Heritage Authenticity in Theory and Practice in Africa

This Open Access book draws on the expertise of scholars, heritage experts, government officials, community representatives, and NGOs to redefine heritage authenticity from an African perspective. Exploring the interplay between tangible and intangible heritage, spiritual and sacred traditions, and the values of African communities, the book offers a dynamic and inclusive vision of cultural heritage. This timely volume responds to a critical moment in the evolution of world heritage theory and practice following the Nairobi Outcome Document on Heritage and Authenticity (2025). As longstanding calls for a more representative World Heritage List intensify, the chapters in this volume address the persistent structural imbalance whereby African heritage sites currently account for only about 8% of all inscribed World Cultural Heritage properties as of 2025. This volume attributes this disparity to a deeper concept misalignment in which prevailing evaluative frameworks continue to privilege materially fixed, monument-centred understandings of authenticity. This volume posits that many African heritage systems are instead grounded in continuity of practice, ritual renewal, ecological interdependence, and community custodianship. In such contexts, heritage authenticity is sustained through dynamic social processes and evolving relationships among people, place, and beliefs, allowing evolution and transformation across form, space and time without loss of cultural legitimacy. This volume explores these processes through a wide range of examples drawn from across the African continent in order to delve into the challenges of heritage management, the role of local communities, and the need for governance systems that reflect Africa's unique cultural contexts. It also critically examines global heritage conventions and charters, highlighting the need to decolonize heritage practices and foster a more balanced representation of African sites on the World Heritage List. This volume not only enriches the global discourse on heritage authenticity but also serves as a catalyst for empowering African communities to define and safeguard their cultural legacy. With its rich collection of case studies, theoretical insights, and practical recommendations, Heritage Authenticity in Theory and Practice in Africa will be an essential resource for academics, researchers, students, heritage experts, conservation practitioners and policymakers with interests in African heritage, decolonising knowledge, Indigenous and minority communities, and global development.