Swahili making inroads in Africa

When the Southern African Development Community adopted Swahili as its fourth official language in August, some people questioned the practicality of the decision. After all, English, Portuguese and French were already lubricating the wheels of the intergovernmental organization tasked with promoting economic and social integration within the region.

Analysts believe that the 16 members of the group opted to add Swahili in the hope that it would bring peoples of the region closer together, enhancing their cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and social spheres.

And, they believe, that decision is likely to have a snowball effect as the language is adopted by other political and economic groupings elsewhere in Africa, making Swahili the lingua franca across the continent. It would provide fresh impetus to efforts at furthering regional integration.