The archive · Africa

The regions of Africa, and the tribes we document.

PILAC gathers endangered and underdocumented African languages and cultures, region by region. West Africa is where we begin — many more regions will follow, in partnership with each.

• West AfricaFrom the Sahel to the Gulf of Guinea. Home to hundreds of tribes and languages, many endangered.Documenting now
• North AfricaThe Sahara and the Mediterranean coast — Berber (Amazigh), Coptic, and other endangered tongues.Coming later
• East AfricaFrom the Horn to the Great Lakes. Home to many minority and endangered languages.Coming later
• Central AfricaThe Congo basin and its neighbours — one of the most linguistically diverse regions on earth.Coming later
• Southern AfricaFrom the Kalahari to the Cape — including many Khoisan languages under severe threat.Coming later

Each region will open as its communities invite us in. This is a slow and careful work — done properly, or not at all.