Since 2021, every year on 7 July, the world has celebrated World Swahili Language Day. From the earliest translations of the Holy Scriptures, first published in the 19th century, to modern digital versions on mobile apps, the Swahili language (also known as Kiswahili) has brought communities across East and Central Africa and beyond together.
Did you know?: The Swahili Bible is the most widely read book in East and Central Africa.
Language for Solidarity and Economic Diplomacy
Swahili belongs to the Niger-Congo language family and originated as a trade language amongst communities along the east coast of Africa and the north coast of Madagascar. Today, this language is the first African language to be honoured with an International Day designated by the United Nations (UN) on 7 July each year. Swahili is also an official language of the African Union, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community. This year, UNESCO described Swahili as “a global language for peace, solidarity and economic diplomacy.”
Did you know? Swahili is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It is currently spoken by over 200 million people across Africa and beyond.
Swahili in the Alliance of Bible Societies Worldwide
Within the scope of the United Bible Societies (United Bible Societies-UBS), a global network comprising 156 Bible Societies operating in over 240 countries, the Swahili language plays a vital role as a lingua franca across East and Central Africa. This language facilitates collaboration between Bible Societies in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ensuring that the Bible reaches diverse communities in a language they understand.
Distribution of the Swahili Bible
Currently, Swahili consistently ranks amongst the top ten languages with the highest distribution of printed Bibles worldwide. In recent years, its position has continued to rise. In 2023, Swahili was ranked 9th, then rose to 7th place in 2024, and in 2025 it reached 6th place. This positive trend highlights the high demand for the Bible in Swahili whilst reflecting the impact of the work carried out by Bible Societies in East and Central Africa in making God’s Word accessible to everyone.
Early Translations of the Holy Scriptures
1844: Johann Ludwig Krapf, a German missionary, translated the first three chapters of the Book of Genesis into Swahili.
1879: Bishop Edward Steere published the complete New Testament in Swahili.
1891: Steere completed the first complete Bible in Swahili, laying the foundations for subsequent translations.
Did you know? The British Bible Society played a key role in publishing and distributing the early versions of the Holy Scriptures in Swahili.
Bible Societies and Swahili Translations
The Kenya Bible Society and the Tanzania Bible Society produced the Swahili Union Version (SUV) in 1952, the translation of which was subsequently revised in 2007.
Biblia Habari Njema (The Good News Bible in Swahili), launched in 1996, was the first major Swahili Bible translation whose translation process was led and carried out by East Africans themselves.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Swahili is spoken by 11 million people and serves as one of the country’s four national languages. The Bible Society of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (BSDRC) has produced three versions of the Bible in Swahili, supporting evangelism and discipleship across the country’s eastern provinces.
Bible translations read by hundreds of millions of people have played a vital role in the standardisation of the Swahili language written in the Latin alphabet.
The Swahili Bible version in the YouVersion app
YouVersion provides a range of Swahili Bible translations produced by theBible Societies, so that God’s Word can be accessed by millions of people in East and Central Africa via their mobile devices in both written and audio formats.
Biblia Habari Njema (BHN) – Published in 1996 by the Tanzania Bible Society, this meaning-based translation was the first major project led by East Africans themselves.
Biblia Habari Njema – Study Edition (BHNTLK) – An expanded study version from the Tanzania Bible Society.
Swahili Union Version (SUV) – First published in 1952 by the Tanzania Bible Society, it is widely used throughout East Africa.
Swahili Revised Union Version (SRUV) – Revised in 2007 by the Kenya and Tanzania Bible Society.
Swahili Revised Union Version (SRUVDC) – The latest edition from the Kenya Bible Society.
The New Testament in Swahili (Zanzibar, 1921) – A historic early edition published by the Tanzania Bible Society.
Roehl Swahili Bible (1937) – Another early 20th-century translation by the Tanzania Bible Society.
The Holy Scriptures of God, known as the Bible – Published by BSDRC in 2002, serving over 11 million Swahili speakers in the eastern provinces.
Restoring Humanity Through Swahili Braille
In 2021, the Bible Society of Tanzania (BST) published the first complete Braille Bible in Swahili. This significant achievement marks a turning point for the visually impaired community and the wider church in Tanzania. For believers with visual impairments, the availability of this complete Braille Bible is deeply meaningful, as it recognises and restores their presence and dignity as part of God’s congregation.
As Justina, one of the readers of the Braille Bible, put it:
“This Bible has restored my sense of humanity. I can now attend church and interact with others whilst worshipping God.”
Justina’s words illustrate just how significant the impact of this Bible translation has been. A community that has long been marginalised and neglected can now access the Bible directly.
Prior to this historic achievement, the Tanzania Bible Society had provided hundreds of audio Bibles as well as sections of the Bible in Braille. However, the availability of the complete Braille Bible marks a new chapter in the drive for accessibility, whilst bringing great joy great joy to the visually impaired community in Tanzania.
Translated from: UBS Community
