A session initiating a pilot project aimed at professionalising a number of disciplines within indigenous knowledge (IK) will be held on Monday.

The pilot, which is based on the recognition of prior learning, is a move aimed at affirming IK as a knowledge domain. The pilot will target three categories of traditional health practitioners – inyanga, sangoma and umbelethisi (traditional midwife).

The pilot will see the establishment of mechanisms to recognise these areas of indigenous knowledge (IK) as professional disciplines with their own institutions, governance structures and approaches to quality assurance.

The project target is to assess a total of 200 IK practitioners in KwaZulu-Natal, in the eThekwini, Zululand, uMkhanyakude and Harry Gwala districts.

A call for applications for certification will run from 1 to 18 February 2022.

As the custodian of the Protection, Promotion, Development and Management of Indigenous Knowledge Act, 2019, the Department of Science and Innovation has initiated a recognition of prior learning pilot programme to test the developed competency norms and standards in a real-life environment.

The Department of Science and Innovation, in partnership with the University of KwaZulu-Natal, North-West University and a pilot task team, and in consultation with IK practitioners and stakeholders, has developed competency-based norms and standards for the three categories of traditional health practitioner in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, North West and Limpopo.

The certification pilot will take place in KwaZulu-Natal.

Details of the event:

Date:       Monday, 31 January 2022

Time:       09:00-13:00

Venue:   Garden Court Marine Parade, Durban

Issued by the Department of Science and Innovation.

For enquiries and media RSVP, please contact Ms Julian Leshilo-Sebake at 060 961 2194 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..