Authenticity and Sustainability: Reimagining African Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Development

In Africa, tangible and intangible heritage form an indivisible cultural system with monuments, landscapes, oral traditions and practice as expressions of identity and history. This chapter critiques Western frameworks that separate these elements and highlights authenticity as rooted in community validation and adaptive practices. Drawing on several case studies from the continent, the authors show how community-led heritage management promotes sustainable development, economic empowerment, and social cohesion. They advocate for policies grounded in African worldviews, aligning cultural heritage with economic empowerment and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 for inclusive growth.