Media Advisory
To: ALL Media
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will host a roundtable webinar on 16 September 2026 to showcase locally developed artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) technologies that have the potential to address key challenges in South Africa’s education system.
The technologies focus on areas such as literacy, language, accessibility and learner engagement, demonstrating how locally developed innovation can contribute to more inclusive and effective learning outcomes.
South Africa's educational challenges are deeply intertwined with language, literacy, accessibility and resource constraints. In response, the CSIR’s NLP research and innovation programme is developing technologies that will help bridge these gaps through solutions designed specifically for South African learners, educators and communities
Leveraging decades of expertise in speech and language technologies, the CSIR is applying advanced natural language processing technologies and generative and conversational AI to broaden access to personalised and scalable educational experiences across multiple South African languages.
At the webinar, CSIR experts will showcase a portfolio of technologies demonstrating how AI can support literacy development, content creation, accessibility and learner engagement.
These technologies include:
Qfrency text-to-speech: A neural text-to-speech technology providing natural-sounding voices across 11 official South African spoken languages, supporting the creation of accessible educational content for diverse learning communities.
AI story generation for toddlers and preschool learners: A multilingual generative AI solution that creates age-appropriate stories in South African languages to support early literacy, imagination and language development through engaging educational content.
Ngiyaqonda literacy enablement: An AI-powered literacy platform that supports reading development and enables learners to read for meaning in their home language through personalised learning pathways, pronunciation feedback, culturally relevant content and mother-tongue education support.
NLP WhatsApp demonstration chatbot: A conversational AI demonstration showing how accessible platforms such as WhatsApp can be used to deliver educational experiences directly to learners, parents and citizens using devices they already own, helping to bridge language and literacy barriers.
This suite of technologies will demonstrate how locally developed AI can strengthen outcomes across the learning journey, from early childhood development and foundational literacy to accessible digital learning and lifelong skills development.
By focusing on AI-driven solutions for the South African education landscape, the CSIR is helping to build an ecosystem where language and literacy are no longer barriers to learning, enabling more inclusive, equitable and effective educational opportunities for learners across the country.
Members of the media are hereby invited to attend the webinar and engage with CSIR experts on the role of AI, NLP and locally developed language technologies in addressing some of the country’s educational challenges.
Members are invited as follows:
Date: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Time: 11:00 – 13:00
Venue: Building 9, Cilla Catalyst, CSIR Pretoria
RSVP and media enquiries:
Phetolo Phatsibi, CSIR Media Practitioner
Email: @email
Mobile: 081 396 8871
About the CSIR
The CSIR, an entity of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, is one of Africa’s leading organisations in scientific and technology research, development and implementation. Constituted by an Act of Parliament in 1945 as a science council, the CSIR undertakes directed and multidisciplinary research and technological innovation, as well as industrial and scientific development, to improve the quality of life of all South Africans.
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Published: 14 September 2026