The capabilities approach, advanced by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, represents a significant paradigm shift in development discourse, moving beyond economic indicators to emphasize human flourishing and the freedom to achieve well-being. Yet, despite its progressive outlook, the framework has been critiqued for its individualistic orientation and insufficient grounding in communal values, especially in non-Western contexts. African communitarian ethics, deeply rooted in the ontological centrality of community and relational existence, presents a powerful corrective and complement. This paper argues that the African moral framework, with its emphasis on mutual responsibility, solidarity, and harmony, can enrich the capabilities approach by addressing its cultural limitations and enhancing its contextual adaptability. Through a philosophical analysis and hermeneutical lens, the article demonstrates how a dialogical relationship between the two traditions can yield a more holistic and culturally resonant vision of development, one that foregrounds not just individual agency, but the communal networks that sustain it.

Keywords: capabilities approach, African communitarianism, development ethics, human flourishing, Ubuntu, solidarity