Afrocentric governance, Indigenous Knowledge Systems and sustainable development in South Africa: a decolonial perspective

<p>This study undertakes a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed articles retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, AJOL, Google Scholar, UPSpace, OpenUCT and JSTOR, using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria to identify studies relevant to Afrocentric governance, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, decoloniality and sustainable development in South Africa. It asserts that hegemonic development approaches, grounded in Eurocentric epistemology, have inadequately addressed South Africa’s development challenges because they prioritize universal, Western models of governance while marginalising Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS), customary institutions and the historical inequalities created by colonialism and apartheid.

Using the framework of decolonial theory, the study discusses how IKS can be integrated into state governance, so as to enhance epistemic justice, democratic participation and locally relevant and cultural sensitive approaches to development. The study addresses the four research questions through a systematic synthesis of the literature, by examining the conceptual foundations of Afrocentric governance, the role of IKS, the limitations of Eurocentric governance models, and the implications of these perspectives for sustainable development and policy reform in South Africa.