The President of the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, has outlined her vision to connect Swahili with Spanish, the world’s second most widely spoken language after English, to promote unity, boost trade, and strengthen economic and tourism partnerships.
Her speech, delivered on her behalf by the Minister of Culture, Arts, and Sports, H.E. Dr. Damas Ndumbaro, during the opening of the International Swahili Conference on November 8, 2024, in Havana, Cuba, highlighted this initiative.
President Samia emphasized how this linguistic partnership could create job opportunities for young people in translation roles within international organizations and through the development and sale of Swahili publications.
She encouraged Cubans and communities across the Caribbean and Latin America to learn Swahili to leverage economic opportunities in Tanzania and Africa.
“We believe Swahili will simplify and enable communication for integration, business, tourism, and investment across Africa, as it continues to grow in speakers and serves as the language of various regional blocs, including the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the East African Community (EAC), and the African Union,” said President Samia.
President Samia also called on Caribbean nations and stakeholders to embrace learning Swahili, an indigenous African language.
She invited Cubans and other Caribbean nationals to visit Tanzania, where they can practice Swahili with native speakers and experience Tanzania’s many attractions, including Mount Kilimanjaro, Serengeti National Park, and Zanzibar, which shares a similar climate with the Caribbean.
She noted that Zanzibar has a renowned secondary school named after Fidel Castro as a symbol of respect and historical ties.
She also welcomed the official launch of a Swahili-Spanish dictionary, which will make language learning easier, along with a book of Swahili and Spanish expressions to facilitate communication across the two cultures.