Contemporary Africa Archives - We Are Africa
INZORA Rooftop Café
21
Aug
2018
KIGALI KOOL: HOW RWANDA’S CAPITAL IS CHANGING PERCEPTIONS

From speciality coffee to empowered local artisans, James Davidson unpacks up-and-coming Rwanda’s capital and tells us how it is exceeding the expectations of all who encounter it.

Photo by Pierre Debusschere and styling by Robbie Spencer – via Dazed
07
Feb
2018
HOW DIE ANTWOORD’S ABRASIVE OBSTINANCE CAN SHAPE SUCCESS

Sweary and tenacious, relentless and vexing, South Africa has much to learn from hip hop–music duo Antwoord. While enraging as much as they enrapture, they are pioneers in setting your own path and being comfortable in your skin – a sort of cultural originality that should be celebrated, not hidden.

22
Jan
2018
PRESERVE TRADITIONS AND EMBRACE CHANGE: SARA OUHADDOU’S BLUEPRINT FOR PROGRESSIVE CULTURAL IDENTITY

Introducing Sara Ouhaddou, the French-Moroccan artist combining the craft traditions of the Arab and Islamic world with international contemporary culture – an inspiration for African nations in an age of globalisation, showing them to move forward while keeping their own singular identities.

Jana 'Babez' Terblanche – by Paul Ward
10
Jan
2018
JANA ‘BABEZ’ TERBLANCHE IS THE ARTIST FOR A NEW AFRICA, SERIOUSLY

Britney-Spears-obsessed performance artist Jana ‘Babez’ Terblanche deviates from Africa’s historical, same-old narrative, instead moving towards an outrageous feminist statement that unites Africa and the world at large.

Fragments by Aida Muluneh – courtesy of David Krut Projects
01
Dec
2017
AFRICA’S CREATIVES ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES

Fired up on a disdain for the establishment and a spirit of resilience, African creativity has embraced DIY ethics and trodden its own radical path. James Davidson dives into modern Africa’s punk rock rebellion.

04
Aug
2017
IT’S A RUM THING: CAPE TOWN’S RUM REVOLUTION

Rum is the latest spirit to get the small-batch handcrafted treatment, and Cape Town is hot on the heels of the trend, opening its first dedicated rum bar.

Fabrice Monteiro
17
Jul
2017
FUTURE SHOCK: FABRICE MONTEIRO’S PROPHETIC SPIRITS WARN OF KEEPING COMPLACENT

Belgian-Beninese photographer Fabrice Monteiro’s The Prophecy is an ongoing body of work giving key environmental issues the repulsive makeover they deserve.

27
Jun
2017
WHO SHOULD DESIGN YOUR NEXT HOTEL?

From vegetable- dyed textiles and charmingly wonky ceramics to sleek lighting and avant-garde sculpture, Emma Love looks to Africa’s homegrown designers for her interior inspiration.

08
Jun
2017
GET SWALLOWED UP BY THE DESIGNS OF SOUTH AFRICA’S PORKY HEFER

Singularly African; unashamedly buoyant; and delivering a sanguine shot of unaffected joy, designer Porky Hefer’s work has only just begun.

01
Jun
2017
TAKE A SPIN IN NAIROBI WITH RIDE SHARING START-UP LITTLE

Blending global trends with homegrown tech smarts and an innate understanding of local norms, Kenya’s globetrotting technology company Craft Silicon

31
May
2017
NOT ONE STORY: CAPE TOWN’S LITERARY REVOLUTION

Now home to two of the most important literary festivals in Africa, Cape Town is fast becoming the publishing hub of the continent.

15
May
2017
JOHANNESBURG ARTIST LADY SKOLLIE USES HUMOUR AS A VEHICLE FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

The work of Johannesburg-based activist artist Lady Skollie never errs on flippancy. Her pieces address rape culture, gender polarity and racial inequality.

15
May
2017
PULLING THE THREAD

A new generation of designers are using traditional African craftsmanship to revitalise the fashion industry in Ghana and beyond. Eliza Anyangwe investigates in Accra.

11
May
2017
AFRICA’S BEST AND BRIGHTEST REVEALED AT THE INNOVATION AWARDS 2017

Last night our tribe shimmied on down to Shimmy Beach Club to celebrate the fourth annual Innovation Awards, hosted by The Ritz.

26
Apr
2017
GET THE VIBE AT OUR FIRST POP-UP SHOP

Introducing our pop-up shop, VIBE, where you can discover an explosion of modern African brands that celebrate the continent’s contemporary creative spirit.

20
Apr
2017
GO ON A GASTRO SAFARI WITH NAMIBIA EXCLUSIVE

Namibia Exclusive is taking the safari focus away from the animals and directing it towards the talents of local chefs, waiters and lodge managers.

28
Mar
2017
UNCOVERING CREATIVE SPACE IN THE GHANAIAN CAPITAL OF ACCRA

Ghana’s creative scene is steadily growing, and an entrepreneurial spirit pulses through the country’s capital city, Accra.

16
Mar
2017
FROM WASTE TO WONDERFUL AT GREENHOUSE

While the menu at Greenhouse is undoubtedly indulgent, chef Ashley Moss and his team of chefs are working hard to ensure not a single scrap goes to waste.

Andrew Esiebo, Love of It
16
Mar
2017
PRIDE OF LAGOS: NIGERIAN PHOTOGRAPHER ANDREW ESIEBO

Nigerian photographer Andrew Esiebo’s work is an honest and intimate portrait of the daily realities in Lagos and Africa today. Not sugar-coated, nor bowing to stereotypes.

Faith47 © Henrik Haven
16
Mar
2017
THE EXISTENTIAL MUSINGS OF JOHANNESBURG-BORN STREET ARTIST FAITH47

Johannesburg-born artist Faith47 is not a Banksy nor a D*Face. Her art does not scream instant recognition.

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