South African inventor Mzwandile Zulu has created a humanoid robot capable of engaging with individuals through the nation’s eleven recognised official languages.

The system is engineered to comprehend and reply in tongues such as isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sepedi, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, Setswana, siSwati, Sesotho, isiNdebele and Tshivenda.

According to Zulu, the initiative seeks to enhance the reach of technological tools while demonstrating the relevance of African languages within artificial intelligence and robotic systems.

His contribution draws attention to an expanding trend among African creators who are constructing solutions centred on the continent’s indigenous languages, cultural practices and local populations.

The development further illustrates the manner in which African expertise is influencing the progression of artificial intelligence and robotics from bases inside the continent