From thousands of African languages to a single pan-African language for the African Continental Free Trade Area: the concept of promoting Swahili as a common language for intra-African trade

Source: Source: insights.aib.com

Introduction

In the book, «Wealth of Nations» (1776) Adam Smith emphasized the essential role of language in international trade. Similarly, Pan-African lingua franca could promote intra-African trade within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Created in 2019 by AfCFTA — World's largest free trade zone — It covers territories with a population of 1.5 billion people in 55 countries with a total GDP of 3.4 trillion. $. . . . AfCFTA aims to increase trade by 109% and lift 50 million Africans out of poverty by 2035.

However, more than 3,000 African languages are a major obstacle to achieving the stated goals, and numerous studies confirm the economic benefits of the common lingua franca. Unfortunately, most existing theories do not focus on how subregional language can be spread to other subregions to become a common continental language.

In turn, the increasing prevalence of Swahili in East and South Africa, along with its adoption by the African Union (AU), the East African Community (WAS) and the South African Development Community (SADC), demonstrates the need for a common language in intra-African trade. However, there is still no official strategy to develop a common language for intraregional trade across the continent.

Thus, the authors of the paper rely on institutional theory, considering a structure based on regulatory, regulatory and cognitive principles to promote Swahili as a common language in intra-African trade. These three pillars provide a structured approach to the creation of a common language by ensuring compliance with policies and standardization (regulatory), strengthening norms and values (normative) and building a collective understanding and practice (cognitive), which is crucial to adopting Swahili as a pan-African trading language. The authors also represent 25-year-olds. «The road map»To help politicians realize this vision.

Focusing on Africa's linguistic diversity: the importance and challenges of switching to Swahili for intra-African trade

Africa has the most linguistically diverse landscape in the world: more than 3,000 languages are spoken here. Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia speak 525, 242 and 109 languages, respectively, while Ghana and Benin together use more than 130 languages. This diversity, backed by colonial languages including English, French and Portuguese, poses challenges for AfCFTA's intra-African trade, hindering communication between merchants, businesses and politicians. Common language is crucial to overcoming these barriers, as is the case with other regional economic integrations (e.g. EU and MERCOSUR).

Swahili is a great contender for the role of pan-African trading language. More than 200 million people in Eastern, Central and South Africa speak this language resulting from the fusion of Bantu with Arabic. At the same time, being the official language of YOU and SADC, Swahili became the language of more than 400 million consumers. With 35-40% of its vocabulary borrowed from Arabic, it is also available to 250 million North Africans. Swahili, recognized as the language of trade in 14 countries and the working language of the AU, covers an audience of 1.5 billion people. World Swahili Day, celebrated by UNESCO, underlines its growing importance in parallel with the spread of education in Africa. Although Arabic is a potential competitor, its use is largely limited to North Africa and lacks the economic and pan-African influence inherent in Swahili.

At the same time, the transition to Swahili as a common language for intra-African trade is difficult. Africa's linguistic diversity is closely linked to cultural identity, and some peoples may perceive the adoption of Swahili as an imposition. Moreover, political resistance can arise from the financial costs of education, infrastructure and the implementation of appropriate policies. African and foreign enterprises may also oppose, given the time it takes to develop Swahili. Unlike Rwanda's transition to English, which meets the requirements of world trade, the Swahili use course can create problems involving global partners.

Despite the difficulties described, the transition to Swahili as a pan-African trade language provides significant benefits, contributing to economic integration by reducing language barriers, harmonizing trade policies and building confidence in trading partners. In a broader sense, Swahili promotes a shared African identity free from colonial influence and mitigates social and economic inequalities associated with colonial languages.

Regulatory Principles: Forced isomorphism for Swahili as a Common Language

The regulatory institutional component ensures compliance with rules of conduct, monitoring and sanctions, forming actions through rewards and fines. This component is key to promoting Swahili as a pan-African trading language through three mechanisms: coherent trade policies, educational initiatives and financial incentives.

First, AfCFTA can institutionalize Swahili in intra-African trade by ensuring compliance at the national level. Thus, like the AU, other pan-African institutions can recognize Swahili along with English, French, Portuguese and Arabic as official trade languages.

Second, education and training could expand Swahili's role in intra-African trade. AfCFTA could set up Swahili institutions in all African countries, modeled on the Goethe Institute, the French Alliance, the British Council and the Confucius Institute, to provide language training for trade professionals, contributing to economic integration.

Third, governments can offer financial incentives to businesses using Swahili in trade transactions. In addition, AfCFTA, AU and other supranational African regional economic blocs and supranational organizations could offer tax breaks, reduced tariffs, subsidies and concessional loans to businesses using Swahili for trade.

Regulatory Basis: Regulatory isomorphism for Swahili as a Common Language

The normative institutional component focuses on cultural norms, values and expectations that shape behavior in social and commercial contexts. These rules guide action by determining what is considered appropriate. Normative institutions influence behavior through a social obligation to abide by them.

Cognitive bases: imitation isomorphism for using Swahili as a common language

The cognitive component refers to shared beliefs, mental models, and knowledge systems that shape how individuals and organizations understand and interact with the world around them. This component is key to promoting Swahili as a pan-African trading language through three mechanisms: spreading success stories, symbolic use of Swahili at pan-African trade events, and integrating Swahili into specific industries.

Thus, Swahili can be institutionalized as a single language of intra-African trade through the use of regulatory mechanisms (agreed trade policies, educational initiatives, financial incentives), regulatory mechanisms (regional leadership, African trade associations, business networks) and cognitive mechanisms (success stories, use of symbols, industry examples).

Rice, that's it. 1. 1. Single language development model for intra-African trade