As Africa seeks deeper regional integration, language remains one of the continent’s most powerful tools for unity. A new series of multilingual Kiswahili learning resources developed by Professor Pacifique Malonga and fellow commissioners of the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN-AU) aims to strengthen communication, education, tourism, and cultural exchange across Africa and beyond.
Kiswahili, an official working language of the African Union, is spoken by more than 350 million people. Its growing role in diplomacy, trade, education, and regional cooperation has made it one of Africa’s most influential languages.
To support this vision, Professor Malonga and his collaborators have published a collection of multilingual books designed to make Kiswahili accessible to speakers of different languages. The publications connect Kiswahili with English, French, Chinese, Amharic, Chishona, and Kinyarwanda, creating opportunities for learners from diverse linguistic backgrounds.
The series includes Kinyarwanda–Kiswahili–English, a resource approved and recommended by the Rwanda Education Board and the East African Community Secretariat; Kiswahili–Chinese–English; Kiswahili–French–English; Amharic–Kiswahili–English; and Chishona–Kiswahili–English. Another publication, Language and Tourism, features illustrated vocabulary on animals and birds in several African languages, promoting both language learning and tourism awareness.
The initiative reflects the African Union’s commitment to promoting African languages as tools for development, knowledge sharing, and continental integration. By helping speakers of major African and international languages learn Kiswahili, the books help reduce communication barriers across borders.
The project continues to expand. New publications linking Kiswahili with Igbo, Hausa, and Lingala are currently in development, extending the language’s reach into West and Central Africa.
As Agenda 2063 advances, such resources demonstrate how African languages can drive education, mobility, trade, and Pan-African cooperation, helping Africans communicate, collaborate, and build a more connected future together.