LIFESTYLE - The African Mirror

Jun

15

2024

South African film ‘Face Deep’ exposes the lies in the hunt for love.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

The South African thriller film 'Face Deep' delves into the deception and betrayal often found in the pursuit of love. Directed by Vuyani Bila and produced by Mathabo Bila, the independently made movie tackles themes of love, trust, secrets, and family that resonate with audiences both online and in real life. The film introduces us to the picturesque lives of lovebirds Luna (Lerato Makala) and her older partner Noah (Phillip Tindisa), enjoying their bubble of love. When Noah’s estranged daughter Bonnie (Mohau Sonny) arrives and cracks their bubble, and with Bonnie come a lot of secrets as she reconnects with…

Jun

14

2024

By JEN SNOWBALL

South Africa’s biggest arts festival turns 50 – we assess its impact

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE National Arts Festival was established in 1974 in Grahamstown (now Makhanda) in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. Each year, in winter, the rural town transforms into a hive of theatres, galleries, markets and eating spots. South Africa’s longest-running festival has lived through and reflected a turbulent history: from the height of the racist apartheid system and the advent of democracy to life today in what remains a deeply unequal society. How does one assess the impact of a festival like this? Jen Snowball is a cultural economist who’s set out to answer that question. She’s also the co-founder of…

Jun

11

2024

By TAFADZWA MWANENGURENI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

From “finisher” to artist, this woman sculptor wants more

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE sounds from Chitungwiza Arts Centre Complex - 24 kilometres southeast of Harare, Zimbabwe's capital - can be heard from a distance as the sound of hammers and chisels busily shaping stone carries across the still air of a late autumn day. Inside the centre, the sculptors behind the hammering are too focused on ensuring that each blow is perfectly angled, to pay much attention to anything outside of their work, much less a visitor walking through the complex. Among them is 52-year-old Simelokuhle Zibengwa, one of just 15 women actively sculpting amongst 150 male sculptors in this well-known art…

Jun

08

2024

By HOPE MUKAMI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Inspired by a Nigerian influencer, Emily Wangui is crafting success at the Furniture Zoo

LIFESTYLE

A rainbow of brightly coloured furniture fills a showroom on Nairobi's Quarry Road, with the noise of hammers and saws serving as background music for the craftspeople and visitors in the busy space. Sunlight shining through the showroom windows illuminates a massive whiteboard with the word "PROGRESS" written across it. Emily Wangui - who goes by the name of Wakeji Kamore on her social media sites - is a ball of excitement as she moves around from workstation to workstation, adding an extra layer of energy to the already bustling room. “I like to describe myself as a perfect balance…

Jun

07

2024

By GWEN ANSELL

Why musicians die in poverty – South African study reveals battle to make ends meet

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

BENEFITS and appeals were recently launched to support the medical costs of veteran South African guitarist Madala Kunene. It’s not the first time such initiatives have been necessary, nor the first time that media and politicians have expressed astonishment that a renowned musician “died in poverty”. Musicians’ dire financial circumstances are sometimes wrongly blamed on irresponsible spending; a musicians’ pension plan is often proposed as a solution. But until very recently, no data existed about what musicians in South Africa really earn, what costs they carry, and the tough trade-offs between professional and household costs they often need to make…

Jun

06

2024

By LERATO MOGOATLHE, BIRD STORY AGENCY

How a family in Cairo is keeping a 600-year-old tradition alive

BEAUTY AND FASHION

MUHAMMAD El-Baset jumps up from his chair to meet a customer who has walked into his shop. They exchange a few words before Mohammed takes the man’s fez, the flat-topped, conical red hat that was once ubiquitous in Egypt, across North Africa and in the Middle East. Even though the fez gets its name from the Moroccan city of Fez, home to a crimson-coloured berry used to create the dye that gives fezzes their vivid red colour, the hat has been a part of Cairo's identity and culture for generations. El-Baset is determined to keep it that way. “This is…

Jun

02

2024

By GIBSON NCUBE and PRINCESS SIBANDA

TikTok activism: how queer Zimbabweans use social media to show love and fight hate

LIFESTYLE

IN Zimbabwe, there is a long held public view that queerness is “unAfrican” and imported to Africa from the west. Even though numerous studies have proven this not to be true, reiterations of this lie by the state has led many to believe that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) people cannot be Zimbabwean. Robert Mugabe, the country’s first president, was infamous for his homophobic rhetoric. He often compared gender and sexual minorities to pigs and dogs. Such homophobic utterances further reduced the spaces where LGBTIQ+ people could live and express themselves without fear. In Zimbabwe, same-sex sexual…

May

29

2024

By ESTHER MUSEMBI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

bird TenX: 10 promising animation studios in Africa

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

AFRICA'S animation industry has seen remarkable growth in recent years, captivating audiences worldwide with its unique storytelling and creativity. From South Africa to Nigeria, these studios have been making waves and significantly contributing to the vibrant animation landscape across the continent. 1. Triggerfish Animation Studios - South AfricaArguably the biggest and best-known animation studio in Africa, Triggerfish is home to renowned projects such as Kizazi Moto which put Africa on the map in terms of high-quality and well-scripted animations. Triggerfish Studios is known for its visual and innovative animation that speaks to the heart of Africa through its relatable storytelling.…

May

28

2024

By PATRICK NELLE, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Building an African fashion brand: The uncomfortable journey of a Cameroonian fashion designer

BEAUTY AND FASHION, MULTIMEDIA

IN one corner of a busy fashion house in Douala, Cameroon, designer Augustine Mabiama is in the middle of a photo shoot, using a makeshift photo studio equipped with an 18-inch light ring and a smartphone on a stand. Showcasing a whole range of outfits of different styles and colours, Mabiama checks the lighting quality of the images. Making a few adjustments to the clothes in preparation for the next shot, she walks back in front of the camera, poses for a moment, and then walks back around the light ring to check the image. This is all part of…

May

26

2024

By ESTHER MUSEMBI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

From IT specialist to poet extraordinaire: The story of Njeri Wangari

LITERATURE, ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

WHEN Njeri Wangari walked into the spotlight at an event in Nairobi in May, it was clear she had command of the stage. The DJ cut the house music right on time and Wangari launched into her lines of poetry at the open mic event. With her brightly patterned kitenge kimono and commanding voice, Wangari wowed the Mother's Day crowd, with the audience snapping their fingers - considered clapping in spoken poetry circles - in all the right places. She finished her performance with another spoken word piece celebrating women and mothers, to which she received a standing ovation from…