My Ubuntu background
Having been born and raised in Zimbabwe, a beautiful country in Southern Africa with stunning landscapes and diverse wildlife, one of the main aspects that we were taught from a young age was the importance of “kuva nehunhu,” literally translated: ‘embodying and practicing behaviours that depict humanness and dignity.’ This cultural trait was at the forefront of everyone’s mind, be it at home where both my parents were committed educators/academics, or through my interactions with siblings, cousins, relatives, friends and the community that I lived in.
The ‘hunhu’ philosophy was also reinforced at the educational institutions that I attended which encouraged virtue, excellence and collaborative behaviours through the school mottoes, principles and slogans. The guiding principle at the elementary school I attended was, ‘The Light that Shines in Darkness,’ which complemented my high school motto, ‘Through Knowledge to Virtue’ leading to ‘Think in Other Terms’ at university. These elements shaped and created the foundation of my unique thinking patterns, ethical considerations, as well as academic and career progressions.
Ubuntu across Sub-Saharan Africa
As I navigated life with this moral compass, I began to realize through my professional and personal connections that the cultural practice of ‘hunhu / ubuntu’ (as we knew it in the main indigenous languages of Shona & Ndebele in Zimbabwe), was evident in most African societies. In Zimbabwe’s neighboring countries, ‘hunhu’ is known as ‘ubuntu’ in South Africa, where the word stems from the Zulu language, symbolizing ‘being human.'1 In Botswana, the same term is called ‘botho;' in Malawi, it is referred to as ‘umuntu;’ whilst in Mozambique and Namibia, the local people refer to this philosophy as ‘vumuntu’ and ‘omundu’ respectively.
Evidently, this practice in its various forms (and many other variations of the term that are not mentioned here), comes from the foundational philosophy shared among the Nguni and Bantu people of Africa. The word ‘Ubuntu’, however, gained popularity due to the growing number of academic publications around this topic.
Ubuntu Philosophy – The Five Guiding Principles
The Ubuntu philosophy is premised on the notion that the individual is part of the whole— there can be no person without the people. In the Shona language of Zimbabwe, this is represented by the idiom, ‘Munhu vanhu,’ directly translated: “A person is a person through other persons.” Whatever happens to or affects the individual, whether positive or negative, also happens to or affects the community. The individual can only say: “I am, because we are and since we are, therefore I am.”2
With this mindset, and given that the individual depends on the group, the community is expected to mold and nurture the individual, culminating in the five core values or guiding principles of the Ubuntu philosophy2 as represented in Figure 1.
Figure 1 – The Five Guiding Principles of the Ubuntu Philosophy, Fungai Marowa
Survival enables communities to depend on each other in difficult times even though they may have had differences before, as existence is of paramount importance.
Solidarity is central to the philosophy of Ubuntu and promotes the responsibility of individuals towards each other, inter-dependence, and inter-connectedness. The community is encouraged to work collaboratively and in cooperation with each other in order to attain common goals and objectives.
Compassion underscores the significance of understanding oneself (that is having insight into one’s own behaviours, weaknesses, attitudes and strengths) and understanding the limitations, problems, and challenges of others. This core value creates a feeling of interconnectedness and a sense of belonging among communities.
Respect—honouring and keeping a high regard of the opinions, values, rights, and beliefs of people within the community, irrespective of the diverse groups that are represented—is important in the Ubuntu philosophy as it builds positive and lasting relationships.
Dignity is the principle of being worthy of people’s respect through the manner and behavior in which the individual and ultimately the group carries themselves.
From the guiding principles outlined in Figure 1, Ubuntu not only promotes the uplifting and establishment of all individuals, but it also encourages active collaboration and cooperation from diverse groups of people from different nationalities, genders, linguistic and cultural backgrounds for the overall benefit and development of the community. When a person embodies Ubuntu, traits of kindness, generosity, care and compassion for other fellow human beings are evident despite their background. A person with ‘Ubuntu’ recognizes and acknowledges that they are part of humanity and is open to sharing every aspect of themselves in honor of the co-dependence and inter-connectedness that exists.
A practical example of Ubuntu philosophy
The establishment of the University of Botswana is a practical example of the embodiment of Ubuntu philosophy. The institution was built in 1982 through a national fundraising campaign called the Botswana University Campus Appeal (BUCA). Operating from an abundance mindset, rather than one of scarcity, the Botswana government harnessed the benefits of the Ubuntu philosophy, (‘botho’ in the Setswana language) with the BUCA campaign which was code-named ‘Motho le Motho Kgomo'3 which translates to ‘One Person, One Beast.’
The Botswana community sought donations in cash and kind, be it livestock, grain and any other contribution that was readily available to the Batswana people. They set up the BUCA initiative as an ‘appeal to the national spirit for a national university’ for all and the initiative called for cooperation from all levels of society that is ‘ministerial, council and the local community.’ The Batswana worked together, as “people from all walks of life contributed to the common goal, the BUCA campaign, bringing cash, cattle, grain, and eggs.” The campaign symbolized and cemented “the nation's spirit and Botswana's traditional values of self-reliance and collective contribution, the private sector (local and abroad), and Botswana’s bilateral partners into a force that generated a substantial amount of money for the erection of key university campus facilities in Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana.”3
My UWaterloo Ubuntu perspective: Think Differently, Act with Purpose, Work Together
Upon joining the University of Waterloo last year, I was pleasantly impressed with how the University’s new values, Think Differently, Act with Purpose and Work Together, resonate with my perceptions of Ubuntu. Thinking differently, acting with purpose and working together are essential pillars in the Ubuntu philosophy, and I hope sharing my perspective on Ubuntu can enhance our shared understanding of these values.
Collaborative engagements foster unity and a positive team spirit that encourages people of diverse backgrounds to build meaningful relations and alliances. Embracing Ubuntu as a university community can nurture our sense of humanity, reduce the competitive mindset that is so prominent in academia and the workplace, and enable the collective to work towards mutual cooperation, recognizing that we are extensions of each other, (I am because we are).
Further, within these values, the University of Waterloo promotes integrity, respect, collaboration and inclusion, which complement the Ubuntu guiding principles of dignity, respect and spirit of solidarity. These guiding principles combined with the University’s values of thinking differently, acting with purpose and working together can create effective spaces for building positive relations, and sharing knowledge and experiences. Ubuntu encourages the notion, ‘what I know, you should also know’ thereby supporting and augmenting each other’s growth and development. From the Ubuntu perspective, sharing knowledge entails fostering a community that consciously cares for the needs of others and supports everyone’s endeavours.
As we commemorate Black History month, with the 2025 theme of ‘Black Legacy and Leadership: Celebrating Canadian History and Uplifting Future Generations,’4 I am reminded of the words of one South African leader, “We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas we are connected and what we do affects the existence of the group.”2
In the true spirit of Ubuntu, I conclude by acknowledging the extracts of other people’s works that I referenced in this feature. I also express my gratitude to the University of Waterloo Staff Association (UWSA) for giving me this opportunity to share my experiences and I acknowledge the readers for taking the time to connect with my worldview from the Ubuntu perspective; I am because we are!
My name is Fungai Marowa and my role at the University of Waterloo is Integrated Planning & Budgeting Analyst. I enjoy working with numbers and budgets, and one of my favourite hobbies is travelling (I have lived in four countries across three continents). If I could have one superpower, it would be to understand all the different languages spoken across the world.
References
- J. Mugumbate and A. Nyanguru, “Exploring African Philosophy: The Value of Ubuntu in Social Work,” African Journal of Social Work, Volume 3, Number 1, 2013.
- N. Ngubane and M. Makua, “Ubuntu pedagogy – transforming educational practices in South Africa through an African philosophy: from theory to practice," Inkanyiso: Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences / Vol. 13 No. 1, 2021.
- University of Botswana, "The history of philanthropy surrounding the University of Botswana," https://www.ub.bw/administration-and-support/vice-chancellor/university-botswana-foundation/history-philanthropy-surrounding-university-botswana.
- Canadian Heritage, "The Government of Canada proudly celebrates Black History Month 2025," https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/news/2025/02/the-government-of-canada-proudly-celebrates-black-history-month-2025.html