In the corridors of higher learning, indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) has emerged as a growing academic discipline. But in the job market, its graduates often meet closed doors and puzzled employers. A new study by a recent NWU PhD graduate, Dr Mamello Anna Hlabe uncovers the disconnect between the classroom and the labour market and the consequences for those holding IKS degrees.

“What I wanted to understand was whether the limited job prospects I experienced were unique to me,” says Dr Hlabe. “What I found is that it’s a wider, systemic issue.”

Many employers are unaware of IKS

The study draws on interviews and focus groups with public and private sector representatives. The findings point to a significant knowledge gap: many employers remain unfamiliar with the content and relevance of IKS qualifications. This unfamiliarity creates barriers to employment, leaving graduates underutilised and often excluded from career pipelines.

The study also identifies a shortfall in the IKS curriculum itself. According to Dr Hlabe, the programme lacks strong components in entrepreneurship and innovation, critical tools that could enable graduates to turn indigenous knowledge into economic opportunities.

“The potential is there,” she says. “But without curriculum support that links IKS with enterprise, it remains unrealised.”

Stakeholders noted the absence of structured work-integrated learning such as internships and field-based projects as another limitation. These, the study suggests, could improve graduate readiness and bridge the gap between academic training and practical application.

“Universities need to work closely with employers and communities,” says Dr Hlabe. “That alignment can shape graduates who are both rooted in indigenous knowledge and equipped to contribute to today’s workforce.”

Bring IKS into the mainstream

Among the study’s recommendations: integrate IKS content into mainstream disciplines such as environmental science, public health, agriculture and education.

This, Dr Hlabe argues, can amplify the applied value of IKS in tackling complex national and global issues.

“Partnership is key,” she adds, ”not just between universities and employers, but also with indigenous communities. Elders, practitioners and local leaders must be involved in shaping curricula.”

She advocates for alternative teaching and assessment strategies that reflect indigenous ways of knowing such as storytelling, observation and community fieldwork. “These methods carry knowledge that is no less rigorous than conventional academic tools.”.

Show the practical relevance of IKS

Dr Hlabe also calls for universities to embed IKS-based enterprises such as eco-tourism or indigenous medicine within academic structures, and to institutionalise collaboration with communities through formal agreements and advisory boards.

Raising the public profile of IKS qualifications, she notes, will also require targeted outreach. “Social media, alumni networks and public success stories can shift how IKS is perceived. Career services must help graduates present their skills in ways employers can recognise.”

She concludes: “Indigenous knowledge is not just cultural. It has practical, economic and scientific relevance. With coordinated support, IKS graduates can make critical contributions to national development.”

Dr Mamello Anna Hlabe