Tanzanian authorities have applied to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to broadcast the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 in Swahili, according to reports on Monday. Swahili, also known as Kiswahili, is a Bantu language spoken by the Swahili people. The Tanzanian Minister of Culture, Arts and Sports, Damas Ndumbaro, stated that with over 200 million Kiswahili speakers worldwide, broadcasting AFCON 2023 in the language would be an ideal opportunity to promote it. Ndumbaro also mentioned that this move is in preparation for broadcasting the AFCON 2027, which will be co-hosted by Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.
Ndumbaro added that if CAF approves their request, Tanzania will send a team from the state-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation to Cote d’Ivoire to broadcast the event. AFCON 2023, which involves 24 teams, is scheduled to take place in Cote d’Ivoire from January 13 to February 11, 2024. Initially meant for 2023, the competition was postponed to the following year.
On a separate note, Tanzania’s Ministry of Finance announced on Sunday that they have approached the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund to include Swahili as a working language. This request aims to enhance the prominence of Swahili as an international language.
In a significant recognition, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s 41st session of the General Conference declared July 7 of each year as World Kiswahili Language Day. This decision marked the first time an African language received such recognition from the UN.
