The first turn-by-turn voice navigation that speaks Mzansi’s languages is now available

Nissan South Africa alongside TBWA Hunt Lascaris has launched a disruptive brand campaign, Shwii by Nissan, which currently enables South Africans to use Zulu and local slang vocal commands compatible with Waze.

“Shwii by Nissan is made with South Africans in mind. We are driving the local conversation on inclusivity, combined with smart technology by putting our local languages on the map.” said Stefan Haasbroek, Marketing Director at Nissan South Africa.

Shwii by Nissan is made with South Africans in mind.

– Stefan Haasbroek, Marketing Director at Nissan South Africa

Nissan identified a local and cultural need to provide a solution most relevant to the South African market, combining it with existing Nissan Intelligent Mobility (NIM) technology. NIM technology is designed to keep you safe while on the road and Waze behaves similarly, with voice commands designed to keep you safe whilst navigating on the road.

One of the reasons behind this campaign, is to put our local languages on the map.

– STEFAN HAASBROEK, MARKETING DIRECTOR AT NISSAN SOUTH AFRICA

“When you speak to someone in their home language, they can understand and respond in time by reacting accordingly to any obstacle or potential danger around them and that was one of the reasons behind this campaign, to put our local languages on the map” said Nokwe Ndwandwe, Brand Manager at Nissan South Africa.

The campaign taps into the gap within voice navigation technology and the importance of language, which shapes our culture. While dozens of languages are available on apps like Waze, Zulu – spoken by roughly 16 million people mostly in South Africa – was missing. With isiZulu and local Mzansi slang as the brand new set of vocals, Nissan is fostering an environment of inclusivity – both inside and outside the car.

More local South African languages will be coming soon on the Waze platform courtesy of Shwii by Nissan.