Embed Ubuntu in Africa's political structures to create real impact

Ubuntu is often celebrated as Africa’s moral compass—a philosophy rooted in communal humanness, expressed in the well-known phrase, “I am because we are.” It is supposed to define Africa’s social fabric, standing as both an inheritance and an export.

However, in contemporary Africa, Ubuntu is more of an aspiration than a reality, a historical flower with no visible fruit. It neither informs political thinking nor influences responses to crises like the ongoing tragedy in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo.

For many Africans, Ubuntu is encountered in classrooms rather than in homes or streets, making it a distant theory rather than a structured ideology. The question arises: Does Africa have any ideology that truly preserves its Africanness?

For over fifty years, I have lived in Africa without encountering a definitive African ideology. While phrases like Pan-Africanism are frequently thrown around, they lack the weight of a seed meant for sowing. They remain the wishful thinking of a few elites rather than a guiding philosophy for the continent. The lack of a concrete ideological foundation means that African identity is often shaped by external perceptions—some see Africa as the “sorry continent,” while others romanticize it through commercialized experiences like the Maasai Mara wildlife migration.

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Africa’s ideological void becomes even more apparent in the global scramble for its resources. The continent finds itself repeatedly exploited, with external interests determining its trajectory. The most tragic illustration of this ideological emptiness is the ongoing crisis in Goma, where Africans kill Africans—yet not for African interests.

The conflicts are often manipulated by global powers with vested interests, yet there is no inherent African philosophy to counter these external influences. Without a unifying ideology, Africa remains susceptible to ideological erosion and economic plundering.

Ubuntu, as a philosophy, should ideally strengthen Africa’s social and political structures. However, in reality, it neither weakens the machete-wielding hand in conflict zones nor features prominently in the speeches of African leaders.

The African Union (AU), which should champion the philosophy, hardly references it. While Desmond Tutu popularized Ubuntu during South Africa’s transition from apartheid, the philosophy was more of an aspirational dream than a lived reality. The irony is that Africa, which claims to be the cradle of communal values, is deeply divided and disoriented.

The notion of community in contemporary Africa is transactional rather than intrinsic. Economic survival has replaced cultural unity, making capitalism the only force that unites Africans. Unlike Ujamaa, which had a structured political framework under Julius Nyerere, Ubuntu lacks institutional backing. No country has adopted it as a national guiding principle, and it is absent from national anthems, governance structures, or leadership philosophies.

One of the reasons Ubuntu remains ineffective is its failure to transition from an abstract moral concept into a structured framework for governance and leadership. Instead of shaping political thought, it has been left to cultural rituals such as weddings and initiation ceremonies, vanishing from public discourse beyond those events. If Ubuntu had institutional advocates, it could have evolved into a living ideology that addresses modern challenges.

Leadership in Africa does not embrace the Ubuntu principle of communal well-being. Instead, power is pursued as a means of self-aggrandizement, where the price of acquiring it often includes the dehumanization of others. In times of crisis, African leaders turn to Western powers for solutions instead of drawing from an indigenous ideological reservoir. This further proves that Ubuntu is not embedded in African governance structures.

Many Africans pride themselves on being the most cultural people in the world. However, there is little evidence to support the idea.

Traditional African societies practiced Ubuntu as a way of life, not as a theoretical construct. It was a lived experience that organically informed survival and social cohesion. However, the elite who promoted Ubuntu did so as a philosophical concept rather than an embedded social practice.

For Gen Z Africans, Ubuntu is an ambiguous concept. Unlike past generations who experienced community-driven societies, Gen Z is growing up in an era dominated by digital interactions and hyper-individualism. While social media connects people across borders, it also fosters a culture where personal success often overshadows collective progress. There is, however, an opportunity for Ubuntu to be revitalized through digital activism. Gen Z Africans have shown immense potential in mobilizing for social change. If Ubuntu is to be relevant to this generation, it must be reframed as a call for collective responsibility in digital and real-world spaces. Community today is as much about online solidarity as it is about physical kinship.

One of the greatest threats to Ubuntu today is the rise of selfishness within African societies. Economic pressures have led many to prioritize individual survival. Corruption, nepotism, and political betrayal are rampant, with leaders and elites looting national resources at the expense of the people. Ubuntu, in its purest form, demands selflessness, yet contemporary African societies often reward greed.

This shift from collective responsibility to self-interest is visible in everyday life. Where communities once shared in each other’s struggles and successes, the modern African experience is increasingly characterized by social fragmentation.

For Ubuntu to become a meaningful force, it must move beyond being a moral aspiration and transform into an actionable philosophy. This requires political will, structural integration, and active promotion within African societies. If Ubuntu is to define Africa’s future, it must be taught, institutionalized, and embedded in governance and economic policies.

A genuine ideological foundation would allow Africa to assert itself on the global stage, resisting external manipulation and shaping its destiny. Without this, Africa will remain a continent dictated by others, its identity continuously eroded by external influences. 

Ubuntu, in its current form, is a phantom. If it is to be Africa’s ideological powerhouse, it must be reclaimed, structured, and applied in ways that produce tangible fruit. Without a deliberate effort to establish and sustain such an ideology, Africa will continue to be defined by external narratives rather than its own principles.