Chatting in Shona or Ndebele on WhatsApp — how Tesha understands your language

Why this matters

Most apps and websites in Zimbabwe operate in English by default. That works fine if English is your everyday language for everything. For most Zimbabweans, English is the work and school language but the kitchen, family-WhatsApp and quick-favour-from-a-friend language is Shona or Ndebele.

When you're tired and your geyser has just burst, the difference between "I need a plumber to fix a leaking geyser in Avondale" and "ndinoda mupombi anogadziridza geyser inovhuza muAvondale" isn't accuracy — both work — it's friction. The Shona version is the one your fingers want to type. We built Tesha so you don't have to translate yourself before asking for help.

What you can say in Shona

Tesha's AI assistant handles natural Shona — including the casual register most people actually use on WhatsApp, not just the formal version you'd write in a school essay. A few real-world examples:

• "Ndinoda mubatsiri wekuchenesa imba mangwana" — I need a cleaner for the house tomorrow
• "Ndaida munhu anogadziridza taps dziri kuvhuza muMt Pleasant" — I need someone to fix taps that are leaking in Mt Pleasant
• "Munoita garden service here? Borrowdale" — Do you do garden services? Borrowdale
• "Ndoda muvezi wenge anokwanisa kuita custom shelves" — I need a carpenter who can do custom shelves
• "Tinokwanisa here kuwana mu-electrician kuti aone DB board nhasi?" — Can we get an electrician to look at the DB board today?

What you can say in Ndebele

Same with Ndebele — particularly useful for Bulawayo and Matabeleland clients, but plenty of Harare residents also default to Ndebele. Examples:

• "Ngifuna umuntu ozohlanza indlu kusasa" — I want someone to clean the house tomorrow
• "Ngidinga uplumber ozolungisa i-tap evuzayo" — I need a plumber to fix a leaking tap
• "Liyenza yini i-garden service e-Hillside?" — Do you do garden services in Hillside?
• "Ngingatholakale yini i-electrician namhlanje?" — Can I get an electrician today?

Mixing languages mid-chat (this is normal)

Real Zimbabwean WhatsApp messages don't sit cleanly in one language. A request like "hey, ndinoda someone to come paint the lounge tomorrow afternoon, around 2pm please" is completely natural — and Tesha handles it. The assistant doesn't need you to commit to one language; it understands the intent across the mix and replies in the language the bulk of your message was in.

Tips for getting the best response

A few patterns that produce faster, more accurate matches in any language:

• Mention the suburb. Even if it's obvious to you, the assistant uses it to filter providers by area.
• Mention timing — "today", "tomorrow morning", "this weekend". Same-day requests route differently from next-week ones.
• Send a photo for tradespeople jobs. A picture of the problem cuts back-and-forth dramatically.
• Don't worry about full sentences. "Plumber, leak, Avondale, urgent" works.
• If you switch languages mid-chat, that's fine. Don't translate yourself.

What doesn't work yet (and what's coming)

We're honest about the edges. The assistant currently handles English, Shona and Ndebele text. A few things to flag:

• Very deep dialect or rarely-used regional terms can occasionally trip the assistant. If you get a confused reply, rephrasing in simpler language fixes it.
• Voice notes in any language — coming soon. Right now if you send audio the assistant asks you to type the request.
• Audio responses (the assistant replying with a voice note when you send one) — also on the roadmap.
• Other regional languages (Tonga, Kalanga, Nambya) — under exploration as we expand coverage in the relevant areas.

Why we think this matters more than features

Plenty of Zimbabwean apps technically work, but feel built for someone else. Defaulting to local-language interaction is a small thing that signals a bigger one: this is a product made here, for the way people actually talk. We'd rather have an assistant that handles "ndinoda mupombi" gracefully than one that has 14 categories of analytics dashboards but expects everyone to type in English.