Kenyan AI app turning speech into sign language wins African award

A Kenyan startup that develops an artificial intelligence-powered app translating speech into sign language in real-time has won a prestigious African innovation award.

Elly Savatia, the founder of Terp 360, was on October 16 awarded £50,000 (about Ksh. 8.7 million) by the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering after emerging as the winner of this year’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, an accolade that recognises technologies tackling pressing challenges across the continent.

Speaking to CNN, Savatia described his creation as “Google Translate for sign language”, explaining that the web-based app uses 3D avatars to provide instant sign language translations from speech or text — allowing smooth communication between hearing and non-hearing individuals without relying on human interpreters.

“To go to the workplace, education, health care, you have to communicate,” Savatia told CNN. “But the deaf community, they’re left behind.”

Developed in collaboration with Kenya’s deaf and hard-of-hearing community, Terp 360 has recorded more than 2,300 signs — including commonly used words and phrases — using motion sensors that track the movements of a signer’s hands. The platform currently supports translations from English and Swahili into Kenyan Sign Language, with plans to expand into other African and global sign languages by mid-2027.

“Companies cannot afford interpreters… and they just don’t have the tools to effectively integrate these people,” Savatia said. “We see ourselves as an enabler. We are able to do sign language, but at scale.”

According to Rebecca Enonchong, chair of the prize’s judging panel, Savatia’s innovation stood out for its social impact and technical ingenuity.

“What really stood out about Elly’s solution, and Elly himself, is the level of innovation. It was really a demonstration that Africans are capable of using cutting-edge technology to solve problems, not just on the continent but beyond,” she stated.

Enonchong added that the judges were particularly impressed by Terp 360’s potential to empower millions of deaf Africans who struggle to access education, healthcare, and employment opportunities due to communication barriers.

“One of the criteria we use to judge is social impact. Assistive technologies are one of those areas that are underserved — not just on the continent, but in the world,” she said.

Savatia says his team has already set up a motion capture studio in Nairobi capable of recording up to 1,000 words a day, and plans to partner with NGOs, sign language projects, and media houses across Africa to help train the AI in new languages.

Kenya’s Persons with Disabilities Act and recent government directives require employers to reserve at least 5% of jobs for people with disabilities, but Savatia notes that without accessible communication tools, such policies remain difficult to implement effectively.

“We’re trying to make it possible for deaf people to participate fully — in classrooms, hospitals, and offices — without needing to wait for an interpreter,” he said.

The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation was launched in 2014 to celebrate and support African innovators using engineering to solve local and global challenges.