Early years of learning and convictions

Growing up in Cameroon, I was a quiet and gentle child. A bit timid, I found joy, comfort, and peace in the pages of books. I voraciously read two or three books weekly. Sometimes, I would secretly read in class when the teacher had his back turned. While I was not a football fan like my classmates, my childhood years weren’t boring, as I discovered the world through books.

As a teenager, it didn’t matter to me whether I was reading in English or French — I was more interested in the stories than in the languages they were written in. It was during my university years, when studying translation and comparative literature, that I understood the epistemological and cultural value of writing, publishing, and reading in one’s own language. 

I started advocating for multilingualism through the Bilingual Club for National Unity (BiCNU), where I organized several programs to foster intercultural communication between Anglophones and Francophones in Cameroon. Later, I added teaching and research as advocacy instruments for the rehabilitation and valorization of African languages and cultures.

These formative years strengthened my convictions regarding the need to elevate African languages not only at the policy level, but also in practice, by ensuring that they are widely taught and used in both private and public spaces. I grew tired of seeing our national languages primarily spoken in families but not in public workspaces and international platforms. Not one to simply lament the status quo, I decided to take action.

Establishing professional communities

In 2022, I established Kabod Group to provide translation and interpretation services in African languages. While many LSPs focus on the business aspect of marketing and selling their services, we chose to dedicate 85% of our resources and time towards building the industry — by creating solutions to the problems we observed.

The first problem was the absence of a specialized community of practice (CoP) for language professionals in Africa. While there were national translation and interpreters’ associations, I couldn’t find a continental umbrella where language professionals could connect and collaborate. So I decided to create one, focusing on not only translators, but also teachers of African languages. This is how the LinkedIn group known as the African Language Translators and Teachers (ALATT) was established. Today, about 1,600 members are using it to exchange ideas, share events, and find opportunities.

Later on, we realized the need for a closer relationship with language professionals. We established the Marketplace of African Translators and Interpreters (MATI), where LSPs can easily access freelancers. Using WhatsApp accelerates exchanges and business deals, and dozens of freelancers are being recruited on a daily basis thanks to MATI.

While ALATT and MATI were growing, there was a need for a more institutional platform with greater legitimacy and advocacy power to really trigger significant changes in the industry. This idea was fed by Renato Beninatto, co-founder of Nimdzi Insights, who shared his experience with translation associations. He inspired me and Ady Coulibaly (operations manager of Bolingo Consult) to advance with the idea.

Fast forward to August 2023, and the Association of Language Companies in Africa (ALCA) was born, with Kabod Group (myself), Bolingo Consult (Ady Coulibaly), Can Translators (Alfred Mtawali), and Folio Online (Johan Botha) as co-founders. This was a dream come true, as I see ALCA as a powerful mobilization and advocacy instrument to promote professionalism, learning, and growth in Africa’s language industry. Working in isolation limits impact, but collaboration always unlocks unlimited possibilities.

Our official launch during the fourth Africa International Translation Conference (AITCO) in Kigali, Rwanda, increased awareness of ALCA and the many benefits it offers to members. It resulted in increased membership registration, and we are now planning the first annual Conference of LSPs in Africa in August 2024 in Accra, Ghana. It will be a unique opportunity to engage major LSPs on the continent; please reach out if interested in being a partner, sponsor, or advertiser.

Advocating for African languages

Once ALATT, MATI, and ALCA were established, it was now time for me to focus more on research and advocacy. My goals were to generate more evidence about the economic value of African languages, to articulate the state of and dynamics in the African LSP market, and to increase public awareness and engagement with policymakers and business leaders. These goals led me to join Ady Coulibaly and Avishta Seeras in organizing the African Languages Conference (AFLC).

The third edition, which took place in February 2024, had 19 sessions from language researchers, technologists, policymakers, teachers, and freelancers, whose projects highlighted recent initiatives and solutions advancing the use of African languages. Contrary to the first and second editions in which English was the principal language, most sessions (about 65%) were held in African languages (such as Twi, Wolof, Swahili, Igbo, and Yoruba). It was inspiring to discover the initiatives developed across the continent and in the diaspora.

To continue promoting initiatives between conferences, I established a biweekly podcast called African Languages Technologies and Tools (ALATTO). The podcast aims to accelerate the discovery of language technology innovators who are using machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and natural language processing (NLP) to overcome the traditional challenges faced with African languages. Along with Kabod Group’s Language Talk podcast, ALATTO has facilitated the discovery of Lelapa.ai, Masakhane, Igbo API, and Nkowu, as well as learning apps and other practical tools that ease translation to and from African languages.