UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
College of Human Sciences
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AFL1501: African Languages and Literature
Assignment 2 | Semester 2, 2026
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AFL1501
Module Code:
African Languages and Literature
Module Name:
Storification within Mirror Reflection
Essay Topic:
Assignment 2
Assignment Number:
30 August 2026
Due Date:
50
Total Marks:
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for AFL1501, UNISA 2026
, UNISA | AFL1501 Storification within Mirror Reflection
Introduction
The African proverb chosen for this reflection is Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu, an isiZulu ex-
pression whose English translation reads “a person is a person through other people”. This
proverb was selected because a few simple words carry a much deeper message about how
people develop their humanity through relationships with others. The proverb is often un-
derstood to mean that a person becomes a person through other people, and comparable
versions exist in isiXhosa, Tshivenda, Shona, Northern Sotho, Sesotho and Setswana, which
shows that the underlying idea is shared across several Southern African language commu-
nities (University of South Africa, 2018). This proverb is important to the writer because it
reflects a familiar African belief that personal growth is closely connected to family, neigh-
bours, elders and the wider community, rather than something that happens completely on
one’s own.
The most meaningful excerpt of the proverb remains Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu itself, be-
cause its wording is simple, yet it turns the broad philosophical idea of humanity into a com-
pact story about relationships, responsibility and belonging. The source of the proverb lies in
the oral tradition of the Nguni-speaking peoples of Southern Africa, and it has since become
closely associated with the broader African philosophy of Ubuntu, a worldview that has been
discussed extensively in South African government discourse and academic scholarship on
African ethics (South African Government, 2006; Mangumbate and Chereni, 2019). This essay
uses the proverb as a short form of storytelling to reflect on storification, language, world-
view and the changes that African storytelling has undergone, from oral community spaces to
modern digital platforms, always situating the discussion within an African and South African
context.
Page 2 of 9
College of Human Sciences
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
AFL1501: African Languages and Literature
Assignment 2 | Semester 2, 2026
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
AFL1501
Module Code:
African Languages and Literature
Module Name:
Storification within Mirror Reflection
Essay Topic:
Assignment 2
Assignment Number:
30 August 2026
Due Date:
50
Total Marks:
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for AFL1501, UNISA 2026
, UNISA | AFL1501 Storification within Mirror Reflection
Introduction
The African proverb chosen for this reflection is Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu, an isiZulu ex-
pression whose English translation reads “a person is a person through other people”. This
proverb was selected because a few simple words carry a much deeper message about how
people develop their humanity through relationships with others. The proverb is often un-
derstood to mean that a person becomes a person through other people, and comparable
versions exist in isiXhosa, Tshivenda, Shona, Northern Sotho, Sesotho and Setswana, which
shows that the underlying idea is shared across several Southern African language commu-
nities (University of South Africa, 2018). This proverb is important to the writer because it
reflects a familiar African belief that personal growth is closely connected to family, neigh-
bours, elders and the wider community, rather than something that happens completely on
one’s own.
The most meaningful excerpt of the proverb remains Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu itself, be-
cause its wording is simple, yet it turns the broad philosophical idea of humanity into a com-
pact story about relationships, responsibility and belonging. The source of the proverb lies in
the oral tradition of the Nguni-speaking peoples of Southern Africa, and it has since become
closely associated with the broader African philosophy of Ubuntu, a worldview that has been
discussed extensively in South African government discourse and academic scholarship on
African ethics (South African Government, 2006; Mangumbate and Chereni, 2019). This essay
uses the proverb as a short form of storytelling to reflect on storification, language, world-
view and the changes that African storytelling has undergone, from oral community spaces to
modern digital platforms, always situating the discussion within an African and South African
context.
Page 2 of 9
