<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Since 1994, the call to de-westernize journalism education and training curricula has been a major narrative in South Africa’s transformation discourses. Journalism education and training institutions have responded to this call by holding conferences, colloquia, seminars and symposia to try and find ways of de-westernizing journalism curricula, which they argue are ill-suited to meeting the needs of a ‘new’ democratic and transforming South Africa. However, though these calls have been consistently made both inside and outside Africa, there is no agreement amongst scholars what exactly the process of de-westernization of journalism curricula would entail. This article reflects on the possible trajectories that the process of de-westernization would follow, as well as interrogates the feasibility of de-westernizing journalism curricula in the post-1994 South African context. The article highlights the contradictions and complexities inherent in the de-westernization narrative in South Africa.</jats:p>