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May
30
2025
By JOVIAL RANTAO
A Tribute to Chicago Mike: The Voice That Moved a Continent

A Tribute to Chicago Mike: The Voice That Moved a Continent

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
THE rhythm has quieted. The stage lights have dimmed. And somewhere across the vast continent of Africa, from the townships of South Africa to the bustling streets of Lagos, from the highlands of Kenya to the markets of Morocco, hearts are heavy with the loss of a voice that brought pure joy to millions. Michael "Chicago Mike" Sumler wasn't just a hype man - he was a bridge between cultures, a conductor of celebration, and the embodiment of music's power to unite people across oceans and continents. For forty years, his voice carried the infectious energy of Kool & the…
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May
31
2025
By HANNAH J. DAWSON
Young men on South Africa’s urban margins: new book follows their lives over 10 years

Young men on South Africa’s urban margins: new book follows their lives over 10 years

LITERATURE
SOUTH Africa’s young people, aged 15 to 34, who make up more than 50% of the country’s working-age population, bear a disproportionate burden of unemployment. They have done so for more than a decade. Of this group, those aged 15-24 face the highest barriers to the job market, according to data from Statistics South Africa. The majority of these young people live in the townships and informal settlements. A new book, Making a Life: Young Men on Johannesburg’s Urban Margins, examines how young people in Zandspruit, an informal settlement on the outskirts of Johannesburg, make a life. Anthropologist Hannah Dawson…
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May
28
2025
By ADEDIRAN KAYODE ADEMIJU-BEPO
Seven Doors: sweeping Nigerian Netflix series masters the art of storytelling

Seven Doors: sweeping Nigerian Netflix series masters the art of storytelling

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
FROM the opening credits of the new Netflix six-part series Seven Doors, the viewer is poised for a captivating cinematic experience. An array of sculptures dot the landscape as a montage of scenes unfolds, establishing the back story of the historical epic that is about to be played out. Femi Adebayo, the actor turned director and producer, had a huge hit in 2023 with the film Jagun Jagun (The Warrior), a historical epic love story that he produced. Now he’s back on Netflix acting in, producing and co-directing Seven Doors. As a theatre professor, author, playwright and film scholar, I…
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May
28
2025
By HAMZA BENATTIA
Rock art and tomb discoveries in Morocco reveal ancient connections to the wider world

Rock art and tomb discoveries in Morocco reveal ancient connections to the wider world

LIFESTYLE
WHEN people think of ancient burials in North Africa, they often picture Egypt’s pyramids and monuments. But new discoveries show that north-western Africa also has a deep and fascinating prehistoric past. Map of the Tangier Peninsula and main sites mentioned. H Benattia. Morocco’s Tangier Peninsula is particularly interesting. The peninsula sits at Africa’s northwestern edge, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. At just 14 kilometres from Europe across the Strait of Gibraltar, this area has long been a natural crossroads between continents and cultures. I’m an archaeologist and PhD student who specialises in North Africa’s later prehistoric periods,…
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May
27
2025
By ADWOA OWUSUAA BOBIE
Lagos fashion: how designers make global trends uniquely Nigerian

Lagos fashion: how designers make global trends uniquely Nigerian

BEAUTY AND FASHION
AFRICAN fashion has flourished in terms of creativity and innovation in recent years, and is attracting global attention. Designers and labels are churning out garments that reflect African cities and how they interact with global trends. Think Nigeria’s Ejiro Amos Tafiri and Mai Atafo, Ghana’s Christie Brown and Larry Jay, Kenya’s Ikojn or South Africa’s Boyde. Cities like Lagos, Accra, Marrakesh, Nairobi and Johannesburg have become global fashion capitals. They’re fashion production hubs that are creating styles that mirror their cosmopolitanism, their vibrant mix of nationalities. In a recent study, I focus on how fashion in Lagos mirrors the bustling…
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May
27
2025
By Mpho Rantao
FINAL CALL: Award-winning ‘Tsotsi’ star Presley Chweneyagae has died at aged 40

FINAL CALL: Award-winning ‘Tsotsi’ star Presley Chweneyagae has died at aged 40

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
AWARD-winning South African actor Presley Chweneyagae died on Tuesday morning, according to a statement released by the actor's talent agency, MLA. Chweneyagae rose to stardom in his breakout role as 'Tsotsi' in the titular film, where he played the lead, David/Tsotsi (meaning "criminal" in South African Tsotsitaal slang), a young street thug who steals a car only to discover a baby in the back seat. He starred alongside actress Terry Pheto, and the pair was praised for their roles in the film along with the director, Gavin Hood. The film won the Best International Feature Film at the 2006 Academy…
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May
27
2025
By TSHEPO KOKA
“Miles Ahead: The Legacy of Miles Davis at 99”

“Miles Ahead: The Legacy of Miles Davis at 99”

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
ON May 26, 2025, the world would have marked the 99th birthday of Miles Dewey Davis III - a man who redefined the very structure and soul of modern music. Born in Alton, Illinois, in 1926 and raised in East St. Louis, Davis was far more than a jazz trumpeter. He was a cultural icon, sonic philosopher, and the shapeshifter of the 20th century's musical identity. His story is not only that of an African American master but also of a global force - a voice that continues to echo in the hearts of generations from New York to Lagos,…
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May
22
2025
By NEELIKA JAYAWARDANE
Lindokuhle Sobekwa’s powerful personal journey as a photographer in South Africa

Lindokuhle Sobekwa’s powerful personal journey as a photographer in South Africa

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
SOUTH African photographer Lindokuhle Sobekwa has won the prestigious Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation prize for 2025. Born in Katlehong in 1995, Sobekwa began learning photography skills in 2012, through the Of Soul and Joy photography education programme in Thokoza township, where his family had moved. He knew, as a young boy, that he thought in images, visualising what he experienced. Encountering cameras, he realised there was equipment – a small machine, a perforated roll of clear plastic, and a chemical reaction – able to externalise his thought processes. Lindokuhle. Sobekwa. Photo source: X Thokoza, like many settlements on the outskirts…
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May
17
2025
By GIBSON NCUBE and ANDY CAROLIN
7 queer African works of art: new directions in books, films and fashion

7 queer African works of art: new directions in books, films and fashion

LIFESTYLE
QUEER African creatives have been making their mark around the world through a range of forms – books, films, fashion, art, music. Their work wins awards, sets trends and is studied by scholars. Most research on African queerness, however, comes from outside the continent. University of Johannesburg So, we put together a special journal issue to celebrate some of these works that have appeared over the past decade or so. And also to create a space for African and Africa-based scholars to reflect on what’s happening on the continent. The contributors don’t only examine what these creative works reveal. They…
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May
15
2025
By BARNABAS TICHA MUVHUT
Koyo Kouoh – tribute to a curator who fiercely promoted African art

Koyo Kouoh – tribute to a curator who fiercely promoted African art

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
THE sudden death of the Cameroon-born curator Koyo Kouoh, at the age of 57 and at the height of her career, has shaken the art world. Her passing has left a void in the African arts scene, one which extends far beyond the continent. Born in 1967 in Douala, she spent her teenage and early adult years in Zurich, Switzerland before returning to the continent and settling in Senegal. She lived in Cape Town, South Africa from 2019. There she was executive director and chief curator of the Zeitz MOCAA museum. It holds the continent’s largest collection of contemporary art.…
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