 100 standard AI terms and their meanings in each of the three languages.
This project builds on earlier work to produce a Swahili version in East Africa and is part of a broader collaboration between Google and African partners to make digital innovation more inclusive and bridge the digital divide for an estimated 266-million speakers of these four languages across the continent.
Among the terms defined are everyday concepts such as conversational AI – systems that simulate human dialogue through natural language processing – and hallucination, which describes instances where AI tools generate information that sounds credible but is incorrect. Other entries, like active learning and noisy data, explain how machines are trained and refined through interaction and information filtering.
In Africa, English is the dominant language in technology and science, making it harder for non-English speakers to take part in conversations about new technologies.
By defining key AI concepts in local languages, the glossary helps close this gap and gives people the words to engage confidently with emerging technologies and supporting developers, educators, translators, and everyday users alike.
The glossary was developed through a highly collaborative process.
Google, in partnership with Twaweza Communications and PanSALB, hosted a series of round-table discussions and workshops with linguists, lexicographers, AI experts, and academic, and government stakeholders. This multi-day process ensured the terms were not simply translated, but were standardised and adapted for each language to ensure accuracy and cultural relevance.
“We want everyone to have the words to understand and shape the technologies that are changing the world,” says Kabelo Makwane, country director of Google.
PanSALB CEO, Lance Schultz, says the partnership demonstrates how linguistic development and digital innovation can go hand in hand.
“Our aim is to ensure that South Africa’s languages remain living, relevant, and adaptable,” he says. “By standardising AI terms we are helping to modernise our languages and ensure that their speakers are not excluded from the global digital conversation.”