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1Ubuntu pedagogy – transforming educational practices in South Africa
through an African philosophy: from theory to practice
Nomlaungelo Ngubane1
Faculty of Health and Management Sciences, Academic Literacy
Nelson Mandela University, South Africa
Nomalungelo.Ngubane@mandela.ac.za
ORCID: 0000-0002-7255-4673
Manyane Makua2
Teaching & Learning Development Centre
Mangosuthu University of Technology, South Africa
Makua@mut.ac.za
ORCID: 0000-0002-6747-0205
Abstract
Education in South Africa, and Africa at large, has always been construed from
Eurocentric perspectives despite Africa being rich with indigenous philosophies
and knowledge systems such as the Ubuntu philosophy. In this paper, we bring
forth the viability of Ubuntu pedagogy, which draws from the indigenous Ubuntu
philosophy, for the promotion of co-existence, social cohesion and inclusivity in
education. Drawing from the Collective Fingers Theory, we examine the extent to
which the principles of Ubuntu philosophy can cultivate and restore African
indigenous values and cultures in diverse educational settings. We draw from
literature to position Ubuntu pedagogy within educational practices. Themes
emerging from the subject literature are: Collective Fingers theory, Ubuntu
philosophy, principles of Ubuntu pedagogy. As a transformative approach, Ubuntu
pedagogy, when embraced with the understanding and dignity it deserves, has a
potential not only for reconnecting students with their indigenous values, heritage
and cultures, but it also has a capacity to cultivate Ubuntu social values of
solidarity, co-existence, respect and cooperation among students. We recommend
Ubuntu pedagogy as a transformative and decolonial approach that promotes
inclusion and social justice. The paper provides principles that guide the possible
and effective implementation of Ubuntu pedagogy in diverse educational settings
and implications for practice. The paper contributes to the ongoing debates on the
decolonisation of education and the role of Ubuntu philosophy in the restoration of
African values in the South African education system.
Keywords: Ubuntu philosophy, Ubuntu pedagogy, Collective Fingers Theory, solidarity, co-
existence, social justice
Introduction
Africa is rich in indigenous philosophies and cultural practices such as Ubuntu, which, when
embraced appropriately can be used as a teaching approach that is culturally responsive to
indigenous students and to students from diverse cultural backgrounds. Ubuntu as a
pedagogical approach has the potential to preserve indigenous knowledge systems and
1. Nomlaungelo Ngubane PhD (corresponding author) is a senior lecturer in the Department of Academic Literacy, Faculty
of Health and Management Sciences, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa.
2. Manyane Makua PhD is Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning at Mangosuthu University of Technol-
ogy, South Africa.
, 2
practices among students and restore their identities (Ukpokodu 2016:154). Ubuntu is an
indigenous African philosophy and way of life that has been used for many centuries to shape,
guide and maintain positive human interactions, relationships and well-being among African
indigenous people and communities (Ramose 2002:231). Ubuntu philosophy is grounded in
humanistic values and principles of solidarity, kindness, cooperation, respect and compassion.
Ubuntu, when embraced correctly, can therefore promote and nurture communal living, co-
existence and interdependence in educational settings (Mbigi 1997:31).
It is surprising that a culturally rich indigenous practice such as Ubuntu remains overlooked
and neglected in educational spaces, especially those located in Africa and, specifically, in South
Africa. Mucina (2013:19) notes that many African institutions continue to function from the
Western, Eurocentric view which undermines and dismisses indigenous philosophies such as
Ubuntu as false assumptions and simple illegitimate African thinking. This rejection of the Ubuntu
philosophy could be the main reason why it has not filtered through to education systems and
curricula in many African countries, including South Africa (Maphalala 2017:10237). Muwanga-
Zake (2009:413) posits that colonial education systems and their assumption of Western
philosophical world views as superior knowledge have socialised Africans, especially the youth,
out of their indigenous beliefs and knowledge systems and given them a false ‘global view’ of
who they are. Indigenous knowledge and pedagogies have almost vanished among young
people, their existence confined to distant memories. African people, especially the youth, no
longer remember who they were and who they are (Muwanga-Zake 2009:413).
Meanwhile, South African scholars like Hlatshwayo, Shawa & Nxumalo (2020:4) have
noticed that learners in South Africa grow up with incorrect information and knowledge about
their indigenous heritage and ethnic values like Ubuntu because the school curriculum and
pedagogies lack African philosophy such as Ubuntu. Learners have lost their African values and
identity. Another South African scholar, Letseka (2013:334), adds that the education system in
South Africa cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the local indigenous knowledge systems such
as Ubuntu philosophy that has guided the way of life of the African people for centuries. There is
no complete transformation and decolonisation of education in South Africa without restoration
and recognition of indigenous heritages of the African people (Letseka 2013:335).
In this paper we argue that Ubuntu philosophy, which is indigenous to African people, when
embraced with the understanding and dignity it deserves, has the potential not only of
reconnecting students in the South African education system with their indigenous values,
heritage and cultures, but Ubuntu philosophy has a capacity to promote co-existence, social
cohesion and inclusivity among students from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. We
propose that a deeper understanding of Ubuntu philosophy and its principles is essential to
maintaining its cultural integrity if it is to be incorporated into the education system.
It is on these grounds that in the following sections we begin by theorising Ubuntu
philosophy. We draw from Mbigi’s (1997) Collective Fingers Theory to bring forth the principles
guiding Ubuntu philosophy, which drive the cultivation and promotion of values of solidarity,
cooperation, respect, inclusivity and social cohesion. We discuss themes of Ubuntu philosophy,
principles of Ubuntu philosophy, Ubuntu pedagogy and Ubuntu pedagogy as a transformational
approach. Later, we look at implications of Ubuntu pedagogy for indigenous students and
students from diverse cultural backgrounds in South African educational settings. We also
provide guidelines for the possible implementation of Ubuntu philosophical principles in diverse
educational settings.
The Collective Fingers Theory
The Collective Fingers Theory (CFT) (Mbigi 1997:32) draws from the principles of the Ubuntu
philosophy. An African principle behind the CFT is that “a thumb although it is strong cannot kill
aphids on its own; it would require the collective cooperation of the other fingers” (Mbigi 1997:
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