Arts, Design, Media & Creative Industries
Cultural Heritage Specialist
Preservation of cultural artifacts and history
What this life looks like
You protect and celebrate what makes us who we are. Cultural Heritage Specialists work to identify, preserve, document, and promote the tangible and intangible heritage of communities — from ancient archaeological sites and historic buildings to oral traditions, music, languages, and craft practices. Africa holds some of humanity's most extraordinary cultural heritage, and the professionals who protect it are safeguarding the identity of civilisations.
What she actually does
You research and document cultural heritage sites and practices, advise on conservation and preservation approaches, develop heritage policies and management plans, engage communities in heritage identification and protection, manage heritage tourism, work with international bodies like UNESCO on World Heritage Site nominations, and advocate for the repatriation of African cultural objects held in foreign museums.
Where you can work
| Sector | Places in Africa |
|---|---|
| National Heritage Bodies | South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), NCMM Nigeria, National Commission for Museums (Kenya) |
| International Organisations | UNESCO (World Heritage), ICOMOS Africa, African World Heritage Fund (Johannesburg) |
| Museums & Archives | National museums across Africa — conserving and documenting collections of cultural significance |
| Development & Tourism | Heritage tourism development, World Bank cultural heritage projects, national parks authorities with heritage sites |
Why it matters in Africa
Africa contains eight of the world's oldest civilisations, the world's largest collection of rock art (South Africa), the Pyramids of Giza, ancient libraries of Timbuktu, the stone city of Great Zimbabwe, and thousands of other World Heritage Sites. Looting, development pressure, climate change, and conflict all threaten African heritage. The repatriation debate — bringing African artefacts home from European museums — makes this field increasingly prominent globally.
Your pathway in
- Study Archaeology, History, Anthropology, Architecture, or Museum Studies at university
- Develop field research experience through archaeological excavations, heritage surveys, or ethnographic documentation projects
- Pursue postgraduate study in Heritage Management — University of Cape Town and Witwatersrand offer strong programmes
- Build relationships with UNESCO, the African World Heritage Fund, and national heritage bodies
- Learn international heritage conventions: the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, the 1970 Convention on Stolen Cultural Property
Skills you will need
- Heritage documentation and research
- Conservation principles
- Community engagement
- Heritage legislation
- UNESCO World Heritage processes
- Advocacy and communication
A woman in this field
Fatma Twahir
Kenya
Fatma Twahir is an expert Kenyan cultural heritage professional, archaeologist, and museum curator dedicated to the preservation and promotion of historical monuments and indigenous history. She serves as the Site Manager and Principal Curator for Fort Jesus in Mombasa, Kenya—a massive, historically complex UNESCO World Heritage Site. Trained in heritage management and cultural resource preservation, Twahir has been a prominent leading voice in international UNESCO forums regarding the decolonization of African history and the active reinterpretation of heritage authenticity. Her work centers heavily on community-led heritage conservation, ensuring that local communities are actively integrated into and economically benefit from the management of historical tourism sites. She is an active collaborator with international bodies like the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) and ICCROM, advocating for African-led solutions to protect the continent's tangible and intangible ancestral legacies.
Take your first step
- Visit the UNESCO World Heritage list at whc.unesco.org and find every African site on the list — study what makes each site significant
- Research a piece of African cultural heritage that matters to your community — a building, an object, a practice, a language — and write 500 words about its history and significance
- Follow the African World Heritage Fund at awhf.net and the ongoing debate about repatriation of African artefacts from European museums
- Read 'The Looting Machine' by Tom Burgis alongside UNESCO materials on cultural property protection — the combination gives you the full picture of African heritage's political context
Careers close to this one
- Museum Curator
- Archaeologist
- Urban Planner
- Policy Analyst
- Cultural Diplomat