Cynoia Expands Native Language Support to Reach Over 200 Million People Across East and West Africa
Cynoia, the collaborative work platform built in Africa, announces today native support for Swahili and Wolof languages, extending access to professional collaboration tools to over 200 million additional people across East and West Africa. Teams from Nairobi to Dakar can now manage projects, communicate, and collaborate using Cynoia's all-in-one platform in their preferred language.
The addition of Swahili, spoken by 180 million people across East Africa, and Wolof, used by 20-25 million people mainly in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania, constitutes the most significant accessibility advancement in African enterprise software this year. For the first time, teams in these regions can access enterprise-level project management, communication, and collaboration tools without language barriers.
"It's not just about translation; it's about true inclusion," declares Nassreddine Riahi, CEO of Cynoia. "When a project manager in Mombasa or a startup team in Dakar can use professional tools in their native language, everything changes. Productivity increases, adoption accelerates, and teams can focus on their work instead of struggling with unfamiliar interfaces."
Breaking Digital Barriers Across Africa
This linguistic expansion addresses a critical gap in the African technological ecosystem, where teams have been forced to work with tools designed elsewhere, in languages that are not their own. This barrier has particularly affected small and medium-sized enterprises, non-profit organizations, and startups – precisely the organizations that stimulate economic growth across the continent.
"We've seen brilliant teams struggle with English or French-only tools that slow them down," explains Felipe Millan, CMO at Cynoia. "A team leader in rural Kenya shouldn't need to translate their thoughts before updating a project. A community organization in Senegal shouldn't lose productivity because their tools don't speak their language. We're changing this reality."
The update also includes support for Spanish, bringing Cynoia's total reach to over 700 million users worldwide while maintaining its primary focus on African Enterprise Needs.
**Empowering Local Communities with Cynoia Impact
The linguistic expansion significantly enhances the Cynoia Impact program, which provides a 50% discount for the first year to non-profit organizations working across Africa. Community organizations can now coordinate projects, manage volunteers, and track their impact using tools that speak their language – literally.
Startups benefit from three months of free access, followed by a 50% discount for the next nine months, and educational institutions receive a 50% discount, making professional collaboration accessible regardless of budget constraints.
"Linguistic accessibility is particularly crucial for organizations working at the local level," notes Ayoub Rabeh, CPO. "When a health NGO in rural Tanzania or a women's cooperative in rural Senegal can use professional project management tools in their local language, they can serve their community more effectively."
Enterprise Features in Local Languages
Teams using Swahili and Wolof now have access to Cynoia's complete set of features, including:
- Project management with task tracking, team collaboration, and real-time progress monitoring.
- Advanced budget analysis with real-time expense tracking and predictions.
- Team communication via chat, mentions, and file sharing.
- Optimized video conferencing for diverse connection speeds.
- Document collaboration with shared notes and mass management capabilities.
- Calendar integration with task visibility and Google Calendar synchronization.
The platform's efficient design ensures a smooth user experience even in areas with limited internet speeds, a critical consideration for teams across Africa.
Laying the Foundations for Innovation
The language support creates the foundations for Cynoia's AI engine, Hannibal, scheduled to be launched later in 2025. When AI assistance becomes available, it will be accessible to users in their preferred language from day one.
"Hannibal will democratize AI across the continent, but only if it speaks the languages that people actually use," explains Nermine Slimane, CTO. "This linguistic expansion ensures that our AI will be inclusive when it's launched."
Commitment to Security Standards
Parallel to the linguistic expansion, Cynoia announces that it is actively pursuing ISO27001/42001 and SOC2 Type2 certifications, demonstrating its commitment to enterprise-level security standards while maintaining accessibility for African enterprises.
"Security and accessibility are not mutually exclusive," adds Slimane. "African enterprises deserve tools that are both secure and speak their language."
Immediate Availability and Impact
The Swahili and Wolof language options, are available immediately on all Cynoia plans, including the free Community plan for teams up to 10 users. The platform helps businesses reduce software costs by up to 80% by combining multiple features into a single, integrated workspace.
Cynoia was recognized as the Best SaaS Startup at the Africa Arena Grand Summit 2024, highlighting its impact on African enterprise productivity.
The company has extended its reach across Africa, with users in Tunisia, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, and Rwanda.
