Presentation "What's in a name" on renaming, memory, and public space in South Africa

On 23 April 2026, Stellenbosch University will host an online edition of Imbizo 365 under the thought-provoking title “What’s in a Name?” The event will explore one of the most debated questions in contemporary South Africa: the renaming of streets, towns, and public institutions, and the wider issues of history, identity, memory, and power that these changes bring into focus.

Since 1994, renaming practices in South Africa have been both symbolically and politically significant, while also generating intense national discussion. This event asks a series of timely questions: whose names belong on the map of a democratic nation, and what is gained or lost when history is rewritten in signage, budgets, and public space?

The presenter will be Romantha Botha, a South African documentary filmmaker, journalist, and cultural commentator whose work examines the intersections of history, identity, and power. Known for using film and digital storytelling to illuminate the enduring legacies of colonialism and apartheid, she brings to this topic a compelling combination of research, public engagement, and narrative insight.

The event will take place online via MS Teams from 13:00 to 14:30. Participants are invited not only to attend but also to join the conversation, with an added incentive: attendees will have the opportunity to engage in the discussion and stand a chance to win a R500 Takealot voucher.

This promises to be a stimulating event for everyone interested in onomastics, public history, cultural memory, and the politics of naming in contemporary society.