Ensuring equitable access to academic resources in higher education institutions that serve multilingual communities presents a significant challenge, particularly in contexts where certain languages dominate scholarly discourse. In South Africa, this challenge is further exacerbated by the predominance of English and Afrikaans, the limited availability of academic materials in indigenous languages, and the disparity between language policy and its implementation. These factors collectively impede access to essential academic resources for students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, reinforcing structural inequalities in higher education. A major challenge to inclusivity is the limited availability of high-quality pedagogical resources in indigenous South African languages in specialized academic fields. While this issue affects multiple disciplines, this study uses the field of Linguistics as a primary example to illustrate how the lack of resources in indigenous languages impacts academic engagement and success. Students who are not fluent in the dominant academic language may struggle to access knowledge, participate in discussions, and perform at their full potential, ultimately reinforcing educational inequalities. The development of digital lexicographic resources provides an effective strategy for addressing this challenge by facilitating the development of quality specialized reference materials that enhances multilingual academic engagement and accessibility. This paper examines how access to well-structured digital pedagogical resources can enhance academic engagement and success for native speakers of underrepresented languages in South African universities. It adopts the General theory of Lexicography, which provides a structured approach to dictionary design, ensuring that lexicographic resources align with both theoretical lexicographic principles and practical user needs. The theory enables the creation of quality, functional digital dictionaries that meets the lexicographic needs of the intended users. The study employs a qualitative content analysis of existing digital lexicographic platforms, including bilingual and multilingual dictionaries, terminology databases, and translation tools available within South African higher education contexts. These resources are assessed using lexicographic criteria such as functional structure, domain-specific terminology coverage, user accessibility, and their integration into academic teaching and learning. The findings reveal that while some digital lexicographic resources exist, their reach remains limited. Most resources lack comprehensive coverage of specialized academic terminology and exhibit morphological inconsistencies. Key challenges include fragmented terminology development, inconsistent digital accessibility, and a lack of integration with formal pedagogical frameworks. The availability of high-quality digital linguistic resources is crucial in bridging the linguistic gab between teaching and learning in higher education, fostering a more inclusive learning environment that supports diverse language users. Through the development of accessible and well-structured resources, institutions can ensure that linguistic inclusivity extends beyond policy into practical, sustainable academic engagement.

Keywords: Multilingual Education, Linguistic Inclusivity, Digital Lexicography, Higher Education, Terminology Development.