Editing decolonised and Africanised texts for higher education institutions: a review of strategies

Abstract In South Africa there is an urgent call for decolonisation and Africanisation in academia, including appeals for Africanised research. This study aims at investigating the role of the academic editor in ensuring effective cross‐cultural collaboration to guarantee that the curricula and higher education research remain rooted in Africa. In the context of higher education, while remaining invisible, editors should ensure they do not silence the African voice and are guided by the quest for decolonisation and Africanisation of academic research. This call for social change, brought about by the student‐led 2015 #FeesMustFall protest movement, needs to be promoted through the editing process This study, which is a preliminary investigation into possible guidelines and strategies for editors involved in editing decolonised and African texts, identified a number of strategies for further exploration, namely: a journey of self‐exploration; changing the mindset and attitude of the editor; ensuring diverse representation on editorial boards; immersion of self in the indigenous text; creating new styles and terminologies; and collaboration with authors.