Government support for indigenous knowledge for sustainability in Southern Africa

South African Journal of Information Management

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Government support for indigenous knowledge for sustainability in Southern Africa
 
Creator Ncube, Inesisa Chigwada, Josiline Ngulube, Patrick Maluleka, Jan R.
 
Subject — indigenous knowledge management; IKS policy; sustainable development; reliable sources of livelihoods; traditional knowledge
Description Background: Government support for the use of indigenous knowledge (IK) for sustainable livelihoods assists in the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs). The integration of IK into formal development frameworks has been hindered by institutional barriers or a lack of policy recognition.Objectives: The study sought to assess how the governments of South Africa and Zimbabwe support the use of IK to sustain livelihoods.Method: A qualitative case study approach was used. Data were gathered through interviews and document analysis. Interviews were conducted with government officials and two were chosen from each department or ministry using purposive sampling, and a total of 10 participants were part of the study. The national development plans (NDPs) and indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) policies were analysed to gather information on government support for the use of IK for sustainable livelihoods. Thematic analysis and content analysis were the approaches to data analysis.Results: The findings show that the South African government had implemented various mechanisms to support the use of IK for sustainable livelihoods while little efforts were made in Zimbabwe.Conclusion: The South African government formulated policies that support the use of IK to sustain livelihoods, while IK policy formulation and implementation in Zimbabwe was not evident.Contribution: The research adds to the conversation about the importance of acknowledging IK and promoting its incorporation into development interventions and policy frameworks that can help governments leverage the potential of indigenous communities as keepers of priceless knowledge and guardians of sustainable livelihoods.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2025-06-23
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajim.v27i1.1901
 
Source South African Journal of Information Management; Vol 27, No 1 (2025); 11 pages 1560-683X 2078-1865
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajim.co.za/index.php/sajim/article/view/1901/3223 https://sajim.co.za/index.php/sajim/article/view/1901/3224 https://sajim.co.za/index.php/sajim/article/view/1901/3225 https://sajim.co.za/index.php/sajim/article/view/1901/3226
 
Coverage — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2025 Inesisa Ncube, Josiline Chigwada, Patrick Ngulube, Jan R. Maluleka https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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