Be Afrika DISCOVERED
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Contributor List 6 Be Trends 8 & 9 Quickie 10 Editor’s Note 10 Discovering Afrika 12 Cover Feature 14 Afro Art 21 Art of Fashion 25 Be Story 31 The Artist 33 The Mentor 37 Creative Government 40 Creative Entrepreneur 41 Discovered 45 The Creative 49 Afro Lens 51 Tech 55 Creative Cities 57
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? a e d i n a Got t u o b a s u l l e T it
CONTRIBUTOR LIST EDITORIAL Marita Paulina Rina Maria STYLE Ojwa Styling Brian Emry BEAUTY Kanai Beauties ART & GRAPHICS Jesse Ondego PHOTOGRAPHY Ptech Photography Special Thanks to the Creative Contributors that participated in this issue. If you would like to join this long list of fabulous creatives email us on hello@beafrika.online If you would like to be featured in our issues email us on hello@beafrika. online If you would like to work with us on a project please email us on operations@beafrika.online If you would like to advertise with us please email us on operations@beafrika.online
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BE TRENDS
Guess who is trending, they are. It’s occasionally worthwhile taking a moment to acknowledge that there are still really good bloggers out there who are influencing their respective fields. Every day the sites below have hundreds of hits due to the content they post. Below is –according to us- some of the best digital platforms in Africa.
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1. Best Digital Marketing Gotta Quirk South Africa. https:// w w w. m i r u m a g e n c y. c o m / e n / home We are a borderless agency of over 2400 digital savants, storytellers, technologists, makers and relentlessly curious minds. Across the globe, we are united by a love of making what’s next. Together, we blur the lines between strategy, creativity and technology to discover business and human motivations, and to create solutions that empower both. Ultimately, our approach puts clients and people at the center of everything we do. Because we believe that digital not only has the power to impact brands, but also create amazing human experiences. Page|
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2. Best Blog Joy Kendi Kenya http://justjoykendi.com/ Joy Kendi offers a first look at fashion trends including insightful reviews, full collection slideshows, backstage beauty, and street style.
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3. Best Instagrammer
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Gareth Pon South Africa https://www.instagram.com/ garethpon/ South African Photographer, Filmmaker, and Influencer. Follow his social media accounts, you’ll quickly find that Gareth has the envied job of working for and consulting with big brands, traveling the world while doing so, and all the while maintaining a topnotch Instagram feed.
4. Music Bongoswaggz.com it’s Popular East African Website Providing to you Entertainment News, New Music(Audio,Video), Celebrities Gossip, Love Tips, Love Stories and Fashion.
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5. Events and Entertainment Nairobi Now (https://nairobinow.wordpress.com/) is a space where various activities and events taking place in and around Nairobi are posted to create awareness among active seekers about the local arts and culture scene.
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Editors Note The internet had become do fundamental to our everyday experiences that at times we take it for granted. We tend to forget that it goes beyond the liking, the sharing, the trolling and the 411. The internet is a haven for self-employed, work from home entrepreneurs. I read an article and would like to share it with you. “…For many, working for themselves online is a dream come true. Not only are they able to choose clients, manage responsibilities and work how, when and where they want, but the overall sense of empowerment that comes through being their own boss is a feeling that’s second to none. In the words of Sir Isaac Newton, however, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite re-
action.” So, while working from the comforts of a home office in pajamas might seem like an irresistible offer, taking to the internet to make a living has its downsides, too. Chalk it up to the frustrations of client management, being solely responsible for the success or demise of your digital business or struggling to focus while working alone from a personal computer, being self-employed is one of those things that’s easier said than done…” Click the link to read more, especially if you are interested in learning the tools to help keep you as productive as possible. Until then flip through our “Digital Us” edition and let us know what you think.
A space for African creatives and creatives interested in Africa. Follow us on Facebook Be Afrika Instagram be__afrika Twitter be_afrika Page| 10 BeAfrika Pintrest Be Afrika Online
Ariana Nduma Exibition 13th April Polka Dot Gallery BeAfrika Page| 11
DISCOVERING AFRICA STA AFRICA
1. Brief on what STA is about STA Africa is network of young creatives seeking to safeguard and promote African culture and heritage. STA Africa is an acronym for Saving The Arts in Africa and we seek to achieve our goal of saving African arts by empowering and providing artists with opportunities and avenues to develop and unearth the creative abilities. 2. Introduce yourself? How would you describe yourself as a person? As a creative? I am Nadia Nana Yaa Owusu. I love to say I'm Nadia because my name signifies "hope". I am a relentless person and anything I set myself to achieve, without any doubt I do well to achieve it. As a creative, I try to be objective with how I perceive anything in life. Just like the view from a lens, what you see is not always what you get Page|
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and with every picture you capture, there's always an accompanying story with this in mind I have a common respect for everyone I encounter in life because you'd never know what their story could be.
idea. I started speaking to friends, learning more online about art groups, about entrepreneurship and started scouting for members and executives. All I had with me was a laptop and a mobile phone to launch STA Africa.
3. What was the motivation to start STA? The zeal to know young people could have the freedom to pursue any art related career and as well use their talents to impact lives positively.
5. Do you have a co-founder? How did you and your co-founder get together to start STA? Yes, I'm fortunate to have someone who shares my vision about culture and youth development. She is Emerald Adjei, very smart and intelligent. I had the opportunity to speak to her about STA Africa and she was all in for the idea so ever since we have both been partners seeking to drive the same agenda.
4. How did you start STA? From idea to launch. It all started when I pitched my idea at an event and then wanted to see it materialize into something revolutionary. It was in 2015 when I was a sophomore at the University of Ghana that I actively started working on my
6. Why Creative Entrepreneurs? Are you a Creative Entrepreneur? The question I have to deal with
always. The only answer to this is because I am highly passionate and an activist when it comes to giving creative entrepreneurs equal opportunities just like the others. Of course I am a creative entrepreneur. 7. What are your notable successes? What about failures and how did you learn from them? Failures? I won't refer to them as failures but learning opportunities to be better next time. For successes, I recall us(STA AFRICA) giving first timers the opportunity to showcase their creative pieces and talents to a large audience and having the opportunity to represent STA Africa at UNESCO Headquarters at the 10th UNESCO Youth forum to contribute to recommendations to empower youth as effective cultural ambassadors and enhance their involvement in safeguarding cultural heritage.
8. Do you think more an be done to support Creative Entrepreneurship on government, private and corporate levels? Yea, a lot more can be done in all 3 areas. But before that we creative entrepreneurs must find a unifying front to make our voices heard. 9. What do you hope STA grows to become in 10 years? What do you hope would have changed by then to support Creative Entrepreneurship in Africa? My hopes for STA is to be the first place that comes in mind when anyone thinks of creativity or experiencing culture in the realest form. I hope people's mentality about the creative space and being a creative entrepreneur changes.
10. Who is your mentor and is it important to have one? For now I'm learning a lot from my Co-founder Emerald. It's necessary to have a mentor in terms of getting second opinions about things and guidance. 11. What projects do you have running currently and how can Creative Entrepreneurs in Africa take part? We are yet to run a series of projects for the year and if anyone is interested they should visit www. staafrica.com and benefit from our unending opportunities. Together we can build the Africa we want with creativity.
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Creative Muse
BRAIN NACIALS MODEL What attracted you to this industry? I want to expose my talent to the fashion and modeling world and learn more skills 2:Is social media important when it comes to marketing yourself? yes it's very important as a model to have social media 3 How do you respond to criticism? well I just respond calmly be respectful no matter what and thank someone if the is useful. And I always don't take it personally. 4What makes you unique? am unique because am so creative and and artistic. 5. What advice would you give others who want to join the industry? well what i can tell to all youth who wants to be models is look for modeling platforms / agencies, learn more skills in posing, be photogenic always. Thank you again
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COVER STORY OmoAkin
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Dare ijiwole popularly known as OmoAkin is from Osun State Nigeria. OmoAkin is an Afrobeats Artist from Nigeria. He has worked with the likes of Harmonize, Wizkid, Skales, Banky W just to name a few.He started off as a producer in the UK and had his first hit song was titled "TaLoSob" featuring Ice Prince, Jesse Jagz, Dotstar and Shadow. He also has a song titled Nubian Queen with Wizkid and Dammy Krane.
OmoAkin has captured the attention of many and is one of the most talked about African artist in recent times. He has proved his versatility in music time and time again with his ability to dabble into different genres and experiment with different sounds. He is more than just an artiste; he is a brand that portrays Good Music, Consistency, talent, Creativity and confidence.
What inspired you to come to East Africa to OmoAkin has performed at major events like in promote your album? Afrofest concert in London alongside Kiss Daniel, Normally, we would go to Europe and America Wande Coal, Patoranking, Davido American Tour but when I was planning the tour for this album, I in Chicago to name a Few. Omoakin headlined wanted to do an African tour first. I feel like we his own industry in Lagos Nigeria Last Year. need to explore and conquer Africa. I’m Nigerian His recent single Sisi Maria is one of the Biggest and it doesn’t make any sense for me to go to song in East Africa and Europe at the moment, other countries outside Africa all the time when I with over 1 million Streams on Spotify and it is haven’t actually fully explored my own continent. It also one of the most watched music videos From was a decision I pushed to my label. Fortunately, Nigeria with over 10 Million Views on YouTube. my song Sisi Maria was already doing well in East He is due to release his album titled "Juast Press Africa so it made sense for me to come. I knew my Play". The Album has been hinted to be one song was big I just didn’t know it was that big until of the best and well put together Album from I got here. The only problem was the fans couldn’t Africa. The production on the Album is Top class. match my face to the song. They didn’t know whose BeAfrika Page| 17
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song it was, so that was something important for me to do. To match my face to the song they loved. How do you and your music inspire the youth in Nigeria? Basically, I’m all about happiness, feeling good because I feel like life is tough enough. I’m not trying to make people sad. I want to make people happy in my own way. I’m trying to inspire the youth to stay happy, stay strong with my music. My agenda is to create feel good music. Life is hard enough. Once you leave your house there is traffic, there is this, there is that, you need to pay bills… I don’t want to remind you of paying bills, I want to remind you of how to be happy. That’s my motivation.
world together but at the same time it’s separating the world. We can be together in the same room, side by side but on our phones. No one is talking to each other. There is no real connection any more. Back in the days, being in the same room meant talking to each other, with no phones. But these days, if you go to any event or gathering, everyone is on the phone. No one is connecting. Instagram: OMOAKIN https://www.instagram.com/ omoakin/?hl=en Twitter: ITSOMOAKIN https://twitter. com/itsOMOAKIN?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor SnapChat: LIFEOFOMOAKIN
Do you feel like with the digital advances, we are bringing the world closer together or are we building rifts? That’s a great question. I believe it doesn’t have a yes or no answer. I’ll tell why. I feel like it brings the world together, in the sense that, those far away can contact each other instantly. It’s bringing the BeAfrika Page| 19
AFRO ART
NAME: DANANAYI MUWANIGWA AGE: 28 OCCUPATION: ILLUSTRATOR Why did you decide to join the creative industry? I got hooked by digital art when I saw what people were doing with the medium on platforms such as Artstation and Deviantart. What is your greatest inspiration? My greatest inspiration is my personal struggle Page|
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of sustaining myself finacially with my craft. What are your creative challenges? Overcoming personal insecurities about my artwork and working towards making it better. What is your life’s motto? Talent and inspiration are fickle. Rather, talent is earned not given. "Anthony Jones"
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Art of Fashion
Created in May 2016, DankwaFabric is a ready-to-wear clothing and accessories line hand made in Accra, Ghana. We work directly with talented tailors/seamstresses and craftsmen, providing them with an opportunity to build a better life through their skill-set. We believe in giving back to our communities at home & abroad. We produce ethically made, socially responsible quality products. Every item is a limited edition. There really is no inspiration behind them but I was really impressed with the artists works.
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Goethe Institue 11th April 6.30 pm - 9.30 pm BeAfrika Page| 29
Lifestyle
Internet and Working From Home
If I were to be told to write a list of all the ills Internet has done to today’s society, it would be a long one. There’s so much that is wrong with this world, and the Internet is behind it all. Think of the lack of privacy, the run-away cyber-bullying, the reduction of face-to-face interaction... do not even get me started on people who post their whole life documentaries on their Whatsapp status. Yet, for all its ill, the Internet age has gifted us with the ability to work from home. Working from home is a concept that must have seem alien a few decades ago, but it is a present reality right now – and the fact that I am writing this article from home, is even more proof to that. The world is experiencing a spike in digital careers, what with Youtubers, bloggers, vloggers, brand ambassadors and social media influencers crawling all over the cyber space. What is more, these careers are relatively lucrative and have had many a graduate Page|
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questioning the relevance of their degrees, and education as a whole. The shift to digital careers, most of which are home-based, must have happened when it became apparent that there are no jobs in offices and that the other option is simply to create a niche and work from home. Then again, it is not just social networks-based jobs that can be carried out from home. It is becoming possible to do literally every other kind of work from home. This is all thanks to the incorporation of systems in workplaces, computerization of tasks and availability of fast Internet. This makes it possible to access everything from home and you would in the office only that it saves time and you do not get stuck in traffic jams while at it, among other pluses of working from home. People can also work from home if they are indisposed, feeling under the weather or for one reason or another cannot come into the office. The combined efforts of
“The world is experiencing a spike in digital careers, what with Youtubers, bloggers, vloggers, brand ambassadors and social media influencers crawling all over the cyber space.� teleconferencing, videoconferencing and instant messaging have further made the experience of working from home even more seamless, as you can have the whole world convene in your living room. For all its pros, working from home is not without demerits; one of them being constant distractions. It is not easy to focus on work knowing that your bed is just a few metres away, or that the television is just a remote away. That is where working from the office tramples over other options as it removes you from temptations’ way. While in the office you might have your boss or supervisor looking over your shoulder at all times and keeping you in line, when working from home all you have
is your self-drive going for you. It can be a tad hard for people with little or no self-drive. All in all, working from home is a welcome break to the humdrum life at the office. Companies might soon find out that having some of their staff working from home is good for both the staff and the company. Who knows, we might even get to a point where offices will be obsolete, with the Internet you just never know.
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The Artist Suki Kibungani MakeUp Artist
“I used to read magazines and would collect the pullouts for makeup artists. I was fascinated by it and wanted to be in a magazine one day. Now I am consumed by the art of makeup.�
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Mentor
ARNOLD LAKITA CREATIVE DIRECTOR What made you take the leap into creative entrepreneurship? the ability to influence popular culture here in kenya, make a decent living and still have fun while at it! What were the biggest initial hurdles to building your career and how did you overcome them? lack of exposure, and no formal training in design and art, but i was lucky to have met and worked with creatives who were more than willing to show and teach me the tricks to the trade... 3.What was your original mission? How has that mission evolved in the time since? to be refreshingly original i'd say. it has not changed much to be honest... 4. How do you believe evolving technology will impact the way we do business over the next 10 years? That’s definitely a given, when I was interning, designs and layouts were hand rendered, so in the advent of digital arts, design obviously evolved into a sleeker,
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faster version. Which forced our generation to adapt or become obsolete. Meaning more exponential leaps will happen and it is a good thing to work in a constantly evolving field as it forces one to also re-invent their style and approach. Which will create a new generation of better creatives, because a competitive environment is exactly what we need to improve our skillsets. 5.What’s the most important thing you’re working on right now, and how are you making it happen? a ton of things, from retail to album covers and graphic novels, i try to give equal attention to everything i do or get involved in...consistency is key. 6.What kind of person will succeed in this creative industry? a curious person with an open minded approach will carve out a legacy in what will eventually (if not already) be super a competitive arena. 7.What are some strategies that you would recommend for making the best use of one’s time? read, sorround yourself with like minded individuals (if not better than you) travel if you have the money and just practise a lot! those are the things that made a difference for me.
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Creative organization
African Digital Art is a celebration of African culture of art, design and technology. Created and developed by Jepchumba, the platform covers a wide range of artistic production from; audio/visual production, animation, interactive projects, web, film, graphic art and design. Their focus is on artistic work or practice that utilizes digital technology as an essential part of the creative, presentation or distribution process. African Digital Art is an award winning platform that has presented over 1,000 projects and artists from Africa and around the world. Since it’s inception African Digital Art has presented unparalleled ideas, individualistic works and insightful designer solutions by the African creative. Over the past eight years we have extended our scope, priding ourselves in celebrating artists within Africa and beyond who are changing the face of global culture across contemporary art, design, craft, animation, illustration, graphic art, gaming, interactive art, illustration and architecture. African Digital Art has become a platform for innovation and inspiration with a sophisticated blend of fresh talent and successful designers and artists. Pushing Digital Boundaries has become the tag line that is now fused with African Digital Art’s identity.
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Creative Entrepreneur Wamboi Kay
Occupation: Social Media Manager Photos by Armstrong Too Tell us about yourself and your work.I'm a creative being whose not afraid to go for what she wants. I started blogging while in campus after a photography class. I wanted to share my art with others. My online work has evolved to digital marketing where I have worked with amazing brands to share their stories online. How long have you been engaged in social networking and/or social media channels? 4 years now What does "community management" mean to you? Do you include community management in your social media technique?Community managemnt refers to talking care of people online. Responding to their queries, Page|
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giving them information, managing their expectations etc. I believe as a digital strangest you're always managing a community. What is your perception of social media marketing and how do we measure success? It's definitely changed from when social media was relatively new and we were all
about followers. Now, I set KPI's based on engagement/ interaction. What ways can a business distinguish themselves?By sharing exciting content that is different & could be stylized for e ach platform. 6. What are your top social media tips?Post consistently & reply to every comment.
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Discovered
HANSON BALIRUNO UGANDAN RECORDING ARTISTE
Hanson Baliruno is a 28 year old Ugandan musician. He was born in Nsambya but was raised in Kasubi, Uganda. He is a song writer, a performing and recording artist and an actor. Hanson’s present successes are all based on two main factors, being born in a Ugandan musical family and his early involvement in the Christian church. While in his teens, he was joined the church gospel choir where he was a lead singer. His talent and experience helped him to be respected among his primary school classmates. It was at his primary school he got the nickname of “Hanson the Musician.” He gained his popularity in school due to his desire to entertain his school mates. He was the kind of Page|
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guy to break into a song and dance performance. At the age of 12, Hanson’s first song was recorded and that started his path into Gospel music. He got in connection with a prominent Ugandan Gospel singer, Juudith Babirye. She had spotted Hanson’s singing and performing talent and took him under her wing. She signed him to her band in November 2009 and was with them to 2013. Bariye’s gospel band helped to mold, nourish and boost Hanson’s music career. Hanson discovered the ins and outs of a successful career in the music industry. After the success with Bariye’s band and his sol actors, he broke into the international scene. Hanson took his dream to
Sweden and in the same year wrote Love Letter. In 2015 Hanson’s hit song “Follow Follow” hit the radio wave and had more than two million hits on YouTube turning the unknown young man from Uganda into a YouTube sensation. His songs are gaining massive attention as he takes the Afro Pop genre onto the international platform. He so far has performed on both big and small stages in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands,
Austria, Finland, Norway, Nepal, Sweden and of course his home country Uganda. Hanson has so far released two albums and 10 singles. He has been nominated for several gospel music awards in the Scandinavia, and won 2014 Artist of the Year at African Crown International Music Award. We sat down and spoke to him about his album "Sound of Hanson". One of his biggest recent releases is "Akatambala" featuring the BeAfrika Page| 45
legendary singer from Tanzania: Saida Karoli. How is your Kenyan tour going? I love the atmosphere in Kenya. Kenyans know what good music is and they never fail to test you. It’s a very warm and nurturing environment in Nairobi. I am looking forward to doing a few collaborations here. We are also preparing for concerts in Uganda, Rwanda and hopefully Kenya.
song and write it, I want it to be recorded immediately. The thing is getting every one on the same time frame as I am. Some projects take long when it comes to productions and recording the music video.
How do you write your music? The vibe is the most important thing when I write my music, the situation and the genre that is trending. You have to look at what the audience wants at the moment and their ages. My style of music reaches out Talk to us about your album. to the older and younger generation, the church of the This album talk about my personal life, and others club. My genre is Afro Pop and Afro Zuk. My listeners are inspired by people and love. A song like Die influence my music and my performance. When I Hard, talks about the rejection from my past. I write a song, I have to see myself performing it. My never knew I would find someone as beautiful as style or method of performing is different from other the person I am with now. The song talks about artists so my music has to reflect me as a performer. the two years I worked through the breakup to the moment I found my new life. The song Die How do you influence the African Youth? Hard, is a message to her, that through anything I keep my lyrics clean. No parent would like and everything she will always be by my side. their child to listen to vulgar music. The other What was your biggest creative challenge? thing is the way I carry myself, how I talk My biggest creative challenge was time. When I get a to them and the people I keep around me. Page|
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As a mentor I would tell the youth to stay out of trouble. They shouldn’t yearn for quick money. They will make mistakes and find people who will only take advantage of them. Take your time and trust the process. I have had a long hard journey, to one meal a day, no television, to the life I have now. I never rushed for things. No matter how hard the situation, it never pushed me to the wall to be desperate for things. Right now I can afford what I want to buy. So go to school, have good friends, stay out of trouble, and fear God. Music is a large part of Hanson Baliruno’s life and his is expected to live through it, performing, entertaining and putting smiles on people’s faces. Music is what he was born to do.
watch?v=CoqNF-mKIl8 Njaga: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=KbW4NG8jXG4 Yes Yes: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=XU6QFAuAMTc Okay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1ZK45fi4g "Akatambala" : https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=5-sxOTOXhrc
HANSON MUSIC VIDEOS: Die Hard: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=y5hHrb0AIpI Kandanda: https://www.youtube.com/ BeAfrika Page| 47
The Reel NAME: Manasseh Karani Nyagah. AGE:25yrs OCCUPATION : Actor & Events Manager. 1. How did you get into film? I knew I was talented from a very young age, I was in drama national level performance from the age of 12,...way later upon joining the university of Nairobi... I met a friend who was acting at the time for a TV show airing on KTN. She introduced me to the producer and that how I won myself My first TV acting gig for KTN's "MHESHIMIWA" 2. You also have an interest in Radio, how did you get into that as well? While growing up... There used to be one Legendary radio presenter by the name "John Karani" I was very young but I was always glued to his show everytime my elder siblings were home and tuned in, he was unbelievably epic... With amazing charisma.... I wanted to like him so bad... I even asked my mum if I'd change my name from "Manasseh Karani" to "John Karani" to..... Passion was cultivated from there..... In the recent years, Got a chance to work with a local online radio 'Nyce FM' the search goes on..... I know that will be my space.... God willing!
cial and unique. The difference is that the person in front of the cameras is controlled... But off set I am free to be me! 4. What is your creative process? My creative process involves, seclusion then personal brainstorming , setting of goals putting in extra nocturnal hours to polish my delivery.. Then presentation. It is very personal and doesn't involve much apart from my environment.
3. What difference do you see in yourself from the film time you were on a set to now? 5. What has been your It is always different... However greatest challenge? switching characters isn't easy.. Being multi talented is a blessing As each one of them is spein disguise. I think my greatest Page|
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challenge was what among other things should I make my number one and others play as complemens. I chose acting, presenting (first complement) 6. Do you feel like the Kenyan Entertainment Industry is a sustainable career? very much Yes. I have established friends Living well. It is absolutely great, once one is well established.... You're in for a great ride, I believe. 7. What kind of support do you feel the government needs to give to grow the film industry? First things first, lift the high taxa-
tion for international filming in the country... Kenya is beautiful and attracts many film makers across the globe. More work for actors and crew then whence growth 8. What would make the Kenyan industry unique? How do we create our own brand and identity? we are already unique... All we have to do is embrace our narrative and tell our stories accordingly. Only way to create our own brand identity is to stop telling borrowed stories. 9. Tell us 3 people who inspire you? How do you hope to be an inspiration to those that will come after you? I am greatly inspired by, Lupita Nyong'o, Trevor Noah & Barrack Obama. Two entertainers and one Leader(many would refer to him as a politician) African natives with no
boundaries but the believe of going an extra mile and taking what's yours. I hope my real story shall one day touch souls and turn them to believers in one's calling and destiny. I hope I can impact the livelihood of people around me by attaching my brand to platforms and opportunities that matter to affect the unfortunate positively. I also would love to set trends and inspire syle & fashion. I am a great enthusiast. 10. What makes you unique? My relentless go-getter attitude. My equal treatment of everyone around me. My Voice.
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Afro Lense ARTHUR KEEF
Why did you decide to join the creative industry? coming into the creative industry was basically a chance for me to show the world what goes on in my mind to some extent. Ive always been a creative and photography was the perfect medium for me. What is your greatest inspiration? my greatest inspiration would probably be my family, i grew up watching my parents and siblings work hard to get to where they needed to be, so having that as my foundation it keeps me pushing even through the tougher times which as a creative there is no shortage of. What are your creative challenges? I would probably say equipment, over the years ive found ways to work around this but it still stands as my greatest challenge. What is your life’s motto? “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand”. I read this once and ive stuck to it till date. Giving up is not an option!!
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Tech In this era of digital technology, new innovations are coming up almost on an hourly basis as developers outdo each other in creating the next big application. African developers have not been left behind in the rush. These are the top 10 apps created by Africans in 2017. Kudi, Nigeria Founded by two Nigerians, Pelumi Aboluwarin and Adeyinka Adewale, Kudi is a new financial service application designed to provide users with access to digital banking and financial services. It uses conversational interfaces, artificial intelligence as well as natural language processing to give reliable and speedy access to financial services on mobile devices. The app also enables users to carry out safe financial transactions via telegram, Skype, Facebook, and Slack. Carter, South Africa Carter is a simple phone application developed by three South African entrepreneurs, Amit Bholla, Tom Gardner and Vikash Govindjee, to help South Africans find the best car deals from local dealers. The app allows buyers to compare and contrast prices from multiple car dealers without breaking a sweat. It also allows them to search for pictures and specs of the latest cars in South Africa. Traveller, Cameroon Page|
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With the ever-rising cases of fatal road accidents in Cameroon, a young Cameroonian app developer, Achiri Arnold Nji, recently developed a mobile application that will help to improve road safety in the country. Traveler is a simple app that uses the GPS technology to monitor vehicles on the road. The app logs essential information about the car, including speed and location. Passengers in public transport vehicles can also report cases of overcrowding and careless driving via Traveler.
Legal Wallet Mobile
Application, Malawi A young Malawian mobile developer, Alfred Andrew Kankuzi, recently created Legal Wallet Mobile Application with the hope of teaching Malawians about the existing laws. The app provides a mobile-based access to different laws of the land and allows users to receive government updates from various sectors of the economy. It also provides information on court judgments as well as legal service providers in the country. Rescue, Egypt Shadw Helal, a young Egyptian entrepreneur, recently launched an Android mobile app called Rescue to
help fight sexual harassment in the Egyptian capital Cairo. The app uses voice commands and panic buttons to send alerts to emergency workers across Cairo. With this app, a person can send emergency calls to rescuers within a one kilometer distance radius.
to develop Usalama, a mobile app that enables users to send emergency alerts to law enforcers whenever they are in danger. A person only needs to shake the phone three times to open the app and then hold down the volume button to send the alert.
learning platform with the capacity to transform how young Nigerians do their studies. Mbele also enables young learners to compete by giving them curriculum-based soft skills, general knowledge and vocational video lessons.
Dropping, Ghana Spot, South Africa Traffica, Uganda Launched in June 2017, A group of South African Due to the never-ending Dropping is an equivalent of developers recently developed traffic jam in the Ugandan Uber, but it offers additional a mobile app to help locals capital Kampala, a group of riding services such as private send money as easily as Ugandans thought it wise to and elite car hire services. sending a text message. Spot develop a mobile app that will According to its co-founder and is a person-to-person money provide road users with real- director of marketing George transfer software that uses time information about the Akomeah, Dropping does a push-and-pull system from traffic situation in and around not charge commissions on one account to another. The the city. So they came up with rides, which makes it different app allows users to use all Traffica, an app that enables from Uber and the rest. credit and debit cards provided residents of Kampala to share We look forward to the new they are internet-enabled. traffic updates in real time. innovations coming in 2018. https://face2faceafrica. Usalama, Kenya Mbele, Nigeria com/article/top-10-appsWith crime rates still high Mbele, a smartphone app c r e a t e d - a f r i c a n s - 2 0 1 7 / 2 in many parts of Kenya, designed by Peter Ayeni, a especially in the capital city Nigerian developer, aims to Nairobi, a quick solution is improve learning in Nigeria needed to guarantee Kenyans by giving learners a fun way and visitors their safety. This is of acquiring information using what motivated Edwin Ingaji, technology. According to a Kenyan university student, Ayeni, the app is a special
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Creative Cities Four Most Creative Cities in Nigeria It is no secret that Nigeria is home to one of the biggest entertainment acts in Africa. From music, to acting, to art, to fashion, Nigerian creative have established their place in the entertainment and creative industry. This they have done remarkably by refusing to steer away from their indigen ous styles and culture. While the ability to entertain is almost synonymous to every other region in Nigerian, four cities stand out as the creative hubs of that country. These are the most creative cities in Nigeria. Lagos Lagos is every creative’s dream city. Fashion, music, film, cuisine, art, culture – Lagos has it all, probably even more than Abuja, which is the country’s capital. This is the home of one of the most renowned creative events in Nigeria. Lagos International Fashion Week is one such event that has shone
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the light on Nigeria’s designers, stylists, models and all the beauty and style glitterati in the region. It has conveniently pushed Jo-Burg over as Africa’s hub of fashion. Lagos is also home to a myriad of art galleries, museums, art
conventions, music and film awards, which goes a long way in demonstrating the city’s ability to accommodate and acknowledge its creative talent. Enugu Growing up, Nigeria was mostly known to the rest of Africa via its movies, then later on its oil. Enugu City, also known as the Coal City, is the film making haven of Nigeria. It is the go-to shooting locaition for most directors and producers. This city is dripping with film talent of all kind, from producers, to actors, to videographers, scriptwriters, you mention them. All of them are drawn by the promise of stardom in what has come to be referred to as Nigeria’s Hollywood, or Nollywood as most prefer to call it. Most
actors have made this city home, and you will get famous faces in film ambling down its streets. Besides film, it offers so much for prospective musicians in the country. Some of the continents biggest music acts have lived in Enugu and even studied and perfected the art in this city. They include Flavour, 2Face Idibia, rapper Phyno and Slowdog. Calabar Canaan City is a melting pot of culture. It is the place to go if you want to experience first-hand the array of cultures in Nigeria. It draws from the woods some of the best chefs, who make a big deal of the local delicacies, and turning the city into a tourism hub in the process. Calabar holds an annual cultural parade dubbed Calabar Carnival, where the citydwellers take to the street gaily dressed in their traditional garb. It is also a home to beauty pageants like Miss Africa Calabar, which is hosted in the same city, an event that draws modeling talent from all over Africa, and gives the local make-up artists, stylists, designers and basically every other player in the industry a ball.
Jos Jos is yet another city that sits in the center of the filmmaking industry in Nigeria. The capital of Plateau State, it has been home to the Nigerian Film Corporation for the longest time, and also houses Nigeria Film Institute where young film talent is nurtured. In fact, the very first film to be shot in Nigeria was shot in Jos. Besides, it must
house the most museums in the country, they are literally strewn all over the town. The contents of these museums make up for some very interesting tourist attractions and a haven for lovers of art and history. Yet, that is not all. It has quite a substantial literature crowd, given that it is home to a number of publishing and printing firms.
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