"I am because we are." The Ubuntu idea from southern Africa describes people as defined by their relationships with others. For decades it has been discussed as an African way of leading. A new study checked whether it only works at home.
Renier Steyn and colleagues surveyed employees in South Africa and the United Kingdom. They measured how much Ubuntu leadership employees saw in their managers, along with their job satisfaction, organizational commitment and well-being. The team first confirmed that the measures meant the same thing in both countries.
Two findings stood out. South African managers were rated significantly higher on Ubuntu leadership than their UK counterparts, which supports the view that Ubuntu is more present in its African context.
The second finding surprised the researchers. They had expected Ubuntu leadership to matter more for employees in South Africa. It did not. Its link to satisfaction, commitment and well-being was just as strong in the UK sample.
The authors conclude that Ubuntu leadership has substantial predictive power that is not confined to South Africa. Its principles, they write, extend beyond their cultural origins and hold relevance in non-African contexts.
Earlier work by Mzamo Mangaliso described Ubuntu as a source of competitive advantage, rich in compassion and a sense of community.
Sources
Steyn, R., et al. (2026). Ubuntu leadership across cultures: A comparative study of its prevalence and outcomes in South Africa and the United Kingdom. Journal of African Business. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228916.2026.2670888
Mangaliso, M. P. (2001). Building competitive advantage from ubuntu: Management lessons from South Africa. Academy of Management Perspectives. https://doi.org/10.5465/ame.2001.5229453
