The preservation of knowledge of traditional healing in the Limpopo province of South Africa

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the methodologies employed by traditional healers to preserve knowledge of traditional healing. Organisational knowledge conversion theory was employed to guide the study. The study adopted the hermeneutic phenomenological research method and utilised snowball-sampling to identify participants. Data collection was done through observations and interviews. The findings indicate that there is some consensus among healers that ancestors control knowledge of traditional healing and pass it down to the chosen healers through dreams and visions. However, even though ancestors are believed to be the ones who preserve knowledge of traditional healing, there are healers who document their knowledge using different mediums chosen by them. The study concludes that even though the knowledge of traditional healers is largely preserved orally, and faces challenges, there are some initiatives globally and in South Africa to have this knowledge externalised and documented.