Abstract
This thesis explores the potential of Indigenous Games (IGs) as vehicles for preserving and transmitting African values, beliefs, principles, and cultural practices, in the context of South Africa’s digital transformation. While digital technologies have been widely examined in fields such as health and agriculture, their application in the preservation and enhancement of Indigenous Knowledge through games remains underexplored and contested. This study addresses this gap by investigating the opportunities and challenges associated with the digitalisation of IGs in South Africa.
This study adopts a qualitative methodology to investigate digital technologies' role in supporting the continued use of IGs in South Africa. This is explored through the following topic areas: the opportunities and challenges of digitising IGs in South Africa, the degree of digitalisation of IGs in South Africa, the skills and knowledge needed to digitalise IGs in South Africa, and lastly, the policy landscape for digitalising IGs in South Africa.
The study draws from the theoretical foundations of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Afrocentricity, and Co-creation Frameworks and the Inclusive Innovation Framework to analyse how digital technologies can support the continuity of IGs and their integration within South Africa’s innovation system and development pathways.
Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 49 participants, including Indigenous Knowledge holders, game players, commercial and non-commercial game developers, and officials from the Departments of Sports, Arts and Culture, and Science and Innovation. These interviews were supplemented by a purposive literature review and a desk-based analysis of relevant policies and strategies to triangulate findings. These interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Furthermore, a purposive, systematic literature review was undertaken to understand the current status of research on this topic, together with a broad desk review of publicly available documents, including strategies and policies. The literature review and desk review provided information to corroborate and triangulate the interview data.
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The study reveals that IGs remain integral to cultural identity, social cohesion, and informal learning in many South African communities. While there are nine formally recognised official IGs in South Africa, Indigenous Knowledge holders identified other IGs that are not officially recorded. IGs are used to preserve communities' cultural practices and heritage, and they contribute to the upbringing of children in the communities in terms of learning valuable skills and the values that keep the community together. The study shows that Morabaraba is the only IG that is currently digitalised in South Africa. However, both commercial and non-commercial game developers are increasingly drawing on South Africa’s lived and cultural experiences in game design, suggesting potential for broader innovation.
Key findings highlight that digitalising IGs requires a wide range of capabilities, including digital game development skills, including programming, creative arts, design, game systems, logical thinking, research, and other technical skills. Also, specialisation skills are needed, such as specialisation in 2D or 3D art or animation.
Moreover, the policy landscape is fragmented. while the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture has established regulatory frameworks for standardising traditional gameplay across the nine official IGs in the country, the Department of Science and Innovation supports the broader institutionalisation and protection of IKS, and prioritised IKS through South Africa’s 2022–2032 Decadal Plan.
The study proposes "Re dira Mmogo” – a collaborative, Afrocentric framework that puts Indigenous Knowledge at the centre of the co-creation process of emerging technologies. This framework advocates for inclusive partnerships across key stakeholders to work together – i.e. indigenous knowledge holders, academia, industry, and government – and to be mindful of Africa’s identity, heritage, culture, and shared values, which make Africa distinct from other regions.
Ultimately, the study contributes to a growing body of scholarship that challenges Eurocentric paradigms of innovation, offering new insights into the intersection of
digital technology, Indigenous Knowledge, and inclusive development in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.