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From Rock Art to Digital Knowledge: Wikimedia Foundation CEO Visits South Africa
The Wikimedia movement’s commitment to preserving and sharing knowledge took on a uniquely South African flavour last month as newly appointed Wikimedia Foundation CEO Bernadette Meehan embarked on one of her first major international visits since assuming the role.
Accompanying her was Bobby Shabangu, a respected South African open-knowledge advocate and the first African ever elected to the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees. Together, they spent time with Wikimedia South Africa volunteers, partners, and community members, exploring how local initiatives are helping ensure African languages, histories, and cultures are represented online for generations to come.
Cape Town: Where Ancient Stories Meet the Digital Future
The South African tour began in Cape Town with a visit to the Iziko Museum, where participants experienced a guided tour that perfectly reflected the Wikimedia movement’s belief that knowledge is created, shared, and preserved by people.
Among the highlights was a presentation of some of South Africa’s oldest rock art. Created over centuries by multiple generations, these artworks offered a striking parallel to the way Wikipedia itself is built today — collaboratively, incrementally, and collectively. Just as countless hands contributed to preserving stories on stone, volunteers across the world continue to build humanity’s largest collection of freely accessible knowledge.
Conversations with Cape Town-based Wikimedia South Africa board members and partners took visitors further “down the WikiRabbit Hole,” exploring innovative language preservation projects currently underway. Particular interest was shown in efforts supporting the incubation of Afrikaaps, a Cape Town dialect of Afrikaans, as well as initiatives enabling KhoeKhoe language speakers to contribute directly online through the development of specialised keyboards and editing tools.
Johannesburg: Showcasing Local Innovation
The visit continued in Johannesburg, where Wikimedia South Africa members presented a range of projects addressing the digital knowledge gap facing African languages and communities.
Many South African languages have rich oral traditions but limited representation in written and digital archives. Community members demonstrated how Wikimedia projects are helping address this challenge through locally led initiatives.
Decolonising Language Through Knowledge Creation
Editors showcased work on smaller and underrepresented language editions of Wikipedia, including Siswati, Tshivenda, Sepulana, and Xitsonga. Through the creation of high-quality educational content in local languages, volunteers are helping ensure that knowledge is accessible to communities in the languages they speak and understand.
Jo’burgpediA and Community Partnerships
The chapter also highlighted collaborations with universities, libraries, museums, and cultural institutions. Through initiatives such as Jo’burgpediA, students and community members are trained to document local history, ensuring that communities can tell their own stories rather than having them told by others.
Preserving Oral Knowledge
Discussions also focused on innovative approaches to documenting verified oral histories and indigenous knowledge. These efforts challenge traditional archival models that have often excluded African perspectives and lived experiences, creating new pathways for preserving cultural heritage within Wikimedia platforms.
A Global Mission Powered by Local Communities
Addressing chapter members, Bernadette Meehan emphasised the Foundation’s commitment to community-led knowledge creation and governance:
“Wikimedia’s global mission relies entirely on the local communities who understand the nuances of their own culture. Listening to the brilliant initiatives run by Wikimedia South Africa proves that the future of free knowledge is inherently multilingual and diverse.”
Her remarks recognised the vital role that local volunteers play in ensuring the internet reflects the richness and diversity of the communities it serves.
For Bobby Shabangu, the visit was also a reminder of how far the African Wikimedia movement has come.
Reflecting on his own journey, which began with editing Siswati Wikipedia because, as he puts it, “if I didn’t edit it, no one would,” Shabangu highlighted the growing influence of African contributors within global internet governance and knowledge-sharing spaces:
“We are moving past the era where Africa is merely a consumer of global knowledge. Through the hard work of our chapter members, we are ensuring that our grandfathers’ stories, our traditional customs, and our beautifully diverse languages are permanently archived for the next generation.”
Looking Ahead
The visit reaffirmed the importance of community-driven knowledge creation and the growing role South Africa is playing in shaping the future of free knowledge globally.
From ancient rock art in Cape Town to digital language preservation projects in Johannesburg, the message was clear: preserving knowledge is not only about recording the past — it is about ensuring that future generations can access, contribute to, and share their own stories.
As Wikimedia South Africa continues to champion linguistic diversity, cultural heritage, and open knowledge, partnerships between local communities and the Wikimedia Foundation will help ensure that South Africa’s rich tapestry of languages and cultures remains visible, accessible, and thriving online for decades to come.
Wiki Indaba 2026: Passing the Baobab
Joining the Wikimedia South Africa chapter were members of the core organising team for Wiki Indaba 2026 from Côte d’Ivoire, including Emmanuel Gueh and Donotein. Their participation provided an opportunity not only to engage in discussions with the South African community but also to share an update on preparations for Wiki Indaba 2026, Africa’s premier gathering of Wikimedians.
A special highlight of the visit was the ceremonial handover of the Wiki Indaba Baobab Tree statue to the new organising team. The Baobab, often referred to as the “Tree of Life” in Africa, symbolises wisdom, resilience, community, and the sharing of knowledge—values that closely align with the spirit of Wiki Indaba and the Wikimedia movement.
Wikimedia South Africa leadership proudly passed the statue to the Côte d’Ivoire organising team, marking the beginning of what is hoped will become a lasting Wiki Indaba tradition.
As the creator of Wiki Indaba, Wikimedia South Africa Board Chair and long-time Wikimedian Dumisani Ndubane reflected on the significance of the moment. He expressed his pride in inaugurating this new tradition and shared his hope that, in years to come, the Baobab statue will continue its journey across the continent before eventually returning to South Africa when Wikimedia South Africa once again hosts Wiki Indaba.
The handover symbolised more than a transfer of responsibility—it represented the continued growth of the African Wikimedia movement, the sharing of leadership across communities, and a collective commitment to ensuring that Africa’s knowledge, languages, cultures, and stories remain visible and accessible to future generations.
