Indigenous languages, oral traditions and indigenous knowledge systems took on the character of economic assets in Pretoria this week, as heritage institutions, academics and government communicators argued they require deliberate investment and stewardship to yield commercial and social returns.
The venue was a dialogue titled “South Africa’s Heritage as a Key Milestone: Institutions and Society,” hosted by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) in partnership with the University of South Africa (UNISA). National Heritage Council Programmes Manager Amos Mulaudzi made the case that the country’s heritage landscape needs transformation through reconnection with oral traditions, storytelling and indigenous knowledge, with historical narratives critically contextualised for today’s society.
For Mulaudzi, the starting point is deceptively simple: language use. “It’s a simple thing that people have forgotten: using our languages. We still have to go back to sitting around the fires and listening to stories that educate us about life in general,” he said on Wednesday in Pretoria. He framed indigenous knowledge as a productive resource, urging that knowledge systems be adapted so innovation and creativity can draw on them, even as digital technology extends reach to communities that would otherwise be inaccessible.
That technological leverage, he cautioned, carries obligations. Some elements of living traditions are sacred and restricted, meaning those sharing heritage knowledge must engage elders and seek their consent. Elders should be involved in decisions about heritage management, honoured and acknowledged for their custodial role. He also called for heritage to be taught in the school curriculum, positioning it as central to national identity and, by extension, to the human capital underpinning the sector.
The dialogue formed part of Heritage Month commemorations, drawing representatives from government, academia, heritage institutions, community media, civil society, youth and cultural formations. This year’s commemoration, under the theme “Celebrating Our Living Heritage: Strengthening the Ties That Bind Us,” marks 31 years since Heritage Day was first celebrated in post-apartheid South Africa. Heritage Day is observed annually on 24 September.
By contrast, UNISA Professor Nokuthula Hlabangane turned the scrutiny onto the institutions themselves, questioning whose heritage universities represent and encouraging critical examination of inherited knowledge alongside greater recognition of overlooked knowledge systems. “So, to the question, is the university presenting heritage? Indeed, it is. Indeed, it is. The question is: Whose heritage? Whose heritage?” she asked. Her concern centred on the hidden curriculum, the knowledge, values and assumptions communicated through institutions, sometimes without being explicitly taught, a subject she is addressing in a paper. Communities, she noted, hold knowledge passed down through generations, and she questioned why mainstream understanding often excludes it.
Kara Heritage Institute Executive Director Dr Mathole Motshekga added an African-centred framing, stressing the importance of understanding identity and origins while recognising Africa’s contribution to the world. “We are an African people on the southern tip of the continent. We are not an outpost of Arabia, or Europe, or Asia. We must teach African spirituality,” he said.
The stakes extend beyond symbolism. Heritage Day sits in South Africa’s freedom calendar as a key milestone affirming the right of all communities to celebrate, practise, preserve and share their cultural heritage while contributing to a united and inclusive society. As government communication on the commemoration notes, indigenous languages are vital to preserving culture and heritage, a position detailed at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/indigenous-languages-vital-preserving-culture-and-heritage.
For the institutions and practitioners gathered in Pretoria, the message was consistent: heritage is not a static inheritance but a living resource whose value depends on active use, responsible transmission and the consent of those who hold it. Whether that value translates into sustained public investment remains the question for the sector’s next chapter.