Heritage Month: How the youth can embrace their cultural identity

With Heritage Month still in full swing, here are five ways Mzansi's youth can celebrate their South African heritage every day.

Sep 26, 2022 - 19:12
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Heritage Month: How the youth can embrace their cultural identity

In celebration of Heritage Month, Afrika Tikkun Services, a youth and skills development non-profit organisation (NPO), has urged young people not to leave their identities behind as they progress through the world. The Johannesburg-based NPO has shared five ways that the youth can embrace their South African heritage. 

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1. CELEBRATING YOUR HERITAGE IN THE DIGITAL AGE 

Afrika Tikkun Services’ chief executive officer (CEO), Onyi Nwaneri, says the South African youth is at risk of losing touch with their identity if they are not given the space to learn, communicate and express themselves. 

“One of the legacies of our painful past that we need to reckon with is that there is still much to be undone when it comes to pride in one’s culture and ethnic identity,” said Nwaneri. 

Nwaneri added that social media influencers who are traditional healers are an example of celebrating your culture and heritage in the digital age. 

2. CULTURAL IDENTITY AND MONARCHS

Following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and King Goodwill Zwelithini, there has been much discussion about the relevance of monarchs. Some have expressed that the monarchs represented cultural identity and pride.

“By highlighting the strong connections some people still have with ancient traditions and values connected to the royal families of Britain as well as the Zulu Kingdom in South Africa, these deaths have acted as a reminder that even in the digital age where cultures are being diluted by globalisation and urbanisation, societies are still heavily rooted in their heritage,” said Nwaneri. 

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3. DIVERSITY 

Most South Africans spend their time at their workplaces and it can either be welcoming or the most isolating place depending on the work environment. Afrika Tikkun Services stresses the importance of encouraging cultural diversity at the workplace. 

The NPO says diversity is more than just a “nice-to-have”, it’s a necessity in creating a productive workplace. 

4. CULTURAL DIVERSITY 

The gradual acceptance of African hairstyles in South African schools is one way young people are fighting against the erasure of their heritage in the formal school system. Schools are also beginning to include all 11 official languages in the syllabus. 

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5. SHARED SOUTH AFRICAN IDENTITY 

As South Africans, we come together when one of our own is representing Mzansi on a global stage. The likes of Trevor Noah, Black Coffee, Master KG and Thuso Mbedu have all made Mzansi proud. 

“These need not be the only ways we validate the value of our identity. There should be a daily effort to unlearn the same of the past and embrace the languages, accents and aesthetics that make us uniquely ourselves,” said Nwaneri.

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