The questions people actually ask us.
Starting with the most common one: no, Sasa does not translate automatically.
Interpreters and AI
Does Sasa use AI translation?
No. Sasa currently distributes live interpretation produced by human interpreters. AI-powered language capabilities are under development at LOBAKA; they are not part of the current production offering and no date has been announced.
Do I still need interpreters?
Yes, for the current version of Sasa. They produce every language. Sasa takes care of the rest: getting their voice, live, to every participant's phone, without receivers to hand out.
What does Sasa replace?
The distribution infrastructure: interpretation receivers to buy or rent, handing them out, collecting and recharging them, and part of the in-room distribution setup. Sasa does not replace interpreters, nor a booth where rules require one.
Can interpreters work remotely?
Yes. Since September 2026, the interpreter hears the speaker in their headphones through their own link, even from another room, and speaks on their channel. This has been tested end to end in the lab, not yet in a public pilot. Headphones and a decent connection are needed.
Does an interpreter need to understand the speaker's language?
Not necessarily. An interpreter can listen to another interpreter (relay interpretation): for example, the speaker speaks Lingala, one interpreter translates into French, and the English interpreter works from the French. Sasa rejects loops and limits the number of relays.
Is AI translation coming?
LOBAKA is working on it. It is not available today and we are not announcing a date. When it exists, it will come on top of human interpreters and will be labeled as such.
Participants
Do participants need an app?
No. Participants scan a QR code (or type the session code) and the page opens in their phone's browser. Nothing to download, no account.
How do participants join?
They scan the QR code shown in the room, enter a nickname if they wish, pick their language and listen through their earphones. If the language they want isn't available yet, the page says so and shows the ones that are.
Do participants have to pay?
No. The organizer creates and pays for the session. Participants listen for free.
Which phones work?
Any recent smartphone with an up-to-date browser: Safari on iPhone, Chrome on Android and other common browsers. Earphones are needed, wired or Bluetooth.
Network and technology
How many languages can an event have?
Today: 5 channels per session (languages, room sound, commentary or audio description) and 155 simultaneous participants per session. Each channel has 30 seats by default; the organizer can adjust that number channel by channel, without exceeding the session limit. These limits are enforced by the server and evolve with the pilots. Several rooms, several sessions.
What network does the room need?
Decent Wi-Fi or mobile data. Count on about 30 MB of data per hour per participant. We help you check the network before the event.
What is the delay between voice and ear?
The stream is continuous and live (WebRTC), not chunked playback. The delay in a real room has not yet been measured with real phones: we won't publish a figure until we have. Each relay interpretation adds the time of one human interpretation.
What happens if the network drops?
The phone reconnects on its own when the network comes back, and the page says plainly what is happening. If an interpreter's source drops, the organizer is alerted and sees which languages are affected.
Offers and pricing
What is LOBAKA Events?
The way to plan a whole event: its dates, its team, the LOBAKA products it uses (Sasa, Pamoja, Picha) and the Koris reserved for the day. LOBAKA Events is open as a pilot: an organizer account creates the event in the app, reserves its Koris and invites its team. During the pilots, it is priced on request.
What is LOBAKA Flex?
The most direct way to use LOBAKA: you create a Sasa, Pamoja or Picha session whenever you need one, and your Koris are used according to actual usage. Pay-after-use is possible for approved organizations.
How much does Sasa cost?
Pilot sessions are free and supported. After that, LOBAKA Flex and LOBAKA Events are priced on request until the final price list is published. We don't publish a price before it is real.
What are Koris?
LOBAKA's usage unit: today, one kori is one person connected for one hour, in Sasa, Pamoja or Picha. Koris sit in your account's wallet. They are neither a currency nor a cryptocurrency, and they don't pay a professional.
How do I get started?
Request a demo or a pilot session. If Sasa fits, LOBAKA opens an organizer account and supports you through your first event.
Security and data
Is everything encrypted?
Yes: HTTPS for pages and the API, encrypted WebRTC for audio. The session code is random; it only grants the right to listen.
What data is collected?
To listen: no mandatory personal data; a nickname is optional. Language pre-registration keeps only a nickname and languages, deleted 30 days after the event. The end-of-session survey is anonymous.