Langa Khumalo is a Full Professor and Executive Director of the South African Center for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) at the North-West University (NWU). SADiLaR is a national Research Infrastructure (RI) with a strategic function to stimulate and support research and development in the domains of human language technologies (HLT), natural language processing (NLP), and Digital Humanities (DH). Professor Langa Khumalo is the former Director of Language Planning and Development at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).

He holds a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Oslo (Norway), an MPhil in Linguistics from Cambridge University (UK), a Masters in Africa Languages & Literature, and a BA Honors from the University of Zimbabwe, and a Certificate in Corpus Linguistics from The Tuscan Word Centre in Italy. He also completed an Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme (OSLP) at the Saïd Business School at Oxford University (UK) and is a member of the Oxford Business Alumni Network. He is the current Chair and Coordinator of the Africa Union (AU) IsiZulu Language Commission. He is an expert in Corpus Linguistics and Computational Solutions for the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN), which is the Secretariat of the AU. He is the immediate past Chair of the Universities South Africa (USAf)’s Community of Practice for the Teaching and Learning of African Languages (CoPAL). He is a Fellow of the Cambridge Commonwealth Society (FCCS), a former Language Champion in the Oxford Global Languages program (OGL) for Oxford University Press (UK), a member of the Scientific Board of the Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society (CASAS, University of the Western Cape), the current President of the African Association for Lexicography (AFRILEX), and a member of the inaugural Executive Committee of the Digital Humanities in Southern Africa (DHASA).

He served as a member of the Language Policy Review Working Group appointed by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). He is an award-winning author in Intelligent Text Processing and Computational Linguistics. He is a recipient of the Staff Excellence Award (2018) for Excellence in Teaching in the College of Humanities at UKZN. He led the effort to develop African languages as languages of research, innovation, teaching and learning in Higher Education through an intellectualization programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal that saw the development of human language technologies and advances in Machine Learning, and other digital solutions. He has received a Recognition Award from the University of the Free State (UFS) for his Contribution to Multilingualism nationally and internationally. He has just been appointed by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) as a Member of the Advisory Panel for Language Policy Implementation effective from November 2023.

He has been an invited speaker and keynote speaker at various conferences and colloquia. He successfully applied for the ERAMUS+ Funding through an international collaboration between UKZN and three other South African Universities on the one hand (NWU, UWC and Rhode University), and Salamanca University in Spain, University of Groningen in the Netherlands, and Trinity College Dublin in Ireland.

Education & Training

  • Certificate 2022

    Certificate, Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme (OSLP)

    Said Business School, Oxford University

  • Certificate (HEQF Level 8) 2016

    Advanced Leadership Development Program

    University of KwaZulu-Natal Extended Learning

  • Ph.D. 2007

    Ph.D. in Linguistics

    University of Oslo

  • Certificate 2006

    English for Academic Purposes

    University of Oslo

  • M.Phil. 2000

    M.Phil. in Linguistics

    University of Cambridge

  • Certificate 1999

    How to Use Corpora in Language Work

    Tuscany Word Center, Italy

  • M.A. 1997

    M.A. in African Languages and Literature

    University of Zimbabwe

  • B.A. 1995

    Honours in Ndebele

    University of Zimbabwe

Service/Positions

  • Present2020

    Full Professor and Exec Director

    South African Centre for Digital Language Resources

  • 20202014

    Director: University Language Planning and Development

    University of KwaZulu-Natal

  • 20202018

    Associate Professor of Linguistics: Linguistics Program

    University of KwaZulu-Natal

  • 20182011

    Senior Lecturer: Linguistics Program

    University of KwaZulu-Natal

  • 20102009

    Andrew Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow: Linguistics Program

    University of KwaZulu-Natal

  • Present2015

    Language Champion

    Oxford Global Languages, Oxford University Press (UK)

  • 20102009

    Post-Doctoral Fellow

    University of KwaZulu-Natal

  • 20001999

    Guest Researcher

    University of Oslo

Recognition and Awards

  • 2023
    Contribution to Multilingualism nationally and internationally, University of the Free State
  • 2018
    Excellence Award for Teaching, College of Humanities, University of KwaZulu-Natal
  • 2016
    Intelligent Text Processing and Computational Linguistics Award, CICLING

Professional Membership

  • 2019 - Present
    President of the AFRILEX board
  • 2018 Present
    Scientific Advisory board for the Center of Advanced Studies of African Society (CASAS) - University of the Western Cape
  • 2017 Present
    Scientific Advisory Committee Member for SADiLaR
  • 2016 Present
    Oxford Global Languages isiZulu Language Champion
  • 2016 Present
    Member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) Scuentific Community of Practice (CoP)
  • 2016 Present
    Community of Practice for the Teaching and Learning of African Languages (CoPAL) - Universities South Africa
  • 2015 Present
    Executive Committe Member Digital Humanities Association of Southern Africa
  • 2014 - 2018
    Member of the AFRILEX board
  • 2012 Present
    Member of the university language board - UKZN
  • 2004 Present
    Member of the African Language Association of Southern Africa (ALASA)
  • 2001 Present
    Member of the African Association for Lexicography (AFRILEX)
  • 2015 - 2018
    Member of the Higher Education Language Policy Review Working Group (DHET)
  • 2014 - 2015
    Steering Committee Member: Digital Humanities in South Africa
  • 2012 - 2014
    Member of the Philological Society, London, UK
  • 2002 - 2018
    Fellow of the Center for Advanced Studies of African Society (CASAS)
  • 2001 - 2003
    Executive Committee Member: Linguistic Association of SADC Universities (LASU)
  • 2001 - 2010
    Member of the Linguistic Association of SADC Universities (LASU)
  • 2000
    Fellow of the Cambridge Commonwealth Society (FCCS)