NotebookLM adds Afrikaans, Swahili, ‘instant podcasts’

Google’s NotebookLM tool, which has brought automatic podcasting capabilities to anyone who can create a document, has been expanded to 50 languages, including Afrikaans and Swahili.

People across Africa are increasingly turning to AI tools to support how they study, teach, and learn. Now, Google has expanded access to one of its most helpful features: Audio Overviews, which transform documents into engaging, podcast-style conversations.

NotebookLM is an AI-powered learning assistant that helps users better understand complex information by grounding responses in their own materials, whether that’s lecture notes, PDFs, research reports, or web content. Once documents are uploaded, users can ask questions, generate summaries, and now, listen to Audio Overviews, a dynamic voice feature that explains key ideas aloud like a podcast. It’s designed for anyone who learns better by listening or wants to absorb material on the go.

Since launching Audio Overviews late last year, feedback from learners and educators has been clear, says Google: they love how it brings information to life. Enhanced by the April rollout of Gemini 2.5 Flash in NotebookLM, the feature is now faster, smarter, and more natural-sounding, even allowing users to ask follow-up questions to the podcast hosts for deeper understanding.

“In Africa, where learning often happens across multiple languages, this update can make a real difference,” said Nanjala Misiko, head of B2C marketing at Google Africa. “Whether it’s a student revising notes in Swahili, or a teacher preparing summaries in Afrikaans, we’re excited to help more people access and understand information in a way that truly works for them.”

Across the continent, language can still be a barrier not only to learning, but also to digital access. With an ability to generate audio summaries in locally spoken African languages, NotebookLM is helping bridge that gap. Students preparing for exams, entrepreneurs reviewing research, or content creators scripting ideas, can now listen to summaries in their own language, turning information into something more engaging and accessible.

People can now also set an “Output Language” in NotebookLM settings, making it easy to switch between languages and receive both audio and text responses accordingly. For example, a student in Dar es Salaam could upload English biology notes, but choose to hear the overview in Swahili. Similarly, a teacher in Cape Town preparing materials for diverse classrooms can offer summaries in both English and Afrikaans.

This language expansion builds on NotebookLM’s momentum. In 2023, it became available in over 200 countries. And in April 2025, the introduction of Gemini 2.5 Flash made the tool even more responsive and insightful. The launch of multilingual Audio Overviews is the next step, one designed to help more people access information in the way that works best for them.