Google’s AI tool NotebookLM now supports Afrikaans, thanks to an update to its Audio Overview feature – effectively a way of creating on-demand podcasts in Afrikaans based on material provided by users.

NotebookLM, built on Google’s Gemini large language models, now supports 50 languages, with Afrikaans and Swahili included in the latest update.

The software lets users upload all kinds of documents, lecture notes, PDFs and even random stuff users might find online. They then can ask it questions and get detailed summaries.

With the expanded Audio Overview feature, it’s like having someone read the important bits to you in a podcast format. This is super handy if you learn better by listening, or if you want to catch up on information while you’re out and about. Or, like most of us, you simply don’t have the time to trawl through endless documents.

According to Google, the ability to get audio summaries in local African languages makes learning easier. Students can listen to their notes in Swahili, and teachers can make summaries in Afrikaans – making classrooms more inclusive.

You can upload notes in one language, say English, but then listen to the audio summary in Swahili. Or a teacher in South Africa could provide summaries in both English and Afrikaans for their pupils.

Smarter

NotebookLM, which Google launched last year, is getting smarter and faster with the recent addition of Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash large language model. This new multilingual audio feature is a big step towards making information easier and more engaging for people everywhere.

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TechCentral had NotebookLM create an Afrikaans podcast about the telecommunications industry in South Africa, based on information it found on the web. This was its output.

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