ArchiAfrika-April-Magazine-English-final-v2

Hugh Masakela & ArchiAfrica present:
competition
THE ROAD TO
HERITAGE
The first Road to Heritage Competition, organized by Hugh Masakela in collaboration with ArchiAfrika,
is a ground-breaking design competition in which we seek African designers, students, amateurs and
professionals to present creative and inno-native proposals on how Africans can preserve and promote
our heritage. We seek participants to showcase their ideas in our magazine as well as website, compete
for prize money and bring ideas to the attention of a prestigious jury.
WHY HERITAGE MATTERS
Text by Hugh Masakela
More than 80 % of Africa’s peoples come
from indigenous traditional origins. Our
cultural roots are cultivated in customs, oral
history, praise-poetry, art, design, architecture,
artisanship, agriculture, mysticism, song,
dance, couture, cuisine, pageantry, ceremony,
rituals and moral values. Respect, humility
and generosity have always been the crucial
cornerstones of African life.
Africa’s abundance of unfathomable wealth in
raw materials attracted interest among many
foreign communities. Explorers, militias and
traders began to invade North, West and
Central Africa in the 14th century in search
of treasures. Next came religious groups of
missionaries and prophets with determined
resolve to convert the “natives from barbarism”
and away from their customs. Subsequently
armies and ships laden with superior weaponry
overran most of Africa, confiscating land, food
supplies, and livestock, pillaging and intent on
lording over the indigenous peoples.
Centuries of conquest lead to a merciless slave
trade which saw millions loaded into sailing
vessels that carried Africans to the western
world, a time during which families were
forcibly separated, native languages outlawed
and traditions systematically destroyed.
On the continent, the remaining millions were
colonized. Africa was eventually carved up into
scores of European-created “new” countries.
The native populations were transformed
into legions of cheap-labour armies. Many
converted into Islam and Christianity. Forced
migration to new industrial centres and
farmlands along with minimal education led
to the gradual erosion of traditional heritage.
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