A Systematic Review of the Integration of African Philosophies Such as Ubuntu as Research Philosophies in Academic Writing: Epistemic Confidence, Methodological Engagement, and Implementation Challenges

Introduction: African philosophies, including Ubuntu, Botho, Sankofa and related epistemological traditions, are increasingly invoked in scholarship concerned with decolonisation, relationality, epistemic justice and contextually grounded knowledge. However, their use as explicit research philosophies or methodological paradigms remains conceptually uneven. This review examined how African philosophies are integrated and operationalised within academic writing, the epistemic confidence and methodological engagement reflected in the literature, the associated risks and barriers, and the contextual conditions.Methods: The researcher-selected databases and information sources were Google Scholar and ERIC. The eligibility protocol restricted publication years to 2016–2026. The exact calendar date of search execution was not recorded in the verified identification provenance; this is distinct from the publication-year eligibility range. A systematic review searched Google Scholar and ERIC using a verified Boolean strategy and applied eligibility limits covering English-language publications from 2016 to 2026.Results: The synthesis identified four analytical themes. African philosophies were presented as relational, situated and emancipatory bases for knowing; operationalisation was predominantly applied, plural and incremental rather than fully methodological; epistemic confidence was qualified by concerns about authenticity, adequacy and verification; and institutional structures continued to limit meaningful integration. Context, language, community relationships and intercultural dialogue shaped effective use. Evidence about researchers’ confidence was indirect and methodological accounts were less developed than conceptual claims.Discussion/Conclusion: The literature supports cautious confidence that African philosophies can inform research and scholarly practice, but it does not establish a single, mature or consistently operationalised African research methodology. Meaningful integration requires conceptual depth, linguistic and contextual engagement, institutional transformation and transparent methodological specification.