African mosaic is a synthesis of 22 contributions by internationally acknowledged scholars that embrace a strikingly colourful range of themes of interest to Africanists. The contributions are innovative and consider topics from many different perspectives, including the preservation of the African heritage, alternative methodological approaches, experimentation with language change and methodologies, and perceptions on naming. The metaphor of a mosaic has been chosen to celebrate the lifelong, dedicated and diverse contribution to the field of African languages by Prof J A Louw, the subject of this Festschrift. Contributions come from the southern, central, eastern and western parts of Africa. They vary in content: from glimpses into the richness of orality, language structure, and some sound systems of the languages of Africa, to the domain in which all these languages play a role and have particular relevance - society itself. Essential reading for all those interested in African language studies.