MULTIMEDIA - The African Mirror

Aug

02

2025

bird TenX: 10 promising animation studios in Africa

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 visually innovative animation that speaks to the heart of Africa through its relatable storytelling. Other successful animated films produced by the studio include "Zambezia," “Adventure Time: Distant Lands,” and “Khumba.” For its pioneering work, the studio won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for "The Lost Thing" in 2011. 2. Creatures Animation Studio -…

Jul

26

2025

By MARY MUNDEYA

African content creators are redefining travel

TRAVEL, MULTIMEDIA

KIMORA Smith Mensah is a Ghanaian travel storyteller and tour guide known as Efyakimora on TikTok, where she has more than 100,000 followers. Her journey is rooted in a deep curiosity about Africa and a mission to inspire others to explore it. For Mensah, food has become a vibrant entry point into understanding culture. “When I started exploring, I also started trying new things, especially food. I love it,” she explained. “Culture isn’t just about dance or tradition, it’s also about what people eat and how they eat it. Respecting culture means respecting food.” She recommends following social media content…

Jul

24

2025

By RHONET ATWIINE

Congolese refugee girls find comfort and opportunity in Ugandan school

EDUCATION, MULTIMEDIA

IT’S a hot afternoon in Katwe, a suburb of Uganda’s capital, Kampala. Sunlight spills through the windows of a classroom where teenage girls face a blackboard. Their teacher moves across, explaining an arithmetic formula. In the middle of the class is 14-year-old Justine Bigirimana, a science student who dreams of becoming a doctor. She’s one of the many Congolese girls embracing new opportunities through education—opportunities made possible by the freedom to move and learn across African borders. “In the future, I want to work in the biggest hospitals and save lives. After my studies, I hope to return to my…

Jul

24

2025

By VELMA PAMELA, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Sea shells inspire creative enterprise on Kenya’s coast

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, MULTIMEDIA

IN a modest studio in Bofa, Kenya’s Kilifi County, workers clean and sort sea shells. Unfinished mirror frames sat on one table, while strands of shell earrings adorned another. There was no expensive machinery—only glue guns, sketchy sketches, and time. Pieces came together gradually, sometimes over the course of a few days. The work was systematic and labour-intensive. It may not have looked like much, but it has created jobs in unexpected ways. Kenya's coastline spans along the Indian Ocean, connecting historic settlements: Lamu, Mombasa, and Kilifi. For centuries, the region was part of the Indian Ocean trade routes that…

Jul

01

2025

By ALICE KAYIBANDA KAYISIRE

Rwanda’s healers and gardeners are preserving local plant knowledge

SUSTAINABILITY, MULTIMEDIA

ANGELIQUE Nyirantwari, a traditional healer, carefully clipped a stalk of igisura (Urtica massaica) planted in her garden, avoiding the leaves’ burning sting. She moved with the quiet precision of someone who has carried this knowledge throughout her life, carefully cutting the leaves for her neighbour. At 55, she still learns daily, and each plant is a chapter in a lifelong study of healing. “Every plant is a medicine,” she said. Nyirantwari, a mother of two from Rukira in Rwanda’s eastern province, has mastered over 200 medicinal plants. Her journey began at six years old, guided by her father, who taught…

Jun

12

2025

By CONRAD ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

70 rhinos safely arrive in Rwanda in unprecedented wildlife translocation

SUSTAINABILITY, MULTIMEDIA

ON Tuesday, the tenth of June, Rwanda welcomed dozens of four-footed new residents to the country as dozens of metal crates holding 70 southern white rhinos touched down on Rwandan soil. Rwanda’s Akagera National Park is the new home for the transplanted rhinos. They will graze on the park’s shrubs and gradually acclimatise to the environment. The rhinos' journey took them over 4,000 kilometres via roads and sky, from South Africa’s Munywana Conservancy in KwaZulu-Natal. The unprecedented translocation marks the largest cross-continental movement of rhinos ever attempted in Africa, helping to flip the continent’s conservation script, which is often headlined…

May

15

2025

By VELMA PAMELA, BIRD STORY AGENCY

How crocheting is supporting livelihoods and mental health among women on the Kenyan Coast

HEALTH, MULTIMEDIA

IN 2022, 23-year-old Western Kenya-native Triza Apasi was struggling with anxiety and drug addiction. A series of shattered friendships had left her emotionally vulnerable. In her despair, she picked up a crochet hook and began weaving. Her return to a craft that she had first discovered from watching YouTube videos during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 began as a pastime to cope with her emotional turmoil. It has since grown into something much larger: a route to healing, creativity, and community change. She now manages Dynamite Hooks, a social venture that empowers young women, promotes sustainability and raises mental health…

Apr

12

2025

By JOVIAL RANTAO

The Unbreakable Lion of South African Journalism: Joe Thloloe’s Legacy

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, MULTIMEDIA

THE clouds hung low over Wilro Park that April morning, pregnant with rain and possibility, mirroring the weight of history gathered in the perfectly manicured garden of Joe Thloloe's Roodepoort home. At 83, the lion of South African journalism sat among his pride - journalists young and old who had travelled from across the country to celebrate not just a birthday, but a living legend who had defied death, detention, and despair to help birth a free press in a democratic South Africa. Thloloe former colleagues and mentees, arrived bearing gifts and warm smiles. They found Thloloe seated in a…

Apr

10

2025

By The African Mirror

Photo essay: BAL Kalahari Conference

BASKETBALL, MULTIMEDIA

THE 2025 BAL Kalahari Conference in Morocco delivered a vibrant mix of thrilling basketball action and captivating entertainment. The event showcased the best of sport and culture, from legendary performances by Moroccan artists ElGrande Toto and Lazaro to dramatic comebacks and strategic plays on the court. Here's a visual recap of some of the most memorable moments from the second day of the conference.

Mar

08

2025

By The African Mirror

In photos: The refugee women breaking barriers

MULTIMEDIA

Today, more than 60 million women and girls remain forcibly displaced or stateless across the globe. After having fled conflict, violence and human rights abuses, many continue to live on the frontlines of crises, separated from loved ones and exposed to increased risks of poverty, exploitation and further violence. They face huge barriers as they try to continue their education, find ways to support themselves and get access to healthcare and other critical services. But despite these challenges, they are more than refugees and survivors of displacement; they are mothers, students, business owners, leaders and skilled professionals. Given the chance,…