Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) is celebrating a significant academic achievement after Computer Science Academic Coordinator Dr Mosima Masethe completed her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Information Technology, producing research that advances artificial intelligence (AI) for African languages and strengthens digital inclusion across South Africa. This study contributes to South Africa’s multilingualism initiative by supporting efforts to ensure that indigenous languages are represented in education and used as mediums of instruction and communication.
Awarded by the Durban University of Technology, Dr Masethe’s doctoral research addresses one of the major challenges in natural language processing (NLP): enabling computers to correctly interpret the meaning of ambiguous words in Sesotho sa Leboa (Northern Sotho). The study demonstrates that combining modern AI techniques with language-specific knowledge significantly improves the performance of language technologies, even in low-resource languages with limited digital datasets.
The findings have important implications for the development of machine translation, virtual assistants, educational software, search technologies and digital public services. By improving AI’s understanding of indigenous languages, the research supports greater access to government information, healthcare, education, banking and other essential services in people’s home languages.
Reflecting on the milestone, Dr Masethe described the achievement as both personal and purposeful. “This achievement is not only a personal victory but also a reminder of what is possible through faith, perseverance, mentorship, sacrifice and consistent hard work,” she said.
She added that completing her PhD marks the beginning of a broader mission to expand research and innovation, rather than the end of her academic journey.
Dr Masethe believes the university is well-positioned to strengthen postgraduate education in emerging technologies, particularly where AI can address practical challenges in healthcare and society. “Working at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, I am inspired to contribute to the development of new postgraduate programmes and research pathways in natural language processing, computational linguistics, large language models, generative AI, artificial intelligence and related emerging technologies,” she said.
Her research also aligns with national priorities by promoting digital transformation, strengthening indigenous knowledge systems and expanding opportunities for historically underrepresented communities. The study demonstrates that effective AI solutions for African languages can be developed without requiring massive datasets, providing a practical framework for future innovation in language technologies.
Beyond the technical contribution, the research has already produced several peer-reviewed journal publications and international conference papers, laying a strong foundation for continued advances in explainable AI, computational linguistics and inclusive digital innovation for African languages.
Dr Masethe expressed gratitude to her family, supervisors, colleagues, mentors, students and friends for their encouragement throughout her academic journey, emphasising that collaboration remains central to future success.
The achievement reflects SMU’s commitment to research excellence, innovation and capacity development in the health sciences and beyond. By supporting pioneering research that applies advanced AI to real-world challenges, the university continues to strengthen its contribution to knowledge generation, digital transformation and equitable access to education, healthcare and information for communities across South Africa.
By Tumelo Moila
