Four African Countries Could Secure First UNESCO Intangible Heritage Inscriptions

Eswatini, Lesotho, South Sudan and Tanzania could achieve their first inscriptions on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage lists when an international committee meets in China later this year. The prospect highlights the growing visibility of African living traditions and the role of communities in safeguarding cultural knowledge across generations.

A global review with African significance

In a 21 October announcement, UNESCO said its Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage will consider 64 nominations submitted by 82 countries at its twenty-first session in Xiamen, China, from 30 November to 5 December. The organisation identified the four African countries as potential first-time inscription recipients. No decision on those nominations has yet been announced.

What living heritage means

Intangible cultural heritage differs from the physical monuments and historic sites commonly associated with heritage protection. It includes practices, expressions, knowledge and skills that communities recognise as part of their cultural inheritance. Oral traditions, performing arts, rituals, festive events and traditional craftsmanship can all fall within its scope. Such practices are often maintained through participation and teaching rather than through buildings or collections.

The importance of first inscriptions

A first inscription can increase international attention to a country’s cultural practices and support public discussion about their preservation. Recognition may encourage documentation, education and safeguarding efforts, but it does not by itself guarantee financing or protection. The work of practitioners, families and communities remains essential. UNESCO’s process assesses nominated elements under established criteria, and the committee’s decisions must not be anticipated.

Shared traditions across borders

UNESCO says 18 of the nominations under consideration are multinational submissions, including proposed extensions, roughly twice the number recorded in the previous year. This reflects the reality that cultural traditions frequently extend across modern borders. Languages, music, craftsmanship and ceremonial practices can connect communities in several countries, making cooperation important to their safeguarding.

Culture and economic opportunity

Living heritage can support livelihoods through teaching, performances, craft production and cultural activities. Yet commercial exposure creates its own questions. Practitioners should retain meaningful influence over how their traditions are represented and used. Safeguarding is not simply a strategy for increasing tourist arrivals; it is also about continuity, dignity and community choice.

Transmission to younger generations

Urbanisation, migration and changing patterns of work can affect the opportunities younger people have to learn from experienced practitioners. Schools, community organisations and cultural institutions may help, but safeguarding efforts are strongest when they respond to the needs of the people who maintain the traditions. Digital recording can preserve information, although it cannot fully replace living practice.

What happens next

The committee’s December deliberations will determine which nominations are inscribed. Until then, the appropriate description is that the four countries could receive their first recognitions, not that UNESCO has already granted them. The meeting offers a chance to examine how African communities are preserving and adapting cultural knowledge while engaging with wider international audiences.