Decolonising occupational therapy education in South Africa: a commentary on moving from conceptual ambiguity to relational praxis

Abstract

This commentary responds to growing but uneven engagement with decolonising occupational therapy education in South Africa. Drawing on national conversations with occupational therapy educators and reflections from international professional discourse, it highlights a striking tension: while the profession speaks confidently about occupational justice and contextual responsiveness, there remains limited articulation of what decolonising occupational therapy education entails. Situated within broader South African higher education debates, the paper clarifies the distinction between colonialism and coloniality and argues that decolonising is not additive reform, symbolic inclusion, or wholesale rejection of Global North scholarship. Rather, it is an ongoing epistemic, pedagogical and relational project. The commentary proposes three interrelated commitments to guide national dialogue: engaging in criticality and historicity through reflexive examination of power and positionality; valuing epistemic plurality through integration of diverse knowledge systems; and emphasising relational praxis that reconfigures how knowledge is co-created in education and practice. Decolonising occupational therapy education is framed not as ideological positioning, but as an ethical and professional imperative to ensure contextual relevance and epistemic justice. The article invites sustained collective engagement rather than a singular blueprint for transformation.