Although the word ‘folklore’ is quite regularly used in our daily discourse, its precise definition has always presented some serious problems for many folklorists. SAFOS approaches the term ‘folklore’ as one that describes either one of two concepts. The first is a field of learning devoted to the scientific study of cultural acts of a people, while the second concentrates on the subject matter of that field. The latter concept includes those who see folklore as comprising any of those beliefs, customs and traditions passed on from one generation to another by a people. That is, those who agree that much folklore consists of folk stories such as ballads, fairy tales, folktales legends and myths. But folklore also includes arts and crafts, dances, games, nursery rhymes, proverbs, riddles, songs, superstitions and holy days, holidays and religious celebrations

Notwithstanding the fact that oral folklore exists in direct contrast to physical folklife, which is generally referred to as ‘material culture’, it has become evident that most folklorists give prominence to the expressive literature of a people when they use the term ‘folklore’. On the other hand, folklife can be seen as the traditional expressive culture shared within the group: familial, ethnic, occupational, religious and regional. Expressive culture includes a wide range of creative and symbolic forms such as folk custom, folk belief, technical skill, language, literature, art, music, play, dance, drama, ritual pageantry, traditional storytelling and other verbal arts, visual arts, architecture, the adornment and transformation of the built environment, handicraft and other material folk culture.

Members have over the past few years raised serious concerns at regional and international conferences about the situation and the status of folklore studies in their region. Traditionally, where folklore was offered at most institutions of higher learning, it formed only a negligent part of one or other language department. Many members believed that the problem of selective folklore studies in this region could be solved if folklore were to become an autonomous academic discipline at institutions of higher learning. The challenge has been positively received, and the result is the introduction, after the year 2000, of Folklore Studies programmes at institutions of higher learning in the region.