Kiswahili dominates religious signboards in Dar es Salaam

What the study found: Kiswahili dominated signboards in religious worship spaces in Dar es Salaam, and the study says it functioned as a unifying language that supported inclusivity and national identity. English, by contrast, was associated with prestige, elitism and global belonging, while other languages also appeared on some signs.

Why the authors say this matters: The authors conclude that worshipscapes, the language and visual environment of worship spaces, help shape religious communication and visibility in multilingual urban settings. They also say the findings indicate that language choice affects access to religious information, with implications for information accessibility.

What the researchers tested: The researchers used a qualitative approach and gathered data between 2024 and 2025 through field observation and photography in four municipalities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. They purposively selected 97 signboards from Christian, Islamic, Bahá’í and other religious institutions and analyzed them with multimodal social semiotic frameworks and content analysis.

What worked and what didn't: Kiswahili appears to have improved access to religious information on worshipscape signs. The presence of English, Chinese and Arabic introduced linguistic barriers for many Tanzanians, and semiotic features such as color, images of ministers and references to digital platforms also shaped religious competition and audience targeting.

What to keep in mind: The abstract describes a study in Dar es Salaam only, so the findings are limited to that setting and the selected signboards. The available summary does not give additional limitations beyond this scope.

Key points

• Kiswahili was the dominant language on religious signboards in Dar es Salaam.
• The study says Kiswahili supported inclusivity and national identity.
• English was associated with prestige, elitism and global belonging.
• Chinese and Arabic on signboards were described as barriers to information access for many Tanzanians.
• Color, minister images and digital platform references were part of the signs' meaning.