Ubuntu

Ubuntu is Africa’s philosophy

Ubuntu is Africa’s overarching philosophy. A philosophy contains a society’s deep thoughts and ways of looking at life. It shapes how people think about the family, community, society, environment and spirituality. It shapes how people think about reality, existence, reason, knowledge, religion, truth, race, values, mind, behaviour, justice and language. In the chain of knowledge, a philosophy sits above theories. Theories are derived from philosophy. A society usually has one philosophy. Basically, each continent has its one overarching philosophy.

Ubuntu has strengths but also shortcomings. However, most of the ‘shortcomings’ are a result of misconceptions about Ubuntu. In the sections below, misconceptions will be clarifies first, followed by weaknesses then strengths.

Should you capitalise Ubuntu when writing? Should I write it in italics? When referring to the African philosophy, capitalise Ubuntu. Do not put it in italics. When referring to ubuntu in specific countries use a small letter u. This distinguishes it at the two levels – national e.g. South Africa and continental Africa.

Definitions of Ubuntu

Ubuntu is the worldview of Black people of Africa from where they derive relational, communal, societal, environmental and spiritual knowledges, values and practices .

Mugumbate, Mupedziswa, Twikirize, Mthethwa, & Oyinlola (2023)

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What happens to the individual happens to the whole group, and whatever happens to the whole group, community or country happens to the individual. People, country, environment and spirituality are intricately related. The individual can only say: ‘I am because we are; and since we are, therefore I am’.

Mbiti (1969)

Ubuntu Synonyms

• Angola (gimuntu)
• Botswana (muthu, batho)
• Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea,  Gambia Liberia, Sierra Leonne and Mali (maaya)
• Burundi (ubuntu)
• Cameroon (bato)
• Congo (bantu)
• Democratic Republic of Congo (bomoto, kimuntu or bantu)
• Ethiopia (medemer)
• Ghana (biako ye)
• Kenya (utu, munto, omundu or mondo)
• Malawi (umunthu)
• Mozambique (vumuntu)
• Namibia (omundu)
• Nigeria (mutunchi, iwa, agwa, omwayaonyamo)
• Rwanda (ubuntu)
• South Africa (ubuntu, ubundu or botho)
• South Sudan (nhiar-baai)
• Tanzania (utu, obuntu or bumuntu)
• Uganda (obuntu, obuntubulamu)
• Zambia (umunthu)
• Zimbabwe (unhu, hunhu, ubuntu, ibuntu)

Levels of Ubuntu

1. Individual
2. Families (ukama)
3. Village
4. Community (ujamaa)
5. Societal(Cultural, Economic, Political and Global) (ujamii)
6. Environmental (imvelo)
7. Spiritual (uroho)

Misconceptions about Ubuntu

• There is a misconception that African philosophy has one name, Ubuntu. No it is known by several names, almost all the names have a common linguistic origin. The popular name in the literature is Ubuntu.
• There is a misconception that the philosophy is new and it start recently. No. It started thousands of years ago.
• There is a misconception that Ubuntu originated from the Bantu group. It originated from all groups of Black people in Africa – the Bantu, Kush, Ba, Nile-Sahara, Khoi, Masarwa, Hadza and Sandawe. These groups interacted since time immemorial and values and principles of Ubuntu are found among all of them.
• There is a misconception that Ubuntu started in South Africa (country) or Southern Africa (region). No. It was popularised in South Africa, particularly the name ubuntu which is a Nguni used in Nguni languages like isiZulu, isiNdebele, siSwati, SiXhosa and others.
• There is a misconception that Ubuntu is inferior to western or eastern ways, no, it is not.
• There is a misconception that Ubuntu was discarded by Africans. No, it still shapes their life, knowledge and being.
• There is a misconception that Ubuntu is only about individuals and families, no, it also about communities, countries, nations and is applicable at continental and global issues.
• There is a misconception that it is about being respectful, harmonious, solidarity, compassion, subservient or helpful only. This are aspects of Ubuntu at the individual. No. It is equally about freedom, liberation, responsibility and possession.
• There is a misconception that in Ubuntu, questioning is not allowed. You are not allowed to be critical or to oppose. This is not true. You can question, be critical, be radical and oppose in a respectful way.
• It is not applicable outside Africa. This is a misconception. Ubuntu has influenced Kwanza (the Black American holiday started in the 1960s) and it continues to influence mentoring programs outside Africa. It also influences management, leadership and community work. The Ubuntu value of Sankofa, looking back to inform the present and future, is very much used by Black Americans who look back to Africa as their source of culture and personhood.
• It is not even a philosophy, what does it not have philosophers like western philosophers? Ubuntu is a philosophy with several philosophers. Most of it exists as orature, unwritten philosophy but there is now a considerable amount of written philosophers on Ubuntu.
• Ubuntu has no founders, how come? It does not need founders because by principle, Ubuntu is collective. Founders are found in individualistic societies.
• Others think it is a weakness for Ubuntu to be more collective than individualistic and yet others say Ubuntu does not respect individuality. This is all not true. being collective is not a weakness but a strength. The individual has their space in African life, but their space derive from, and is seen through the family and community.
• There is a misconception that it can not be used in research, teaching and practice. This is not true. It has been used, is being used and is useful. The truth is, African literature in general has been relegated to the periphery or discarded in favour of western literature.
• There is a misconception that Ubuntu is anti-women, anti-disability and anti-children. Not true at all. When institutions for children, so called orphanages were introduced in Africa by western missionaries and social workers, it was against the Ubuntu principle of child growth, development and protection in the family and community. It has not been realised that Ubuntu was right all along. Children do not belong to institutions, its not in their best interest at all.
• There is a misconception that Ubuntu means going back to Africa’s old life. Not at all. It means going to where we are comfortable in this age if we had not been colonised. Africa was never static, its culture and philosophy was dynamic.
• Ubuntu resulted in Africa’s colonisation? This could be true but we need to go further to say that anti-colonisation and decolonisation result from Ubuntu. You can not be human without freedom, you can not be human when you have been dispossessed – these were the Ubuntu ideals that motivated anti-colonisers, freedom fighters and pan-Africanists.
• If Ubuntu was useful, why is there still conflict in Africa? Why do we have dictators and corruption? Why is there gender-based or other forms of violence? But conflict, poor governance and violence exists even is countries that use western and eastern philosophies.
• Why are families sometimes individualistic and collective? because of colonisation. This is more prevalent in urban communities that were more westernized.
• Why are social vices like rape, even in the family by family members, so high in some African communities if we have Ubuntu? This is due to family breakdown. With Ubuntu, families are the utmost places of safety. Family breakdown has many causes, among them urbanization, westernization, migration, foreign religions like Christianity or Islam and other issues like death as a result of HIV and AIDS.
• What is the best choice, going back to Ubuntu or to westernise more? Westernisation is colonial, it has been shown in many countries to result in more social challenges. The best choice is to indigenise, meaning using owr own philosophy to solve our own challenges?
• What are the good examples of Ubuntu practice in Africa? When white people led by Christian missionaries and colonial administrators colonised Africa, they took away some children from homes and put them in orphanages or children’s homes despite advise from African elders, leaders and spiritual leaders that this was contrary to our philosophy, believes and practices. years later Africa is now dismantling the institutions because they have caused so much suffering – psychological harm, separation, loss of identity, loss of heritage etc. Today, our elders, leaders and spiritual leaders have been proven right, the white missionaries and colonists wrong.
• Ubuntu is against Christianity and Islam? No, it is these foreign religions that are against African ways of being. They are against African beliefs, identities and heritage. They are against African histories, values and beliefs. Ubuntu contains stronger values about life that are expressed in ways Africans understand. Foreign religions are mythical, mysterious, oppressive, difficult to understand and believe and unquestionable. As Chimamanda Ngozi said “Some of the early Christian missionaries across the African continent were very keen on destroying African art, carved African deities which they told the Africans, were just magic. I cannot help but really wonder what could be more magical than the story of a man who dies and then magically rises again; a man who also manages to magically give his body as bread.”
• There is a misconception that Ubuntu does not impact all of African life. It does. It impacts African art, beliefs, theories, relations, knowledge, ways of social work, literature, history etc.

Mzungu misconception of Ubuntu

This misconception defines Ubuntu from a deficit perspective which says Africa people give more than they receive, they have no sense of justice or economy and they are psychologically and behaviorally tolerable, kind and forgiving to the extent that they can allow their resources (land, language, life etc) to be colonised without resistance (we all know that they resisted and we are resisting today). The view was driven by missionaries who wanted to make Africa people not demand justice or their rights. An example of this view is provided below. We have crossed it out to show that it is wrong. Even though it has some correct meanings, the model below is grounded in a western or European view of Africa.

Shortcomings of Ubuntu

• In urban areas, especially, and in African Diaspora communities, Ubuntu has been eroded to varying levels but exists.
• There is not enough written literature on Ubuntu, most exist as orature. This has resulted in some people criticizing it as vague.
• The application of Ubuntu in education, practice, fieldwork and research has not been adequately clarified and exemplified.
• Available literature on Ubuntu is not easily accessible to schools, universities, students, practitioners, lecturers and researchers.
• Not used that much by Africans in their professions (this is changing) but used in their daily lives. This is because of the colonial separation of education from real life experiences.
• It is misused when people focus on ‘a good human’ aspects of Ubuntu such as being respectful and forgiving neglecting the more critical, structural and transformational issues. This happened with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission led by Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela in South Africa. In the process, they did not allow for the return of land that was stolen from South Africans by white people.

Strengths of Ubuntu

• It exists in all Black African communities.
• It exists in abundance as orature.
• It has gained international appeal.
• It can decolonise and indigenous at the same time.
• It is rich, from it sub-philosophies, theories, ethics, methods etc are derived.
• It exists in African language and culture.
• Ubuntu is an overarching philosophy, this means it is broad enough to be used in all disciplines, aspects of life at all levels of society.

Dark-skinned or Black people call each other brother and sister today, wherever you find them on earth. Light-skinned or White people (Europeans, Americans, Middle-eastern and Asians) do not see each other as family, rather they compete, spy, hate and kill each other. What can account for these major differences – Ubuntu.

ASWDNet, 2023

Ubuntu Values

• Relations (ukama) – valuing parents, blood relations and tribal family; social, cultural, spiritual, economic and political relations
• Culture (umuco/isiko) – valuing the way we do things (food, language, dress, knowledge, ethics, beliefs etc)
• Indigeneity (wazawa) – valuing being black Africans and being people of the African continent
• Wholism/holistic (mzima/phelele) – valuing connection between people, their past and future, environment and spirituality
• Justice and Freedom (uhuru) – valuing being free and independent from colonisation and injustice; valuing just laws and practices in relation to land, the environment, relations, economics, politics etc
• Responsibility (mutoro) – valuing that we have a responsibility towards each other and future generations and a responsibility to our environment and responsibility to maintain relations (ukama)
• Community/collectivity (ujamaa) – valuing working together
• Respect (girmamawa) – valuing humanity, treating a person as a person, elders, parents, land, ancestors and spirituality
• History (sankofa) – look back to inform the future, reflect.
• Sacrifice: tied to responsibility, this is about putting family, community, society and continent first and promoting what positively impacts and sustains the family, community, society and continent.

Principles of Ubuntu

• Communality as the basis of society.
• Environmentality as the basis of survival
• Dialogue and consensus building as building blocks for cooperation.
• Respect as the basis of human interaction.
• Spirituality or religiosity as the foundation of relationships between living and deceased members, the environment and God.

Ubuntu Ethics

• Girmamawa – the ethic of respect
• Itorero – good members of society, and a strong sense of cultural values and leadership skills. The ethic is to respect our cultures
• Kagisano – good neighbourliness. The ethic is to promote harmony
• Kuumba – creativity. The ethic is not to imitate
• Musha – permanent home in ancestral lands. The ethic is to protect and maintain permanent homes
• Sankofa – look back to inform the future.
• Shosholoza – resilience. The ethic is remaining strong despite adversity
• Simunye – strengths in numbers, we are one. The ethic is promote cooperation and collectivism
• Ubunyarwanda – nationhood. There are many ethics including promotIng peace
• Uhuru – liberty/independence/freedom. The ethic is liberate and protect African liberation
• Ujamaa – familyhood or communityhood. The ethic is promote cooperation and collectivism
• Ujima – collective responsibility. The ethic is to look after one another
• Ukama, Harambee – familyhood, valuing blood relations.
• Umachobane – sustainability. The ethic is to do programs that are sustainable.
• Umhuri – familyhood, valuing blood relations. The ethic is protect families and marriages
• Umoja – unity, peace and harmony. The ethic is to promote oneness.
• Umuganda – service to others. The ethic is help others in need or reciprocity
• Unyanzvi – professionalism. The ethic is to act professionally
• Bulamu, Upenyu – valuing life and good health. The ethic is do not harm or kill          
• Urithi, Nhaka – inheritance. The ethic is to protect inheritance
• Uroho – spiritual connectedness. The ethic is to be holistic
• Ururami, Ubulungiswa, Ubutabera – justice. The ethic is for people to be just
• Ushavi – workmanship, enterprising . The ethic is hardworking
• Utungamiri – leadership. The ethic is people centered leadership

Ubuntu Maxims/Proverbs

• Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu (South Africa) – collectivity, communalism
• Ndiri nekuti tiri (Zimbabwe) – collectivity, communalism
• Onye aghana nwanne ya (Nigeria) – don’t leave anyone behind
• Mambo vanhu (Zimbabwe; Samkange, 1980) – people-centred leadership
• Chikuru upenyu (Zimbabwe; Samkange, 1980) – valuing life
• Motho ke motho ka batho (Botswana) – collectivity
• Mwana ndewemunhu wese (Child belongs to the village) – collectivity
• Umoja ni nguvu (Swahili) – collectivity
• Ndi nii tondu wanyu (Kenya) – collectivity
• An dhano nikeche wantie (Kenya) – collectivity
• Musha mukadzi (Zimbabwe) – valuing women
• Miti upenyu (Zimbabwe) – valuing the environment
• Mhosva hairovi (Zimbabwe) – valuing justice
• Munhu munhu nekuda kweVanhu (Zimbabwe; Samkange, 1980) – we are human through others
• Ibu anyi danda (Nigeria) – carrying a load together means no one is feeling the burden
• Munno mu kabi ye munno ddala (Uganda) – a friend or partner in difficult times is your real/genuine friend/partner
• Agbajo owo la fin soya ajeji owo kan ko gbe eru de ori (Yoruba, Nigeria) – solidarity
• Nwa ora (Igbo, Nigeria) – children belonged to the whole community
• Ofu aka ruta mmanu, o zuo aka ni ile (Igbo, Nigeria) – if one finger is stained with oil, the oil will spread to other fingers
• Ibu anyi danda (Igbo, Nigeria) – no task or load is insurmountable for danda (type of an ant), meaning bigger things are achieved when you work together.
• Onye aghana nwane ya (Igbo, Nigeria) – no one should leave their neighbor behind
• Isandla sihlamba esinye (Xhosa, South Africa) – one hand washes the other
• Mmua lebe oa bo a bua la gagwe (Tswana, Botswana)- everyone has a right to a say, for even what might appear like a bad suggestion helps people to think of better ideas
• Molemo wa kgang ke go buiwa (Tswana, Botswana) – the good on the conflict is discussion
• Ntwa kgolo ke ya molomo (Tswana, Botswana) – greatest fight is by mouth
• Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi (Akan, Ghana) – not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten; reflect
• Ubuntubulamu – being humane

Ubuntu Theories

• Ubuntu Model of Ubuntu (UMU)
• Ujamaa Theory (African Community Theory)
• Individual-in-Family Theory (IIF)
• African Family Theory (Ukama Theory)
• Unhu (Ubuntu) Education Theory
• Ubuntu Psychology
• Ubuntu Social Work, Welfare and Development Theory
• Ubuntu Research Philosophy
• Ubuntu Moral Philosophy (Ubuntu Morality)
• Ubuntu Political Philosphy
• Samkange’s Theory of Ubuntu
• Ubuntu Spirituality
• Ubuntu Feminism
• Ubuntu Engineering
• Ubuntu Business Model
• Ubuntu Management Theory
• Ubuntu Social Justice, Criminal Justice and Jurisprudence Theory
• Kaunda’s Theory of African Humanism (Ubuntu)

Ubuntu Models in Social Work, Human Services and Development

• Samkange’s theory of Ubuntu (Samkange and Samkange, 1980)
• Ubuntu social justice framework (Rankopo, Osei-Hwedie and Modie-Moroka, 2007)
• Unhu ethical model (Council of Social Workers Zimbabwe (CSW), 2012)
• Ubuntu as a philosophical framework for African social work (Mugumbate and Nyanguru, 2013)
• Ubuntu as a pan-African philosophical framework for social work in Africa (Mupedziswa, Rankopo and Mwansa, 2019)
• The Tswana Kagisano framework (2016)
• Anti-poverty and social protection model of Ubuntu (Metz, 2016)
• Ubuntu ecological and eco-spiritual perspective (van Breda, 2019) 
• The decolonial framework of Ubuntu (several authors)
• An integrated framework of Ubuntu (Mugumbate and Chereni, 2019)
• Nyanguru Model of Ageing (Nyanguru, various years)

Now, the theory of Ubuntu has its space in social work, https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajsw/article/view/195112

Ubuntu in Simpler-Practical Terms and Everyday Usage

Familyhood (Ukama)

• In Ubuntu communities, we talk of families, not family. A person has families, not family. An adult married person has these families (1) their children, husband or wife/wives (2) the husband or wife with their siblings, father and mother (4) grandparents and their children (5) clan – grandparents and their siblings and parents (6) tribe – grandparents and their grandparents (7) ancestors – all deceased members
• Under Ubuntu, there are no aunties from the mother’s side, there are mothers. There are no uncles from the father’s side, there are fathers. An African has many mothers.
• There are no cousins, there are brothers and sisters.
• There is no step-mother or step-father, they are fathers and mothers.
• Father’s sister, babekazi or tete, is an important person, she is a father.
• Adoption of children only expected when there is a biological relationship. The adoption of African children by white people is viewed as colonisation and theft.
• Ubuntu does not allow or promote wife or husband beating or domestic violence or abuse, it favours dialogue through other family members and community channels. If there is love, there is no violence. Wife beating is one of the strongest sources of devaluation for men.
• Having children is highly valued and actively promoted.
• Marriage (of a man and woman) is highly valued and actively promoted.
• Being a grandparent, holding and teaching your grandkids, is one of the highest honours in life.
• Exchange of gifts at marriage, between families is highly valued and promoted to cement relations started through marriage. The family of the husband pays more because the children will have his surname and the wife will live with him and his family. The payment is made in several instalments of livestock or cash contributed by the family not just the person marrying. The total cost of gifts paid is a token, far less in value compared to a wedding ring or the cost of a western wedding. The priority is relations not economic gain. A human being can never be priced.
• Interracial marriages are devalued.
• Older people are not put in Old People’s Homes or institutions – it is a shame. They are cared for at home.
• Parents – not to be disrespected.
• Elders – are to be respected.

Personhood

• A long life is valued.
• Deep respect is valued.
• Generosity and sharing are valued.
• Giving, helping and volunteering are valued.
• Calling people by their first names is a taboo, rather use family name, clan names e.g. Madiba instead of Nelson for Mandela, tribal names, respect names e.g. Mzee, role names e.g. Babekazi which means aunt etc. For younger people first names can be used but respect names are still preferable. The reason for doing this is to give prominence to families, roles, histories. It is also an oral way to pass knowledge about genealogy, values and histories.
• Ubuntu names (or African names) are highly valued, even though colonial names were introduced by Europeans, Christians and Muslims. African names have meanings to families and communities and the nation as a whole. A name like Kofi means someone was born on a Friday; Tichatonga means we will liberate ourselves; Achen means a twin; Kato means second of twins; Lutalo means warrior; Karabo means answer.

Communityhood(Ujamaa)

• Under Ubuntu it is a taboo, and one of the highest offences in the community to beat your mother.
• Each person in the community looks after children – you keep them safe, teach them, reprimand, reward or punish them if there is need.
• Ubuntu gives peers the duty to mentor the age group behind them.
• Incest is an unforgivable crime.
• There is no permanent migration under Ubuntu.
• Be good with your visitors. Visitors – be good with your hosts.
• There are no children’s homes/institutions/residences under Ubuntu, because it is impossible to nurture children without parents and a community.
• In the community, there are friends who provide social and psychological support and counselling to others. These are usually older members of the community. This idea has motivated the globally recognised and evidence based Friendship Bench intervention in mentsl health.

Villagehood

• Under Ubuntu, child care responsibilities are shared by the whole village, hence, it takes a village to raise a child.
• The permanent home of an African is in a village, not urban town unless if your village was absorbed in a town or the land is still colonised.

Societyhood(Ujamii)

• Africa is not philosophyless.
• A person has no Ubuntu if they are corrupt, greedy, dishonesty, disrespectful, irresponsible, individual (e.g. not sharing),  not caring, abandons their relatives, abandons their permanent home etc.
• African welfare starts with the family, then the community and the state. For example, if a child’s parents die, the first responsibility is with the family. If there is no family or they have abandoned their responsibility, then the community becomes responsible. If the community is not there or have abandoned their responsibility, then the state becomes responsible.
• Ceremonies – there are several Ubuntu ceremonies but most of them have been buried under colonisation and replaced with non-African ceremonies such as Easter ceremony, Christmas ceremony, Halloween ceremony, Valentine’s etc.
• Patriarchy was an invention of colonial philosophy, modernisation and religion, not Ubuntu.
• Sex is done by mature adults out of purpose (procreation) and affection (love). Underage sex, which is rife among Abrahamaic religion (Christian faith and Islamic faith) in Africa, is not a result of Ubuntu but the foreign beliefs in these faiths.
• Exhibition of sex and sexual organs is condemned under Ubuntu, so is watching of pornography or sexual acts, including sex acts exhibited in films and movies.

Statehood

• Good, respectful and people-centred leadership is anticipated and promoted.
• A leader is a leader because of people he/she leads.
• In Ubuntu society, women are leaders, fighters and innovators just like men.
• African state structures existed before colonisation, were disrupted but some survived.
• African Kings invented the King’ Granary e.g. one at Khami Ruins in Zimbabwe, where food was kept for the poor or for emergencies. Today, this initiative is known as Zunde raMambo, and is part of the welfare system in some African countries.

Environmenthood (Imvelo)

• This encompasses land, water, sky, air, trees and animals.
• The highest form of injustice to Africans was to have African land taken by white people and the highest form of injustice to the ancestors is not to take that land back.
• Environmental identities – each African family has an animal or part of an animal or part of an environment that represents their identity. These identities are biological or genetic and they are crucial as DNA records.

Land

Land occupies an important position under Ubuntu. It connects all aspects of Ubuntu. It also provides permanency, for example, permanent home, community and heritage.

Spiritualhood (Uroho)

• Africa has its own beliefs and religion. Abrahamic religion that includes Christianity and Islam came as a part of colonisation.
• Ubuntu sources of spiritual wellbeing include being on land, connection with family, being on the environment, certain parts of the environment, e.g. trees, dreams, funerals, ceremonies, rituals, rites, historical/heritage sites, helping, ancestors, God etc
• Ancestors are to be respected.
• Graves are to be respected.
• Social problems can have a spiritual origin and spiritual solution.
• Spiritualists can be consulted to diagnose and treat social problems. When diagnosing, they can use (1) observation (2) conversation or dialogue (3) spiritual power (4) combination of these methods. When treating, they use conversation/dialogue, counselling, interpretation e.g. of dreams or occurrences, herbal healing, spiritual healing and other methods
• Dreams have meaning and significance.
• Birth on one’s land.
• Death and burial on one’s land.

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Ubuntu Resources

Use the link below to view or download presentations on Ubuntu social work by Dr Jacob Rugare Mugumbate