The value of the fusion of indigenous and contemporary knowledge in developing communication as interventions to reduce teenage pregnancy in South Africa

Abstract

Communicating about teenage pregnancy is increasingly necessary to combat rising teenage pregnancy in South Africa, particularly in rural areas, where teenage pregnancy is reportedly growing rapidly among school-going pupils. Several communication interventions have been proposed many of which were informed by scholarly theoretical frameworks, global guidelines, national and regional strategies. These approaches neglect indigenous knowledge systems such as beliefs, cultural and communication practices and resources that may have contextualised the communication interventions and encouraged its uptake by the public. Using data collected from elderly women in Lesotho, and literature on some of the areas in Limpopo, this chapter explores these indigenous knowledge systems and the roles of different actors in combating teenage pregnancy. The chapter also comments on the potential effectiveness of these measures in combatting teenage pregnancy and makes suggestions on what policymakers can draw on in developing new interventions.