Cultural Education: AEPC in Venda

7 September 2025
Southern Africa Component
 

From the 5th to the 7th September 2025, the AEPC project team visited Venda, a region located in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The team consisting of the AEPC monitoring and evaluation officer, Ben Khobotlo, work package officer, Nqobile Mbhele and knowledge sharing and outreach officer, Dumisani Mnisi - were interesting in exploring the conversations between culture and space and the active methods regions in Southern Africa keep their heritage and culture alive.

The visit was also inspired by the grants for Heritage organisations under the AEPC: Southern Africa component. The grant called organisation from six Southern African countries (Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe) to co-create new, interdisciplinary narratives that communicate the meaning and significance of their heritage to a diverse and international audience. One of the team’s objectives was to analyse in real time: How is the call interpreted in remote areas where culture is embedded in the day to day?

Venda, known for its sub-tropical climate and lush terrains is home to the VhaVenda people, a tribe active in preserving and protecting its language and culture. Known for their distinct and interact footwork in dance and colourful traditional attire, the Venda culture is dynamic and resilient, and to this day, has custodians who share and teach this culture to the younger generation.

The team started at John Marubini Primary school, located in Phiphidi, a village outside the capital city, Thohoyandou. The school was one of many in the region where cultural dance and practice is ingrained in the syllabus and education system, where pupils from grade 1 – 7 are taught how to play the indigenous instruments like ‘Murumba’ (treble drums), ‘ngoma’ (bass drums) and ‘ngoma’. Most schools in Venda have staff who serve as cultural development educators with the objective to embed knowledge into the young minds.

Flulufhelo Catherine Mawela, Head of Cultural development at the school points out that the integration of arts and culture plays an impactful role for students with difficulties in theoretical learning or short attention spans. Having interactive activities, like playing the murumba or dancing Tshigombela(a traditional dance practiced at royal gatherings) serve as an outlet that students look forward to.

The AEPC team attended the District Arts, Culture and Heritage competition. An annual festival where schools from across the region showcased multitudes of dance, from traditional to modern styles. Through this festival, the AEPC learned the historical significance of dance as a form of communication in the Venda culture. For instance, “Tshigombela”which was practised at royal gatherings or “Malende” originating from brew houses where people expressed their grievances and joys in song and dance. The “Tshikona” historical known as the rain dance, performed with a pipe-like instrument called “Lunanga” blown to create sound. All these historical dances are alive and evolving, intergrated into the school system and performed in schools.
The experienced highlighted how culture consists of multiple organisms that need to be nurtured to grow and thrive. Through language, education and deliberate actions by the school districts to preserve culture, the children of Venda are custodians of their beautiful heritage.