ANF February Newsletter

Hello Reader, 

February was monumental. We launched a ground-breaking narrative report, used our voice to call for more alternative stories about Africa and announced the second cohort of the Kekere Storytellers Fund.

What's happening at Africa No Filter

1. Africa is adopting Crypto faster than any place globally: This is just one of 35 alternative stories rarely told about the continent. Business news about Africa is still largely negative. It overemphasises the role of foreign governments while under-representing women, youth and entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, Africa has the fastest growth rate of women-led enterprises globally, leads the Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs, and has the highest percentage of entrepreneurs among working-age adults anywhere in the world. The Business in Africa Narrative Report investigates the impact of stereotypical beliefs about Africa as a business and investment destination. We analysed academic articles and 750 million business stories in African and global media among the eight research methods used. Read more.

2. We were on CNN to unpack why the Global Media Index 4 Africa will be a resource for the media: For millions of people, Africa is what they consume in the media. And right now, that picture is not a complete representation of the continent. For example, a December 2021 article in the Wall Street Journal said military coups in Africa are at their highest level since colonialism ended. In reality, the number of successful military coups on the continent has actually decreased from nine in 2013 to six in 2021/22. Our interview on CNN Watch here.

3. AFCON had the continent transfixed: events and moments like AFCON:  #AFCON is on its way to getting a billion views on TikTok, another reminder that the tournament has always been a unifying moment for Africans. “It puts the continent in the spotlight and gives us a shared interest to connect. We rally behind our countries; we curse, fight and play like brothers from different mothers. We change our allegiances as the teams whittle down to the final two. Still, we always, proudly and patriotically, root for Africa,” Moky Makura muses in the New African magazine. Read here.

4. We (hopefully) inspired a new wave of books by African writers: The ANF Academy fireside chat with Nancy Adimora was a deep dive into the mysterious world of book publishing. She’s the founding editor of AFREADA literary magazine and Talent and Audience Development Manager at HarperCollins Publishers. She said anyone can be the next big author, but it starts with a compelling manuscript and is sustained by patience. Read more.

Meet our latest Narrative Champions

Representation is top of mind for the latest emerging artists powered by the Kekere Storytellers Fund, from the LGBTQ+ community and filmmakers living in refugee camps to drumming circles and vegans. The stories embody originality, freedom, creativity, and innovation. Meet some of the participating artists: 

1. Salma Mahmoud, the co-founder of Drum Circle Sudan, is passionate about using the arts for development and learning. The percussionist is the first female Live Audio Technician in Sudan.

2. Cedric Bichano started the World Refugee Film Academy with one goal in mind: to turn his community into storytellers, so they shape their narratives beyond stereotypes. The Academy does this through training that provides practical skills in filmmaking, film acting and storytelling. 

3. Sibomana Ambassadeur has a knack for using Animation and 3D to tell stories that entertain and empower children. His experience spans film, gaming, travel & leisure, advertising, and print production industries. 

4. Eveline Mbisah is a scriptwriter, film producer, and MBISAH STUDIOS CEO who dreams of owning a film and production studio that competes globally. She’s creating a movie about global warming in Cameroon.

5. Cheraé Halley is an actress, theatre-maker, lecturer and applied theatre facilitator. She creates theatre with Deaf and hearing people with a particular interest in human rights and uses drama as a process to educate, spark dialogue and capture untold African narratives that often do not make it to the global stages. 

Meet all the storytellers here.

Shifting Narratives
- documenting the narrative progress we’re seeing 

According to The Business in Africa Narrative Report, the narrative about African youth and business is largely negative. Njoku Emmanuel is showing the world that Africa’s youth is an asset. At only 19-years-old, the Coder is considered one of the best blockchain engineers of his generation and now runs his start-up Lazerpay, a crypto payment gateway.

This month, Benin was in a celebratory mood with 26 treasures taken from the country back on home soil and displayed for public access. The artefacts were looted in the 19th-century and represent work by 34 artists. They were returned to Benin by France in 2021. Art restitution matters because it’s “a form of regained dignity”, as art historian Didier Houénoudé says.

Basketball is the third biggest sport globally with 2.2 billion fans, so it’s always exciting to see players from Africa and those with ties to the continent taking centre stage. This was the case at the NBA All-Star Weekend, with Africa represented by nine players. 

That’s it! Remember to follow @Africanofilter on social media. 

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