South Africa’s Wits University Reclaims Indigenous Languages

At the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, Professor Nnamdi Elleh is leading an effort to decolonize knowledge by encouraging students to think and create in their native African languages. Elleh recently retired from his position as head of the school of architecture, leaving behind a legacy of challenging Eurocentric perspectives.

He initiated the Wits Innovations Vernaculaires (Wits-VITS) platform, which develops a lexicon of complex concepts in local languages. Elleh argues that true decolonization requires students to move beyond simply knowing history and to instead formulate concepts within their own linguistic frameworks.

Students like Marie-Justine Mutabazi report that this approach has transformed their understanding of architecture, allowing them to draw on African knowledge and experience rather than seeking inspiration solely from Western sources. The initiative aims to empower students by recognizing the richness and validity of indigenous ways of knowing.