UMP Master’s Candidate Wins Best Conference Paper Award

University of Mpumalanga (UMP) Master of Arts candidate Ms Innocent Sihle Sifundza has been honoured with the Best Conference Paper Award at the Southern African Folklore Society (SAFOS) conference, held recently at UMP’s Mbombela Campus.

Sifundza received the accolade for a research paper she co-authored and presented at the conference, titled “Isikopilo lomuntu linzinze kukambiso pilo yakhe,” meaning “One’s cultural life is based on their way of living.”

The conference called on Master’s and PhD candidates to submit research papers that contribute to scholarly engagement with oral traditions, performance, folklore and Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Southern Africa.

Held under the theme “Orality in Transformation: Preserving Heritage, Innovating Futures,” the SAFOS conference brought together scholars, researchers, postgraduate students and heritage practitioners to explore the evolving relationship between oral traditions, folklore, Indigenous Knowledge Systems and emerging technologies.

Sifundza’s achievement highlights the growing contribution of postgraduate research to the preservation, understanding and advancement of Southern Africa’s rich cultural heritage.