For Bongani Shabangu, 30, history is not simply about recording the past—it is about restoring voices that have too often been forgotten. As a lecturer in history education at North-West University, he is challenging conventional approaches to teaching by placing Indigenous knowledge systems at the centre of historical inquiry, ensuring that communities become authors of their own stories rather than subjects of someone else's.
Holding two master's degrees awarded with distinction—an MEd in Education from the University of the Witwatersrand and an MA in Historical Studies—Shabangu teaches future educators while researching Indigenous approaches to history education, inclusive learning and the integration of Indigenous epistemologies into the curriculum. His work bridges academia and community, demonstrating that history is at its most powerful when it reflects lived experiences.
Among his proudest achievements is working alongside Indigenous communities in Somerset to document their histories and preserve their collective memory for future generations. The project reflects his belief that scholarship should not only produce knowledge but also return it to the people whose stories it tells.
Shabangu credits his late grandmother as the greatest influence on his life. Denied an education by the inequalities of her time, she instilled in him an unwavering belief in the transformative power of learning. Guided by Ubuntu, he measures success not by individual achievement, but by how many others are empowered to rise alongside him.