Ways of Being Born: Tracing the Footprints of Birth in Africa
R280.00
Ways of Being Born is a tribute to Indigenous midwives who continue to uphold traditional birthing wisdom in the face of institutional neglect. Dr Mmatshilo Motsei draws upon ancestral guidance, academic inquiry and her lived experience as a trained midwife and spiritual healer to contribute to the growing body of work that seeks to decolonise maternal health in South Africa. Ways of Being Born is both a searing indictment of obstetric violence in the nation’s hospitals and a platform for the voices actively countering cultural erasure and humanising a sacred life-giving ritual.
Ways of Being Born is an exploration of childbirth as a sacred African rite of passage. Drawing on Indigenous midwifery knowledge and practices, Dr Motsei challenges obstetric violence and medicalisation, framing birth as relational and ancestral. Through the book, we understand birth as a physical, cultural and spiritual phenomenon.
Grounded primarily in South Africa, the book also engages birth rituals and ceremonial practices from across the continent, tracing shared Indigenous philosophies and ancestral lineage. The book examines the medicalisation of childbirth and the resulting dehumanisation of both birthing people and midwives. This critique is situated within the entangled histories of colonialism, the
pressures of capitalist healthcare systems, and the fragmentation of care in postcolonial societies.
Ways of Being Born presents African birth knowledge as living, offering pathways to rehumanise contemporary childbirth practices.
Click here to purchase the Kindle edition of Ways of Being Born
595 in stock (can be backordered)
| Author | Mmatshilo Motsei |
|---|---|
| Author Information | Dr Mmatshilo Motsei is a social scientist, midwife, healer and writer who is committed to honouring Indigenous healing practices. Rooted in African spiritual traditions, her work bridges critical scholarship with ritual and ceremony. As a founder and executive director of Afrika Ikalafe Pluriversity (www.afrikaikalafe.org), Motsei invites individuals and organisations into deeper inquiry and reflection on how we can decolonise our minds, our wombs and our institutions. With a background in nursing, midwifery, psychology, creative writing and a PhD in Sociology, she brings a rare integration of clinical knowledge and Indigenous wisdom to issues affecting African people’s lives. Her decades-long commitment to social transformation has seen her work in government, academia and grassroots movements while centring the lived experiences and ancestral knowledge of rural women. With a background in nursing and psychology, she brings a rare integration of clinical knowledge and indigenous wisdom to issues affecting African lives. Her decades-long commitment to social transformation has seen her work across government, academia and grassroots movements while centring lived experiences and the ancestral knowledge of rural women. A published author of influential works such as Hearing Visions Seeing Voices and The Kanga and the Kangaroo Court: Reflections on the Rape Trial of Jacob Zuma, she continues to be a vital voice in reimagining justice and leadership in Africa and beyond. Her work has consistently centred the restoration of Indigenous knowledge systems, particularly in the realms of childbirth, healing and women’s bodily autonomy. Her vision invites us to move beyond policy and institutional reform toward ancestral reconnection, embodied justice, and the healing of generational wounds. |
| ISBN | 9781431437153 |
| Year of Publication | 2026 |
| Month of Publication | July |
| Language | English |
| Imprint | Jacana Media |
| Format | Print edition |
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