Ukonga: Africa’s Forgotten Blueprint | Sibonisile Ngubane Cossa | TEDxUniversityofJohannesburg

Quick Overview

Sibonisile Ngubane Cossa argues that the solution to modern sustainability challenges, particularly for Africans, lies not in new technologies or fear-based statistics, but in returning to ancestral wisdom encapsulated by the concept of 'ukonga,' which means to use sparingly and not waste, reminding people that solutions are often hidden in old, primitive ways of life.

Key Points: The speaker contrasts her current work in PR/communications, focused on convincing consumers to buy unnecessary products, with the inherent sustainability practices she witnessed growing up. She identifies common household practices like using a coffee tin for sugar or wearing hand-me-down shoes as examples of sustainability long before it became a trendy term. Sustainability, as understood from her upbringing, means 'to use sparingly, to not waste, to consume while keeping in mind those that are still to come,' summarizing reduce, reuse, recycle. Cossa asserts that the current sustainability crisis was created by humanity's 'deviation from what truly matters,' not by ignorance or lack of education. She questions the effectiveness of scaring masses with doom and gloom statistics, suggesting the solution is reminding people of what their ancestors knew: that the land is sacred. The core concept introduced is 'ukonga,' which means going back to being a people who do not take more than what they need. She concludes that some answers sought in new technologies are already hidden in old and primitive ways, emphasizing that the future is best shaped by the wisdom of the past.

Context: Sibonisile Ngubane Cossa shares her personal journey from working in high-level PR and communications, feeling disillusioned by the focus on superficial brand competition, to discovering that the answers to modern sustainability crises are rooted in African ancestral practices. She uses relatable anecdotes from her childhood, like finding tea bags reserved for special guests or tins repurposed for sugar, to illustrate how concepts like reduce, reuse, and recycle were naturally integrated into her life before they became formal concepts.