What South Africa was, under apartheid, was bad, but soon, that nation will be worse off if they continue their current course

It’s a task that universities nationwide have been grappling with: how to “decolonise” their curricula.

While student protests at campuses around South Africa have been calling for “free quality, decolonised education”, one university has started taking the first steps towards breaking down the notion that Western knowledge is superior.

At the University of Stellenbosch (Maties), a curriculum renewal project will lead to the “decolonising” of at least 10 academic programmes, including medicine and law. Meanwhile, at the University of Johannesburg, a compulsory online module, African Insights, has been instituted for all first-year undergraduate students to introduce them to the reflections and writings of African thought leaders. This will be supplemented by seminars and other opportunities.