Indigenous Knowledge Management Systems in the Digital Era: Towards a Framework for Community-Led Preservation in South Africa

This study presents a systematic review of scholarly and grey literature concerning the digitisation and preservation of Indigenous Knowledge (IK), including community-based governance of Indigenous Knowledge, with a particular emphasis on frameworks that integrate emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, and digital repositories. Guided by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology, the review draws on a broad corpus of peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, and non-traditional sources published between 2020 and 2025. The findings suggest that although a growing number of digitisation initiatives exist, many remain technocentric in nature, often overlooking critical dimensions such as community ownership, cultural protocols, and long-term benefits for Indigenous groups. Nevertheless, a subset of successful initiatives reveals three recurrent features: collaborative co-design with Indigenous communities, targeted capacity-building efforts, particularly among youth, and the incorporation of governance mechanisms that promote knowledge sovereignty. Notably, the review identifies a significant gap in the African context, where examples of AI-enabled, community-managed IK systems remain limited. Drawing from these insights, this research proposes a conceptual framework tailored to the South African context that emphasises ethical engagement, digital literacy, and participatory technology design. Ultimately, the review contributes to ongoing discourses on digital inclusion and social justice, particularly within historically marginalised rural communities.