Is Ubuntu distinctly African? A comparative study of communal values in sub-Saharan Africa and the Anglo world

Abstract

Orientation: Ubuntu is often presented as an emic value system unique to sub-Saharan Africa, emphasising communalism and solidarity. It is typically contrasted with the individualism associated with the Anglo cultural cluster.
Research purpose: This study examines whether Ubuntu values are empirically more prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa than in Anglo cultures, testing assumptions about Ubuntu’s cultural distinctiveness.
Motivation for the study: Debates on post-colonial identity and decolonisation increasingly emphasise the need to recognise indigenous worldviews. However, claims about Ubuntu’s uniqueness are often untested. This study seeks to validate such claims using quantitative data.
Research approach/design and method: Using data from the 2025 World Values Survey, 19 items were selected as proxies for Ubuntu values. Responses from three sub-Saharan African countries were compared with those from three Anglo cluster countries through mean difference analysis.
Main findings: Ubuntu-aligned values were more prevalent in sub-Saharan countries in five cases, less prevalent in eight and showed no significant difference in six. Surprisingly, Anglo respondents endorsed more items consistent with Ubuntu values.
Practical/managerial implications: Findings challenge the uncritical use of Ubuntu in organisational and policy contexts as an authentically African leadership or value system. Ubuntu may represent one of several humane-oriented value systems that inform leadership.
Contribution/value-add: This study questions the assumption that Ubuntu is a unique and dominant framework in African societies. It provides a data-informed basis for evaluating cultural claims and contributes to more rigorous discussions about indigenous values in global comparative research.