ANF May Newsletter

Hello Reader, 

We turned two, flipped the script on narratives about food in Africa and added more narrative champions to our community. 

What's happening at Africa No Filter

1. Two years of shifting narratives: If we had a tagline, it would be 'small team with mighty impact'. Two years ago, ANF set out to shift narratives about Africa. We've been doing it one alternative story at a time by partnering with 134 storytellers, artists, and arts, culture and media organisations. Check out this video.

2. We reviewed Africa’s performance: We put together a CV for Africa to celebrate Africa Day, and the continent is doing well. Consider this: Africa has 400+ companies with revenues of more than $1 billion, leads the Mastercard Index of women entrepreneurs globally and boosts the world’s second-biggest film producer in Nollywood. These are just some of the 35 business trends that point to Africa being open for business. Read more.

3. We’re teaching journalists to write about Africa with nuance: We’ve partnered with the Thomson Foundation to deliver a disruptive journalism course called African Stories: A guide for journalists on how to tell better stories about Africa. Participants will get in-demand skills like mobile journalism, visual and multiplatform storytelling. They’ll also discover techniques for finding missing voices in African stories, tips and tools for sourcing, verifying information, and structuring stories beyond stereotypes. It’s free, digital, and only takes three hours to complete — and participants will also get the opportunity to pitch their stories and get paid to be published on bird. Register here.

4. How to get rich online: Blogs, vlogs and podcasts have changed and disrupted traditional media. Now, everyone with a compelling story or experience can become a storyteller and media founder. Uche Pedro has spent the last decade in digital entrepreneurship as the founder of BellaNaija, Africa’s leading lifestyle and advocacy digital media company with a community of over 5 million Africans on the continent and in the diaspora. Join her at Africa No Filter Academy Presents: How to Monetize your Digital Platforms to learn from her experience and success. She’ll share tips and tools to help turn your digital platform into a media business. Register here.

5. We were out and about: We were at the Mo Ibrahim Annual conference talking climate and unpacked insights from our recently launched climate report, the impact of narrative and storytelling on climate change, and steps on how to shift the harmful climate narrative. We also joined the TikTok Creator Baraza to celebrate Africa Month with a fireside chat about social media as a tool for shifting narratives and how TikTok creators can take back the pen through content that offers a fresh perspective of Africa. Food being the new narrative changer, we partnered with AUDA-NEPAD to celebrate Africa Day by shifting the narrative under the theme of ‘Strengthening Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security in Africa’. Watch this video to meet ANF Narrative Champions whose work celebrates Africa’s rich menu and culinary cultures. We also attended the 14th edition of the Dakar Biennale, one of the largest and most influential art events on the continent. It brings together artists from across Africa and the Diaspora.

Meet our latest Narrative Champions

 1. Africa is one of the most delicious places globally and home to 60% of the world’s farmlands, yet the story of food in Africa is dominated by poverty and a looming food crisis. Changing Narratives Africa is shifting this narrative by celebrating Africa’s contributions to the global food ecosystem, showcasing our innovations and cooking methods, amplifying and scaling African food and beverage brands.

2. Across the continent and globally, African culture has experienced a renaissance with the rise of Afro beats, African literature, clothing, and food. Visual Aided Stories uses Mural art to ensure that African youth are part of the renaissance. They work with artists in Tanzania to create art that inspires pride.

3. Artbooks and art magazines in learning institutions are few and far between in South Africa. Art Throb was launched in 1997 to provide a storytelling platform for art content. They profile artists from around Southern Africa and archive their work in a bid to create a substantial collection of art writing that offer critical and nuanced perspectives on African art by African writers.

4. The Africa Communications Week challenges stereotypical narratives by bringing together African spin doctors and media professionals at the flagship annual conference. The 2022 edition, held in Kigali, was all about how communication can strategically position African nations on the global stage and position the continent as a political and economic influencer.

5. Want to know who is who in the creative world in Africa? Then check out ANF partner and narrative champion Manju Journal's Hotlist of the visual artists and creatives making their mark in the world. The annual list is curated in partnership with i-D, a leading creative platform.

6. Who runs the world? Girls? The common story about African women is that they lack agency and have traditionally played a subservient role in society. Kenyan storyteller Adihambo Edith Gamok recently launched book, Tomorrow’s Pageant of Great African Women, disrupts this perception by profiling more than 30 women who have shaped Africa, from artists and intellectuals to activists, religious and political leaders. It’s a powerful collection featuring women from all corners of Africa.

Shifting Narratives
- documenting the narrative progress we’re seeing 

1. Egyptian Mo Salah’s 23 goals make him the top goal scorer in the English Premier League. Ivorian Sebastian Haller leads Eredivisie, the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands, with 21 goals. Cabo Verdean Ricardo Gomes leads the Serbian SuperLiga with 28 goals, while the biggest scorer of the Qatar Stars League is Kenyan Michael Olunga, with 24 goals.

2. Searching just got more African. Google added 24 new languages to Google Translate, including Xitsonga and Sepedi (South Africa), Lingala (DRC, Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan and Angola), Bambara (Mali), Ewe (Togo and Ghana), Oromo (Ethiopian), Luganda (Uganda and Rwanda) and Twi, which is spoken in Ghana. Talk about breaking down language barriers!

3. South African designer Thebe Magugu launched a new limited-edition Heritage Dress collection. It has eight pieces representing the Xhosa, Zulu, Pedi, Venda, Tswana, Tsonga, Tswana and Swati cultures - proof that traditional attire can become haute couture that's celebrated globally.

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

Want to receive this newsletter in French? Subscribe here.