LIFESTYLE - The African Mirror

Nov

09

2023

My parents are from two different African countries: study shows how this shapes identity

CULTURE

MORE than a third of migration in sub-Saharan Africa happens within the continent. This mixing of people means that some children have parents of different national origins. Yet not enough is known about the lives of these children: how they form their identity and what impact migration has on them. The majority of research on second-generation African immigrants focuses on understanding their experiences in the global north. Our research looked at the less studied African context, where the majority of African migration occurs. We are sociologists who study migration and identity and we have seen that studies tend to take…

Nov

09

2023

By The African Mirror

Birds of East Africa: new book reveals their extraordinary diversity and changing behaviour

LITERATURE

101 Curious Tales of East African Birds is a new book that uses academic research to tell fascinating stories about the tropical birds of East Africa, from well-known species to rare ones. It also explores changing bird behaviour in the region. Its author, Colin Beale, studies shifts in the distribution of birds and other animals. We asked him four questions. COLIN BEALE, Professor of Ecology, University of York Why is it important to study birds and their environment? Like millions of people around the world, I love watching birds. They’re so accessible, and their busy lives brighten up pretty much…

Nov

08

2023

By BIRD STORY AGENCY

bird’s TEN X SERIES: Top tourist destinations in Africa

TRAVEL

AS the world emerges from the shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic, several African nations are not just rebounding but are surpassing their pre-pandemic visitor numbers and revenue benchmarks, heralding a golden era of tourism and cultural exploration on the continent, according to the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). MoroccoAfrica's premier tourist destination with an impressive influx of nearly 12 million globetrotters in 2022, Morocco is a treasure trove of experiences. Wanderers can meander through the serpentine passages of Marrakech or indulge in the quintessential Sahara Desert escapade. Fes merits applause for its venerable medieval cityscape, a UNESCO World Heritage marvel, with…

Nov

10

2023

By TAKUNDA AARON CHIMUTASHU, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Amid industry challenges, film festivals offer vital support to female filmmakers

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

FOR award-winning Zimbabwean film producer, feminist activist, author and film festival organiser, Amanda Marufu, also known as Amanda Tayte-Tait, media revelations regarding the abuse of women in the industry come as no surprise. “People make snide comments almost implying you can't be good enough, you know, and then there's the whole boys club aspect where you meet a co-worker and suddenly they're hitting on you. You also get excluded from opportunities. There's one man who literally told me I can’t have a job if I have a baby, which led me to wonder if he would say anything of that…

Nov

03

2023

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Africa poised to be a world fashion leader – UN report

BEAUTY AND FASHION

AFRICA’S young, innovative, and growing population, a rising middle class, rapid urbanization, and increased government support are some of the factors fueling the African fashion sector, according to a new UNESCO report. The report, 'The Fashion Sector in Africa: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities for Growth,' unveiled on October 26 during the 13th edition of the Lagos Fashion Week, shows that “the continent holds all the cards to become one of the next world fashion leaders.” “The potential is enormous, not only for the economy but also for young people’s inclusion, women’s empowerment, and for African culture to resonate globally,” Audrey…

Nov

07

2023

By MIKE SABURI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Award-winning sculptor gives modern voice to a tradition of Great Zimbabwe

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

ARMED with a small hammer and chisel, Dominic Benhura – a renowned Zimbabwean stone sculptor – meticulously carves a towering figure of a life-size animal from a piece of serpentine stone. As he chisels delicately, bits and pieces of sharp greyish stone fragments fall off to the ground, and a figure of a bison slowly takes shape. For him, sculpture is the ultimate reflection of physical reality, and one does not need to be a connoisseur to appreciate his dynamic art. "I started sculpting when I was four or five years [old] whilst moulding clay while herding cattle. But with…

Oct

28

2023

By The African Mirror

Izikhothane: a deeper history of a South African youth subculture where luxury items are trashed

BEAUTY AND FASHION

IN South Africa, a skhothane is a young, fashionably dressed black urban resident who engages in destructive conspicuous consumption. This involves regular get-togethers on weekends in which groups of izikhothane – most likely male teenagers – gather to compete in mock battles where luxury items are often destroyed. The name is derived from a word in the Zulu language, ukukhotha, meaning “to lick”, but in urban slang it means to boast. MTHOBELI NGCONGO, Lecturer in Communication Science, University of the Free State SIFISO MNISI, Senior Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Johannesburg There’s no consensus about when exactly this…

Oct

31

2023

By The African Mirror

Shepherd Ndudzo’s celebrated sculptures tell an untold history of southern African art

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE work of award-winning Zimbabwe-born sculptor Shepherd Ndudzo is instantly recognisable. Fluid, elongated black bodies and body parts flow from white rock in a typical work. The bodies are dancing or praying, holding hands or reaching out. BARNABAS TICHA MUVHUTI, Rhodes University These figurative sculptures, carved out of stone (marble and granite) and wood (ironwood), were recently shown along with his abstract wooden sculptures (titled Seed) at the FNB Joburg Art Fair in South Africa by Botswana’s Ora Laopi contemporary art gallery and research project. The work by the artist (born in 1978) was displayed as a celebration of the…

Oct

28

2023

By The African Mirror

El Anatsui review: the great Ghanaian sculptor is the talk of London

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE international art world is celebrating the Ghanaian artist El Anatsui in London. On 9 October, a gigantic installation of three new works – Behind the Red Moon – opened at the Turbine Hall at the prestigious Tate Modern, displaying what Anatsui is most famous for: unique, large-scale sculptural hangings. AMUCHE NNABUEZE, Lecturer in Art and Researcher, University of Nigeria Behind the Red Moon is the 2023 Hyundai Commission, an annual exhibition where a globally important artist is invited to stage an installation at the gallery. The exhibition also kicked off the annual Frieze Week of art shows in the…

Oct

27

2023

By THANDO HLOPHE

South African violist tackles legacy of alcohol payments to labourers

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

A South African violist has used music and art to explore the painful legacy of how labourers at wineries in the Western Cape province were for centuries given wine as part of their payment, a practice known as "the Dop System." The system, which began at the time of slavery in the 17th century and persisted until the recent past despite attempts to abolish it, caused high rates of alcoholism among mixed-race workers who for historical reasons were the main labour force at the wineries. Violist Lynn Rudolph said they wanted to expose how the practice, introduced by Dutch colonialists and maintained…