Question 1

Is Afri-Speak like Duolingo for Shona?

Accepted Answer

Duolingo does not offer Shona at all, so in that sense there is nothing to compare. Today Afri-Speak is three daily word games and a vocab deck, all drawn from a real Shona dictionary and the language as Zimbabweans speak it now. Lessons and a tutor you can talk to come later.

Question 2

Will it work if I already understand Shona but can't speak it?

Accepted Answer

Yes. That is the most common starting point, and the placement check is built around it. The games and the vocab deck rebuild the words first. Speaking practice arrives with the tutor in a later release.

Question 3

When does the tutor arrive?

Accepted Answer

After the games and vocab have settled with the first testers. The plan is a tutor you can talk to in English while it answers in Shona, then flip to Shona-only when you are ready. There is no date yet, and we would rather ship it right than early.

Question 4

How is this different from a textbook or YouTube?

Accepted Answer

Textbooks teach grammar nobody uses on a call home, and on YouTube you only watch. Afri-Speak makes you produce the words, six tries at a time, and remembers which ones you got wrong so they come back sooner.

Question 5

What does Afri-Speak cost?

Accepted Answer

Pricing is not final. The plan is a free tier with the daily games and the vocab deck, and a paid tier, probably under five US dollars a month, for the tutor and pronunciation feedback once they exist. Everyone on the waitlist gets early access pricing.

Question 6

When does it launch?

Accepted Answer

The iOS beta is on TestFlight now with a small group. A public App Store launch is planned for later in 2026. The waitlist gets the launch note.

Question 7

Will there be Android or web versions?

Accepted Answer

Android is next, once the iOS beta has settled. A web version is further out.

Question 8

Can my kids use it?

Accepted Answer

It is built for teens and adults reclaiming the language, but the content is family safe and works for confident readers. A kids track with Shona stories is on the list for later.

“Chakafukidza dzimba matenga.”