ANF July Newsletter

Hello Reader, 

Find out why we are flying high this month, who won in Africa vs Apple, how Africa is really feeling and what they are searching for. You’ll also meet one of the continent’s hottest podcasters and discover why we’re impressed with Uganda. It’s just another month in our world. 

What's happening at Africa No Filter

1. bird took flight. Our digital story agency is putting out content that reflects a vibrant and creative continent. It was launched on the back of our report on How African Media Covers Africa, which found a third of all African stories in news outlets on the continent are sourced from foreign news services. bird content is free for media platforms. Help us spread the word. 

2. It’s worth looking into if it’s trending on Twitter. That’s what we do - every month to find out what Africa is talking about. Read our June Twitter report here. 

3. If you want to know what people are really thinking about, look at their internet search history. So we analyse data from Google Trends to see how Africa is feeling. Hope and gloom were side-by-side in June. Read the report here. 

4. How influential is media in defining Africa’s story? We unpacked the future of media in a webinar with Arena Events. Watch it here. 

5. We also got the opportunity to share why our work matters with one of our major funders; The Ford Foundation on their series #OnWhatMatters. Catch it here. 

6. Skoll Foundation is the latest funder to join our movement to shift stereotypical narratives about Africa.

7. Watch: How to Write About Africa – reframing storytelling and centering ethics. The webinar discussed how the development community can adopt more ethical approaches in their storytelling using our new handbook, How to Write About Africa in 8 Steps: An ethical storytelling handbook.

8. Storytellers and art, culture and media organisations have until 27 August to apply for Africa No Filter Convening, Operational Support, and Project Support grants. 

Shifting narratives
– we document the narrative progress we are seeing

Not that long ago, a search of the term “Africa” in Apple’s emoji search bar would have returned an emoji of a hut. A similar search of Europe returned a globe and a flag for example. Enough users complained and Apple eventually altered their results. A win for Africa.

Disney has recruited animators from six African countries to produce an action-packed sci-fi and fantasy series “Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire,” a Disney Plus that will premiere in late 2022. We can’t wait! 

Black, African, female, swimmer are not words that typically appear in the same sentence. Which is why we were proud to see Tunisian swimmer Ahmed Hafnaoui win Olympic gold in the 400-meter freestyle. Global media called it a shock and a Cinderella story. We call it shifting narratives.  

A Somalian and a South African writer - both women - have been long-listed for the 2021 Booker Prize. It’s one of the most prestigious literary awards globally. Read reviews for Nadifa Mohamed’s The Fortune Men and South African Karen Jenning’s An Island.  

Meet Gloria Majiga-Kamoto, who is shifting the narrative on climate change in Africa by leading an environmental revolution in Malawi. 

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni announced a new cabinet where women hold 48% of cabinet positions including vice-president and prime minister - a leap from 27%. 

And travel within Africa just got a little easier. Botswana and Zambia opened a new bridge over the Zambezi River. The game-changing Kazungula Bridge could be the future of Southern African trade as it potentially connects no less than five countries (Angola, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana) which are all less than 100km away.

Amplify! Shining a spotlight on the
Narrative Champions in our network

Hot Opportunities

We know it’s important that creatives and storytellers monetize their talent, we’ve curated a list of funding opportunities on our blog. You’ve got to apply to be in the game. Good luck. 

Content that Connects the Continent:

Here is our round-up of some of the top stories from bird. 
An African woman in aerospace engineering: Venturing into space, like the world of start-ups, is not for the faint-hearted. Read Wanjiku Chebet Danjuma’s story of determination to make her mark in space exploration. Full story at The African Mirror. 
The Late Night, Mogadishu: Meet Abduhab Mohamed Ali the proprietor of the appropriately named Late Night Restaurant, whose business is providing an alternative perspective on this city. Full story at Nation. 
The woman redefining African dance: Dance is life to classically trained ballet instructor, Soukaina Marie-Laure Edom. She founded AfriKera Dance Theatre Hub in Harare to fuse classical dance with African rhythms and it’s beginning to have a profound effect on dance right across the continent. Full story at The African Mirror.
Fintech revolution - A window for Africa to leap through: From Seychelles to Somalia, smaller African nations are rapidly expanding financial inclusion and making huge strides in cashless payment technologies. Full story at Dispatch Live.

Please send us your story ideas of people and places that are shifting narratives about Africa birdstoryideas@africanofilter.org

That’s it for June. Remember to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin at @Africanofilter.