South Africa, Sept. 22 -- In South Africa, the challenge is heightened by the range of languages and accents heard across radio and television, along with names and local expressions that automated systems do not always interpret correctly.

A recent 2026 AfriVox benchmark tested speech models across 20 African languages and more than 100 African English accents.

Performance varied substantially, including among languages the models were intended to support, while unscripted speech proved particularly difficult in some tests.

Why broadcast creates a harder problem

Broadcast does not arrive in neat blocks of searchable text. A presenter may introduce an interview before an ad break, return to the guest several minutes later, and continu...