ALCA 2025 Conference Speakers
Ady Namaran Coulibaly
Bolingo Consult
Ady Namaran Coulibaly
Bolingo Consult
Ady Namaran Coulibaly is a Founding Board Member of ALCA who is inspired and driven by the desire to see the language service industry in Africa thrive and become recognised within the global language sector. She leads the operations of Bolingo Consult, a language services company currently based in Ghana and Rwanda. Ady considers herself an advocate for African languages and is the co-founder of the African Languages Conference (AFLC). She has been featured in the Nimdzi 2021 Localization Infuencers Watchlist and was featured in Multilingual's list of 52 Women Driving the Language Services Industry in 2022.
Sophie Solomon
Global Executive & Business Consultant
Sophie Solomon
Global Executive & Business Consultant
Session Title
The Adaptability Quotient: Remain Relevant in a Time of Rapid Change
Sophie Solomon is a global executive and business consultant with over 25 years of experience leading teams at tech giants like Accenture, Google, Microsoft, and Autodesk. Today, she advises organizations around the world on how to drive growth by rethinking the way they work leveraging emerging technologies, building inclusive cultures, and aligning purpose with performance. Sophie brings a unique blend of strategic insight and emotional intelligence to everything she does. She’s passionate about helping companies stay relevant, resilient, and human in an era of constant change. Based in Seattle and fluent in five languages, Sophie works across Europe, and the Americas and now comes to Cape Town to share ideas on building future-ready, people-centered organizations.
The Adaptability Quotient: Remain Relevant in a Time of Rapid Change
Sophie Solomon is a global executive and business consultant with over 25 years of experience leading teams at tech giants like Accenture, Google, Microsoft, and Autodesk. Today, she advises organizations around the world on how to drive growth by rethinking the way they work leveraging emerging technologies, building inclusive cultures, and aligning purpose with performance. Sophie brings a unique blend of strategic insight and emotional intelligence to everything she does. She’s passionate about helping companies stay relevant, resilient, and human in an era of constant change. Based in Seattle and fluent in five languages, Sophie works across Europe, and the Americas and now comes to Cape Town to share ideas on building future-ready, people-centered organizations.
Brenda Baqueriz Lopez
Language Specialist and Project Manager
Brenda Baqueriz Lopez
Language Specialist and Project Manager
Session Title
Mentorship for Next-Gen Language Professionals in an AI-Driven Localization Future
Brenda Baquerizo Lopez is a certified translator and experienced project manager with over a decade in the translation and localization industry. A graduate of Universidad Femenina del Sagrado Corazón and member of the Peruvian Translators Association, Brenda began her career as a translator and quickly rose to manage large-scale multilingual projects for global companies. As Lead Project Manager at LUNA360 (now GLOBO Language Solutions), she led cross-functional teams, optimized workflows, and ensured timely delivery of high-quality content, all while mentoring junior PMs, assisting in-house translators and supporting clients across sectors. Her linguistic expertise spans English, Spanish, Italian, and French, and she has taught language acquisition for six years at the Peruvian North American Cultural Institute. Brenda also holds a diploma in language education and is currently pursuing a Master's in Project Management specializing in Artificial Intelligence & Machine learning at EAE Business School in Barcelona. Known for her collaborative spirit, humor, and commitment to excellence, she thrives at the intersection of language and operations, bringing together people, processes, and purpose to deliver meaningful results.
Session Summary
Mentorship for Next-Gen Language Professionals in an AI-Driven Localization Future
Brenda Baquerizo Lopez is a certified translator and experienced project manager with over a decade in the translation and localization industry. A graduate of Universidad Femenina del Sagrado Corazón and member of the Peruvian Translators Association, Brenda began her career as a translator and quickly rose to manage large-scale multilingual projects for global companies. As Lead Project Manager at LUNA360 (now GLOBO Language Solutions), she led cross-functional teams, optimized workflows, and ensured timely delivery of high-quality content, all while mentoring junior PMs, assisting in-house translators and supporting clients across sectors. Her linguistic expertise spans English, Spanish, Italian, and French, and she has taught language acquisition for six years at the Peruvian North American Cultural Institute. Brenda also holds a diploma in language education and is currently pursuing a Master's in Project Management specializing in Artificial Intelligence & Machine learning at EAE Business School in Barcelona. Known for her collaborative spirit, humor, and commitment to excellence, she thrives at the intersection of language and operations, bringing together people, processes, and purpose to deliver meaningful results.
Session Summary
- Examine how AI and automation are reshaping localization workflows, and the evolving role of human expertise in ensuring quality and relevance.
- Gain insights into essential skills for emerging linguists—such as post-editing, quality control, and tech fluency—in an AI-enhanced environment.
- Discover mentorship and training strategies that foster sustainable career growth in remote and digitally transforming workplaces.
- Learn how adopting an Agile mindset in project management can enhance collaboration, communication, and consistency within multicultural localization teams.
- Understand how inclusive mentorship and knowledge-sharing can empower emerging professionals, including African linguists, as key players in the global language services industry.
Charles Campbell
Founder & President of TBO
Charles Campbell
Founder & President of TBO
Session Title
Unleashing the Power of Associations in the Language Industry
Charles Campbell is the founder, president and sole owner of tbo, a leading provider of talent, translation and localization services with offices in Argentina, Peru, Ukraine, Vietnam and Mexico. Originally from New Zealand, Charles has traveled widely over 4 continents and has lived for the last 26 years in South America. Charles has been a frequent speaker at public events and conferences, having made presentations in Berlin, Buenos Aires, Las Vegas, Lima, London, New York, Rhode Island, Rio de Janeiro, Riyadh, San Antonio, San Francisco, Wiesbaden, Zanzibar, and Córdoba (Argentina), among other locations. Charles is a founding board member of JUNTOS and a board member of AASL. Charles Campbell has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, where he graduated top of his class in 1997. Charles has also completed post graduate courses at Harvard University and Universidad Austral (Buenos Aires). Charles has four children. Specialties: Talent Services, Localization, Translation, Multilingual Communication, Emerging Markets.
Session Summary
Unleashing the Power of Associations in the Language Industry
Charles Campbell is the founder, president and sole owner of tbo, a leading provider of talent, translation and localization services with offices in Argentina, Peru, Ukraine, Vietnam and Mexico. Originally from New Zealand, Charles has traveled widely over 4 continents and has lived for the last 26 years in South America. Charles has been a frequent speaker at public events and conferences, having made presentations in Berlin, Buenos Aires, Las Vegas, Lima, London, New York, Rhode Island, Rio de Janeiro, Riyadh, San Antonio, San Francisco, Wiesbaden, Zanzibar, and Córdoba (Argentina), among other locations. Charles is a founding board member of JUNTOS and a board member of AASL. Charles Campbell has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, where he graduated top of his class in 1997. Charles has also completed post graduate courses at Harvard University and Universidad Austral (Buenos Aires). Charles has four children. Specialties: Talent Services, Localization, Translation, Multilingual Communication, Emerging Markets.
Session Summary
- Attendees will gain key understandings into how associations work, what can inhibit their growth, and what can really accelerate the movement too.
- Attendees will focus on the win-win nature of working together sometimes in cooperation, other times in friendly competition, with other players in the market, in order to raise the bar of industry standards over the board with particular emphasis on benchmarking, networking, coaching, mentoring and learning.
- Contributions from leading association leaders (ALC, GALA, CLIA and others) will be shared.
Christian Elongué
Managing Director, Kabod Localisation Services
Christian Elongué
Managing Director, Kabod Localisation Services
Session Title
Accelerating Growth through strategic collaboration in Africa's Language Service industry
Christian Elongué is the managing director of Kabod Localisation Services (KLS), an ISO-certified Language services provider based in Accra (Ghana). He has 11 years of experience as a translator in the tech, nonprofit and video game industries. He founded the network of African Languages Translators and Teachers (ALATT) and the Marketplace of African Translators & Interpreters (MATI), both about 4,030 translators, interpreters, linguists from Africa. He is also a board member of the Association of Language Companies in Africa (ALCA) and the host of a podcast spotlighting localization and language technology initiatives in Africa. In Feb. 2024, he was the only from Africa in the MultiLingual list of 34 Influencers driving the language service industry. In Sept 2024, he launched Afrolinguals, the first magazine with insights and resources for Africa’s language services industry. In Dec 2024, we also launched the first conference on the business of languages in Africa (Next Billion Conference – 2nd ed in Nov 2025). He is actively working towards increasing awareness of the economic potential of the language services industry in Africa so that it could grow in visibility and attract investments like other sectors (edtech, fintech, agritech, etc.). He is a member of ALCA, ITI, CIOL, ILA, ATSA etc.
Session Summary
Accelerating Growth through strategic collaboration in Africa's Language Service industry
Christian Elongué is the managing director of Kabod Localisation Services (KLS), an ISO-certified Language services provider based in Accra (Ghana). He has 11 years of experience as a translator in the tech, nonprofit and video game industries. He founded the network of African Languages Translators and Teachers (ALATT) and the Marketplace of African Translators & Interpreters (MATI), both about 4,030 translators, interpreters, linguists from Africa. He is also a board member of the Association of Language Companies in Africa (ALCA) and the host of a podcast spotlighting localization and language technology initiatives in Africa. In Feb. 2024, he was the only from Africa in the MultiLingual list of 34 Influencers driving the language service industry. In Sept 2024, he launched Afrolinguals, the first magazine with insights and resources for Africa’s language services industry. In Dec 2024, we also launched the first conference on the business of languages in Africa (Next Billion Conference – 2nd ed in Nov 2025). He is actively working towards increasing awareness of the economic potential of the language services industry in Africa so that it could grow in visibility and attract investments like other sectors (edtech, fintech, agritech, etc.). He is a member of ALCA, ITI, CIOL, ILA, ATSA etc.
Session Summary
- Structuring successful partnership models, from revenue-sharing agreements to joint ventures, exploring frameworks that create sustainable value for all parties
- Leveraging digital networks and virtual communities, industry associations, and digital platforms to establish credibility in international markets
- Navigating cross-border operational challenges such as payment systems, quality standards alignment, and regulatory compliance when partnering across continents
- Case studies in successful market entry for African LSPs who have successfully expanded globally through strategic partnerships.
Helga Walker
Women in Localization
Helga Walker
Women in Localization
Session Title
Building Bridges: The Power of Strategic Partnerships in Global Market Expansion
Helga Walker is a global leader in the language services industry, dedicated to fostering collaboration and driving innovation in localization. As a committed representative of Women in Localization, she plays a pivotal role in expanding the organization’s global footprint by leading the initiative to establish African chapters—starting with South Africa in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. Her vision is to create a strong, inclusive platform that supports the professional growth of women in the language industry across the African continent.
Through Women in Localization, Helga champions programs that empower localization professionals, build cross-cultural bridges, and promote equitable access to global opportunities. Her work is driven by a belief in the transformative power of community, mentorship, and knowledge-sharing.
With extensive experience in enterprise translation solutions, Helga specializes in helping organizations navigate the complexities of global market entry. She has led strategic initiatives across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North America, focusing on forming impactful alliances that drive sustainable growth. Her expertise lies in building strategic partnerships, leveraging networks, and integrating technology with human expertise to elevate the role of language in international business.
Session Summary
- The Role of Africa in the Global Language Industry
- The Power of Partnerships in Market Entry
- Best Practices for Building Global Alliances
Johan Botha
African Language Solutions Expert | Co-founder of ALCA | 2025 Language Industry Influence
Johan Botha
African Language Solutions Expert | Co-founder of ALCA | 2025 Language Industry Influence
Session Title
Leapfrogging the Legacy: How African Language Professionals Can Jump Straight to Industry 5.0
With over 20 years of experience in the language services industry, Johan Botha is an experienced manager, translator, and specialist in African language solutions. He leads operations and strategic initiatives at Folio Online and Folio InterTel, two of Africa’s leading reputable language service providers delivering high-quality solutions to major global brands and organisations. As Co-founder of the Association of Language Companies in Africa (ALCA), Johan established the continent’s first umbrella organisation for localisation providers, focused on uniting and strengthening African language service companies. Recognised as a 2025 Language Industry Influencer by MultiLingual magazine, he contributes actively to the global and African localisation communities as a member, speaker, and organiser of industry associations and initiatives. Johan is passionate about applying technology to improve quality, efficiency, and scalability in language services while advocating for ethical leadership and elevating African voices in the global localisation field.
Session Summary
Leapfrogging the Legacy: How African Language Professionals Can Jump Straight to Industry 5.0
With over 20 years of experience in the language services industry, Johan Botha is an experienced manager, translator, and specialist in African language solutions. He leads operations and strategic initiatives at Folio Online and Folio InterTel, two of Africa’s leading reputable language service providers delivering high-quality solutions to major global brands and organisations. As Co-founder of the Association of Language Companies in Africa (ALCA), Johan established the continent’s first umbrella organisation for localisation providers, focused on uniting and strengthening African language service companies. Recognised as a 2025 Language Industry Influencer by MultiLingual magazine, he contributes actively to the global and African localisation communities as a member, speaker, and organiser of industry associations and initiatives. Johan is passionate about applying technology to improve quality, efficiency, and scalability in language services while advocating for ethical leadership and elevating African voices in the global localisation field.
Session Summary
- Why legacy workflows and slow-moving systems hinder African growth potential
- How to leapfrog through innovation in tools, process design, and agile resourcing
- What localisation, interpreting, and AI companies need from African partners today
- How to unlock cross-sector partnerships that deliver practical value
Kirti Vashee
Language Technology Evangelist at Translated Srl
Kirti Vashee
Language Technology Evangelist at Translated Srl
Session Title
Perspectives on Language Technology & Market Needs in Africa
Kirti Vashee is a Language Technology Evangelist at Translated Srl, and was previously an Independent Consultant focusing on MT and Translation Technology. He was formerly associated with several MT developers, including Language Weaver, RWS/SDL, Systran, and Asia Online. He has long-term experience in the MT technology arena and prior to that worked for several software companies, including Lotus, OTG, Legato, & EMC. He is the moderator of the Automated Language Translation (MT) group with over 15,000 members in LinkedIn, a group that is consistently considered among the most active groups on LinkedIn, and is also a former board member of AMTA (American Machine Translation Association). He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, teaching a course on Language AI & MT.
Session Summary
A panel of experts and informed participants will provide views on the following key subjects:
Perspectives on Language Technology & Market Needs in Africa
Kirti Vashee is a Language Technology Evangelist at Translated Srl, and was previously an Independent Consultant focusing on MT and Translation Technology. He was formerly associated with several MT developers, including Language Weaver, RWS/SDL, Systran, and Asia Online. He has long-term experience in the MT technology arena and prior to that worked for several software companies, including Lotus, OTG, Legato, & EMC. He is the moderator of the Automated Language Translation (MT) group with over 15,000 members in LinkedIn, a group that is consistently considered among the most active groups on LinkedIn, and is also a former board member of AMTA (American Machine Translation Association). He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, teaching a course on Language AI & MT.
Session Summary
A panel of experts and informed participants will provide views on the following key subjects:
- A profile of demand for language services, key customers, and use cases
- Key challenges of technology capabilities (CAT, TMS, LLMs, etc.) with African languages
- Highlights of different sub-markets across the African continent
- The state of MT: Is it usable and useful for production needs?
- Pan-African initiatives that are working to raise the state of African NLP
- Understanding what role EU or US companies can play to assist with these efforts
Louise Callcott-Stevens
Co-Founder and CEO at EarCandy
Louise Callcott-Stevens
Co-Founder and CEO at EarCandy
Session Title
"Nick in Your Language": Leveraging Mother Tongue Content to Transform Children's Television in South Africa.
As Co-Founder and CEO at EarCandy, I enable broadcast content creators to connect with audiences across Africa and beyond, through the localisation of languages in services including dubbing, voice-overs, transcription, translation, subtitling and audio post-production. Since our inception in 2004, we have become a leading studio for global content creators and distributors looking to reach the 700 million viewers and listeners in Sub-Saharan Africa. To date we’ve localized over 20 000 hours in 28 languages. Our difference is our ability to meet exacting client demands balancing volume, quality, time and budgets across a multitude of languages and genres of content including telenovelas, movies, documentaries, children’s animations, sitcoms and sermons. As the entrepreneurial force behind our business, I focus on servicing our clients, growing our business and diversifying into new markets and products. A natural strategist and achiever, I’m driven and goal-oriented, and while the destination is critical, it’s having fun, enjoying the work, and creating value on the journey that inspires me every day.
Session Summary
This case study examines the successful launch of Paramount Pictures' "Nick in Your Language" initiative on the Nick Toons Channel via DStv in 2024 and how strategic localization can dramatically increase audience engagement in the children's media market. Through a detailed analysis of the project rollout, audience metrics, and cultural adaptation strategies, I will demonstrate why providing content in children's native languages is not merely a nice-to-have, but a critical success factor for market penetration in Africa’s multilingual landscape. The case study will explore how this initiative overcame traditional broadcasting barriers by prioritizing linguistic accessibility and the exponential increase in viewership and engagement across key demographics.
The main discussion points will be:
"Nick in Your Language": Leveraging Mother Tongue Content to Transform Children's Television in South Africa.
As Co-Founder and CEO at EarCandy, I enable broadcast content creators to connect with audiences across Africa and beyond, through the localisation of languages in services including dubbing, voice-overs, transcription, translation, subtitling and audio post-production. Since our inception in 2004, we have become a leading studio for global content creators and distributors looking to reach the 700 million viewers and listeners in Sub-Saharan Africa. To date we’ve localized over 20 000 hours in 28 languages. Our difference is our ability to meet exacting client demands balancing volume, quality, time and budgets across a multitude of languages and genres of content including telenovelas, movies, documentaries, children’s animations, sitcoms and sermons. As the entrepreneurial force behind our business, I focus on servicing our clients, growing our business and diversifying into new markets and products. A natural strategist and achiever, I’m driven and goal-oriented, and while the destination is critical, it’s having fun, enjoying the work, and creating value on the journey that inspires me every day.
Session Summary
This case study examines the successful launch of Paramount Pictures' "Nick in Your Language" initiative on the Nick Toons Channel via DStv in 2024 and how strategic localization can dramatically increase audience engagement in the children's media market. Through a detailed analysis of the project rollout, audience metrics, and cultural adaptation strategies, I will demonstrate why providing content in children's native languages is not merely a nice-to-have, but a critical success factor for market penetration in Africa’s multilingual landscape. The case study will explore how this initiative overcame traditional broadcasting barriers by prioritizing linguistic accessibility and the exponential increase in viewership and engagement across key demographics.
The main discussion points will be:
- The unique challenges of translating animated content for diverse age groups,
- The technical and creative solutions developed to maintain character authenticity while adapting cultural references, and the collaborative workflow between Paramount Pictures, local language experts, and broadcast partners.
- The presentation will also address the broader implications for the translation industry, including emerging opportunities in children's content localization, quality control methodologies specific to children’s programming, and the financial and operational models that make multilingual content initiatives sustainable.
Luke Liebzie
Manager of the Transbureau of the University of Ghana
Luke Liebzie
Manager of the Transbureau of the University of Ghana
Session Title
Due Diligence in Translation of Certificates and Transcripts for Admission, Employment and Visa Issuance Processes
Luke Liebzie is currently the Manager of the Transbureau of the University of Ghana where he also teaches Translation courses at Undergraduate and Graduate levels. Professionally, he has been working on projects for companies and individuals, including the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Luke is the first member of the International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters (IAPTI) from Ghana and is the Head of the Association’s Ghana Chapter. Also, he serves on the Editorial Team of the Contemporary Journal of African Studies (CJAS) as Translator/Editor as well as the Editorial Board of the Afrolinguals Magazine and served as Guest Editor for the Special Edition of the Journal for Translation Studies in Africa (JTSA) published in 2023 by the University of the Free State. Luke has spoken at various events, including the 7th International Conference of the International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters (IAPTI) held in Bursa, Türkiye, 28-29 September 2024. Also, he delivered a special lecture on Ethics for Translators at the Bursa Technical University (Türkiye) on 01 October 2024, and, on 7 May 2025, he was a Speaker on the Ethics Panel at ELEVATE organized by RWS.
Session Summary
This session will explore the critical importance of accuracy and integrity in translating academic and professional documents—especially certificates and transcripts—used in high-stakes decision-making.
The speaker will examine the current landscape of translation practices for these documents, highlighting who performs the work, what tools are used, and how processes vary across institutions.
The discussion will spotlight real-world implications of false positives and false negatives in translations, and how such errors can unjustly impact visa approvals, employment opportunities, and academic admissions.
Participants will also gain practical recommendations aimed at embassies, visa processing centres, employers, and admissions boards to ensure that translation practices are both rigorous and fair.
Due Diligence in Translation of Certificates and Transcripts for Admission, Employment and Visa Issuance Processes
Luke Liebzie is currently the Manager of the Transbureau of the University of Ghana where he also teaches Translation courses at Undergraduate and Graduate levels. Professionally, he has been working on projects for companies and individuals, including the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Luke is the first member of the International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters (IAPTI) from Ghana and is the Head of the Association’s Ghana Chapter. Also, he serves on the Editorial Team of the Contemporary Journal of African Studies (CJAS) as Translator/Editor as well as the Editorial Board of the Afrolinguals Magazine and served as Guest Editor for the Special Edition of the Journal for Translation Studies in Africa (JTSA) published in 2023 by the University of the Free State. Luke has spoken at various events, including the 7th International Conference of the International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters (IAPTI) held in Bursa, Türkiye, 28-29 September 2024. Also, he delivered a special lecture on Ethics for Translators at the Bursa Technical University (Türkiye) on 01 October 2024, and, on 7 May 2025, he was a Speaker on the Ethics Panel at ELEVATE organized by RWS.
Session Summary
This session will explore the critical importance of accuracy and integrity in translating academic and professional documents—especially certificates and transcripts—used in high-stakes decision-making.
The speaker will examine the current landscape of translation practices for these documents, highlighting who performs the work, what tools are used, and how processes vary across institutions.
The discussion will spotlight real-world implications of false positives and false negatives in translations, and how such errors can unjustly impact visa approvals, employment opportunities, and academic admissions.
Participants will also gain practical recommendations aimed at embassies, visa processing centres, employers, and admissions boards to ensure that translation practices are both rigorous and fair.
Matthias Kavuttih
Founder, Kingfisher Linguistics
Matthias Kavuttih
Founder, Kingfisher Linguistics
Session Title
East Africa to the World: Opportunities in the Linguistic Goldmine of East Africa
Matthias Kavuttih is the founder of Kingfisher Linguistics and an experienced Swahili translator. He holds a Master’s Degree in Translation Studies and a Bachelor's in Education (Linguistics), both from the University of Nairobi. He has 13 years of experience in the fields of IT, Legal, Medical, Travel and Marketing, among others. More importantly, Matthias has fronted Kingfisher Linguistics the go to LSP for the key East African languages, for diverse fields. As a member and former President of the East African Interpreters and Translators Association (EAITA), Matthias has attended and spoken in several EAITA and IAPTI conferences. He has contributed about 500,000 words of pro bono translations for Translators Without Borders (now Clear Global), towards providing information on tropical diseases.
Session Summary
East Africa may be seen as a single block of similar peoples and countries, but it is also a very diverse landscape. From the countries on a thousand hills in Rwanda and Burundi, to the great lakes of Congo, to the highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea, and the coastal cultures of Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania, East Africa is linguistically rich and diverse. We’re looking at approximately 0.4 billion people, who are constantly exchanging information as they trade and interact in diverse fields. This presents exciting challenges and opportunities to tap into the cultural and linguistic goldmine of East Africa. Furthermore, there is a growing presence of East Africans in key countries such as Finland, Sweden, Canada, USA among others. This presents a demand for localization in many fields, especially Immigration laws, Education, Health & Medical, among others. So home and away, East Africa is a great opportunity for LSPs to connect the constituent cultures amongst themselves, and to the world at large, through localization
East Africa to the World: Opportunities in the Linguistic Goldmine of East Africa
Matthias Kavuttih is the founder of Kingfisher Linguistics and an experienced Swahili translator. He holds a Master’s Degree in Translation Studies and a Bachelor's in Education (Linguistics), both from the University of Nairobi. He has 13 years of experience in the fields of IT, Legal, Medical, Travel and Marketing, among others. More importantly, Matthias has fronted Kingfisher Linguistics the go to LSP for the key East African languages, for diverse fields. As a member and former President of the East African Interpreters and Translators Association (EAITA), Matthias has attended and spoken in several EAITA and IAPTI conferences. He has contributed about 500,000 words of pro bono translations for Translators Without Borders (now Clear Global), towards providing information on tropical diseases.
Session Summary
East Africa may be seen as a single block of similar peoples and countries, but it is also a very diverse landscape. From the countries on a thousand hills in Rwanda and Burundi, to the great lakes of Congo, to the highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea, and the coastal cultures of Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania, East Africa is linguistically rich and diverse. We’re looking at approximately 0.4 billion people, who are constantly exchanging information as they trade and interact in diverse fields. This presents exciting challenges and opportunities to tap into the cultural and linguistic goldmine of East Africa. Furthermore, there is a growing presence of East Africans in key countries such as Finland, Sweden, Canada, USA among others. This presents a demand for localization in many fields, especially Immigration laws, Education, Health & Medical, among others. So home and away, East Africa is a great opportunity for LSPs to connect the constituent cultures amongst themselves, and to the world at large, through localization
- Key native languages: Amharic, Somali, Swahili, Lingala, Kinyarwanda, Tigrinya
- Key foreign languages: English, French, Arabic
- Major Fields: Mining, Legal, Immigration, IT, Medical, Business, Education, Governance, Travel & Leisure
The audience will: - Gain a general understanding of East African demographics which affect the demand for localization
- Appreciate the AI question in E. African languages: are there languages or disciplines which have so far survived the onslaught?
- Preview the new frontier for the localization business in E. Africa
Paola Diaz Uribe
Language Annotator Specialist
Paola Diaz Uribe
Language Annotator Specialist
Session Title
AI & Human Translation: A hate and love relationship
Paola Diaz Uribe works at the intersection of artificial intelligence and language services, currently serving as a Language Annotator Specialist at Amazon where she contributes to AI language model development. Her work focuses on bridging traditional translation expertise with emerging technologies. Drawing from her experience as a SATI-registered translator and certified language instructor, she has provided translation and interpretation services across technical and scientific domains. Her global perspective was shaped by seven years with Médecins Sans Frontières, managing multilingual projects across Africa and the Middle East. With a Master's in Public Health from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp and specialized training in AI/ML, Paola brings practical insights into the evolving relationship between human expertise and artificial intelligence in translation. Her current work explores how technology can enhance rather than replace human capabilities in language services. She continues to advocate for balanced integration of AI tools while maintaining the irreplaceable human element in cross-cultural communication.
Session Summary
AI & Human Translation: A hate and love relationship
Paola Diaz Uribe works at the intersection of artificial intelligence and language services, currently serving as a Language Annotator Specialist at Amazon where she contributes to AI language model development. Her work focuses on bridging traditional translation expertise with emerging technologies. Drawing from her experience as a SATI-registered translator and certified language instructor, she has provided translation and interpretation services across technical and scientific domains. Her global perspective was shaped by seven years with Médecins Sans Frontières, managing multilingual projects across Africa and the Middle East. With a Master's in Public Health from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp and specialized training in AI/ML, Paola brings practical insights into the evolving relationship between human expertise and artificial intelligence in translation. Her current work explores how technology can enhance rather than replace human capabilities in language services. She continues to advocate for balanced integration of AI tools while maintaining the irreplaceable human element in cross-cultural communication.
Session Summary
- The Symbiotic Relationship: How AI relies on human expertise for improvement while offering efficiency tools for translators - exploring real examples from current AI language model development.
- Quality Control Challenges: Understanding how human input shapes AI translation quality - examining common pitfalls and solutions in maintaining linguistic accuracy
- Ethical Boundaries: Establishing clear guidelines for AI usage in translation while preserving authenticity and human creativity - practical approaches for maintaining transparency
- Professional Responsibility: The individual commitment required to maintain ethical AI usage -developing personal guidelines and professional standards to prevent misuse and over-reliance
- Future Integration: Finding the balance between leveraging AI capabilities while preserving the irreplaceable human elements in cultural and contextual understanding
Charl van Heerden
CEO, Saigen
Charl van Heerden
CEO, Saigen
Session Title
Perspectives on Language Technology & Market Needs in Africa
Charl van Heerden is the co-founder and CEO of Saigen, and currently leads Callbi AI Labs — a joint innovation initiative by Saigen, Callbi, and strategic investor Alphawave. The lab focuses on solving complex problems in contact centres by combining cutting-edge large language models with real-world voice data. Charl has over 15 years of experience in speech technologies and machine learning, and has worked across both industry and academia. He was a research associate in the NWU MuST research group and has co-authored more than 40 peer-reviewed papers in speech recognition and pattern recognition. Charl holds a PhD in Computer Engineering, where his research focused on efficient training of Support Vector Machines. His early career included research internships with Google on Voice Search and GOOG-411, contributing to multilingual language modeling for English, Afrikaans, and isiZulu.
Session Summary
A panel of experts and informed participants will provide views on the following key subjects:
Perspectives on Language Technology & Market Needs in Africa
Charl van Heerden is the co-founder and CEO of Saigen, and currently leads Callbi AI Labs — a joint innovation initiative by Saigen, Callbi, and strategic investor Alphawave. The lab focuses on solving complex problems in contact centres by combining cutting-edge large language models with real-world voice data. Charl has over 15 years of experience in speech technologies and machine learning, and has worked across both industry and academia. He was a research associate in the NWU MuST research group and has co-authored more than 40 peer-reviewed papers in speech recognition and pattern recognition. Charl holds a PhD in Computer Engineering, where his research focused on efficient training of Support Vector Machines. His early career included research internships with Google on Voice Search and GOOG-411, contributing to multilingual language modeling for English, Afrikaans, and isiZulu.
Session Summary
A panel of experts and informed participants will provide views on the following key subjects:
- A profile of demand for language services, key customers, and use cases
- Key challenges of technology capabilities (CAT, TMS, LLMs, etc.) with African languages
- Highlights of different sub-markets across the African continent
- The state of MT: Is it usable and useful for production needs?
- Pan-African initiatives that are working to raise the state of African NLP
- Understanding what role EU or US companies can play to assist with these efforts
Renato Beninatto
Author | Consultant | Language Services Strategist
Renato Beninatto
Author | Consultant | Language Services Strategist
The author of The General Theory of the Translation Company, Renato Beninatto is recognized as the most experienced and accomplished expert in the translation, localization, interpretation, and language services industry. Renato has served on the executive teams for some of the industry’s most prominent companies and founded two of the leading market research and consulting firms in the space.
He brings extensive experience in sales, marketing, automation, and operations to his consulting work—offering clarity on buyer behavior, pricing, industry trends, technology, growth strategies, and mergers and acquisitions.
Renato has held leadership roles as President of ELIA (European Language Industry Association), Ambassador for Translators without Borders, and Vice-President of ABRATES, the Brazilian Translators Association. He has also served as an advisor to TAUS – Translation Automation User Society.
He is a sought-after speaker on globalization and localization at global conferences and universities and has been widely quoted on global business topics. A native Brazilian living in Seattle, Renato speaks five languages and has lived in seven countries.
He is the author of three books on global business and the founder of Nimdzi, a research and consulting company providing insights to investors, buyers, and suppliers in the language services industry.
Salomé van Niekerk
Quality Manager and Lead Afrikaans Linguist at RWS Africa
Salomé van Niekerk
Quality Manager and Lead Afrikaans Linguist at RWS Africa
Session Title
Why pro reviewers will lead the translation industry
Salomé van Niekerk is Quality Manager and Lead Afrikaans Linguist at RWS Africa, RWS’s youngest language office, based in Cape Town, although she herself lives and works remotely in Pretoria. She progressed from a freelance translator and text editor to working for the former ST Communications and getting the opportunity to become part of the RWS family. She loves both doing Afrikaans linguistic work and managing projects for other languages. Her fields of interest include source optimization, training and supporting translators in low-resource African languages, terminology development for these languages, and of course translation review. Salomé is accredited for English-Afrikaans translation by the South African Translators’ Institute and was recently appointed to the SATI Council. She is also an accredited text editor with the Professional Editors’ Guild. In her free time, she mainly reads, walks every day and spends time with her young daughters. She also loves learning about any new tools that can make quality checks on translations even more refined and efficient, and keeping abreast of developments in the industry.
Session Summary
This session will explore:
Why pro reviewers will lead the translation industry
Salomé van Niekerk is Quality Manager and Lead Afrikaans Linguist at RWS Africa, RWS’s youngest language office, based in Cape Town, although she herself lives and works remotely in Pretoria. She progressed from a freelance translator and text editor to working for the former ST Communications and getting the opportunity to become part of the RWS family. She loves both doing Afrikaans linguistic work and managing projects for other languages. Her fields of interest include source optimization, training and supporting translators in low-resource African languages, terminology development for these languages, and of course translation review. Salomé is accredited for English-Afrikaans translation by the South African Translators’ Institute and was recently appointed to the SATI Council. She is also an accredited text editor with the Professional Editors’ Guild. In her free time, she mainly reads, walks every day and spends time with her young daughters. She also loves learning about any new tools that can make quality checks on translations even more refined and efficient, and keeping abreast of developments in the industry.
Session Summary
This session will explore:
- Where does review fit into the translation lifecycle?
- Why is it important to become a skillful reviewer?
- My journey to mastering translation review
- How to become a great reviewer
Grant Bridgman
CEO & Co-founder Uliza
Grant Bridgman
CEO & Co-founder Uliza
Session Title
Perspectives on Language Technology & Market Needs in Africa
Grant Bridgman is the CEO and co-founder of Uliza, a localization and communications software company specializing in African & Asian languages. Uliza has delivered work in over 150 languages and 30 countries. Grant is most proud of Uliza’s contributions in making critical services accessible in local languages over the phone. Grant also does work as a data science consultant, specializing in impact evaluation and AI localization. Grant previously worked as an economics researcher in Sierra Leone, East Africa, and South Africa for an MIT-based research group, J-PAL. Grant is from Cape Town, South Africa, and holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University in Boston.
Session Summary
A panel of experts and informed participants will provide views on the following key subjects:
Perspectives on Language Technology & Market Needs in Africa
Grant Bridgman is the CEO and co-founder of Uliza, a localization and communications software company specializing in African & Asian languages. Uliza has delivered work in over 150 languages and 30 countries. Grant is most proud of Uliza’s contributions in making critical services accessible in local languages over the phone. Grant also does work as a data science consultant, specializing in impact evaluation and AI localization. Grant previously worked as an economics researcher in Sierra Leone, East Africa, and South Africa for an MIT-based research group, J-PAL. Grant is from Cape Town, South Africa, and holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University in Boston.
Session Summary
A panel of experts and informed participants will provide views on the following key subjects:
- A profile of demand for language services, key customers, and use cases
- Key challenges of technology capabilities (CAT, TMS, LLMs, etc.) with African languages
- Highlights of different sub-markets across the African continent
- The state of MT: Is it usable and useful for production needs?
- Pan-African initiatives that are working to raise the state of African NLP
- Understanding what role EU or US companies can play to assist with these efforts