Hello,

Big month. Big moves. Big stories. From new leadership at Africa No Filter to filmmakers breaking ceilings, creators rewriting scripts, and data-backed proof that Africa's future is being shaped in real time. This edition is all about momentum.

What's Happening at Africa No Filter

1.We launched our inaugural Council — and yes, it's a powerhouse: It takes a village to shift a narrative, and ours just levelled up. Africa No Filter unveiled its first-ever Council: eight leaders spanning media, finance, philanthropy, law, advocacy and research — guiding ANF into its next chapter as an independent, African-led organisation registered in Mauritius. Meet the new Council members: Richard Addy, Nousrath Bhugeloo, Yacine Djibo, Ferdinand Mokete, Françoise Moudouthe, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, Anshi Saminaden, and Natasha Kofoworola Quist.

2. We amplified Africa's opportunity at the African Union: In early December, top communicators, marketers and development thinkers —  Moky Makura, Thebe Ikafelang, Addis Alemayehou, Malik Shaffy Lizinde, Tosin Adefeko​, Adebola Williams​, Gina Din-Kariuki, Tola St. Matthew-Daniel, Richard Kiplagat​, Leslie Richer​, Trevor Ncube​, Terhas Berhe​, Omar Ben Yeddar​, Steve Babaeko​, Alain Yav​,  Samuel Onyemelukwe​, Thoko Modise, Kwame Senou​, Tim Ekandjo​ and Faith Ochieng — gathered at the AU to reimagine an Africa that defines itself. Our Opportunity Africa Initiative, alongside Gina Din's powerful op-ed, makes the case for something simple and urgent: Africa must speak for itself with clarity, confidence and intent. Read it here.

3. We celebrated African filmmakers who are people shaping tomorrow:  Three storytellers. Three different countries. One shared mission of telling richer, truer African stories. Odion Iraoya whose film Finding Nina explores resilience and identity in Northern Nigeria; Alex Musisi, an animation director and educator who's trained 2,000+ young creatives through Katoon Mentor Media; and Angela Aquereburu Rabatel, an audiovisual trailblazer redefining African TV with bold, locally rooted work like Ahoé.

4. We weighed in on AFCON's storytelling power: AFCON 2025/26 was more than football. From Morocco's infrastructure investments to global broadcasts and digital buzz, the tournament became a continental showcase that projected African excellence, ambition and competitiveness onto the world stage. Read more.

Keeping up with ANF Narrative Champions

Meet the latest content creators, wordsmiths, performance artists, visual artists and journalists who have been powered with microgrants worth between $500 and $2000 to work on content that represents Africa beyond stereotypes, to showcase the continent's progress, opportunity, and innovation. They are: writer Andréa Magnon; poet Angkush Poonye; creative writer and ​producer TigerFireRose; multidisciplinary artist Jessy Cannary Muyonjo, publisher Julien Kemloh Donmo; journalist Sefakor Fepke; writer Brian Lesalon Kasaine;  photojournalist Bernadette Vivuya; writer and filmmaker Alpha Dacosta Boakye; content creator Sheila Muthoni; all-round creative Ibrahim Mkude; arts journalist, blogger, filmmaker Harouna Neya; writer and editor Zenas Ubere; and Baha Lajmi, a filmmaker and science communicator.

Kenyan Producer Toni Kamau joined the 2026 Sundance Film Festival as a jury member for the World Cinema Documentary Competition. Toni, a "Sundance regular," was the recipient of the 2024 Sundance Institute | Amazon MGM Studios Producers Award for Nonfiction. As Hapa Kenya states, "this shift from filmmaker to juror highlights her status as an industry tastemaker".

Chude Jideonwo and Tomiwa Aladekomo made the 2025 list of New African Magazine's 100 Most Influential Africans. TV Host, award winning filmmaker and media entrepreneur Chude was selected for being "an all-round unstoppable media force".His show, #WithChude, is Africa's most syndicated talk-show. Tomiwa, the CEO of Big Cabal Media, was lauded for "weaving Africa's digital journey" through Tech Cabal and Zikoko; shaping how African innovation and youth culture are documented, understood and relayed to the world.

The World Travel & Tourism Council estimates that, with the right policies, Africa's travel and tourism sector could add £125 billion to the continent's economy and create over 18 million new jobs during the next decade. But for this to happen, the continent must leverage storytelling to make African destinations vivid, memorable, and emotionally resonant, Tunde Alabi-Hundeyin II writes in Leveraging Storytelling Can Transform African Tourism. Read, share and drop a comment on the blog.

Ivorian writer, poet, and slam artist, Placide KONAN is the Vice-President of the Ivorian Federation of Slam Poetry and President of the School of Poets of Côte d'Ivoire. In 2016, he became the first National Slam Poetry Champion of Côte d'Ivoire. His work explores memory and the duty of remembrance as tools for individual and collective liberation. Subscribe to his YouTube channel.

Shifting Narratives
 documenting the narrative progress we're seeing

IShowSpeed's journey across 20 African countries delivered unscripted, people-led storytelling — street encounters, music, humour and curiosity. Millions saw a confident, diverse and creative continent, expanding global perceptions beyond stereotypes through everyday life captured in real time.

The Recording Academy has confirmed that Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Grammy Awards, honouring his lasting influence on global music, politics, and culture.

Benin's Vodun Days transformed Ouidah into a global cultural hub, using ritual, music and masquerades as soft power. The festival reconnected diaspora communities in Haiti, Brazil and the Caribbean, turning ancestral spirituality into diplomacy and heritage into outward-facing confidence.

Neuras Wine near the Namib Desert proves climate extremes can drive innovation. Ancient spring irrigation, wildlife coexistence and heat-adapted vines have produced award-winning wines, positioning African agriculture as experimental, resilient and future-ready in a warming world.

In Lesotho's Daliwe Valley, the endangered siPhuthi language is being revived through dictionaries, Bible translations and official recognition. The effort protects intangible heritage while empowering a small community to reclaim identity, continuity and cultural pride.

Rare mountain gorilla twins born in Virunga national park have sparked cautious optimism among conservationists. Closely monitored in their fragile first weeks, their birth reflects decades of protection efforts that have helped the species rebound from near extinction, even amid conflict and environmental pressure.

Inspired by street boxer Tobias Mupfuti, Rise became the first Zimbabwean film screened at Tribeca and Oscar-qualifying. The short film reframes Zimbabwe through creativity, resilience and beauty, showing how local stories can travel globally and shift national narratives.

Algeria's new law declaring French colonisation a crime carries major symbolic weight, demanding apology and reparations for historical abuses. It echoes African Union calls for justice and remembrance, positioning historical reckoning as central to diplomacy, dignity and continental agency.

Africa's economic momentum is accelerating as Asia slows. With easing debt pressures, stabilising inflation and strong commodity prices, IMF projections see Sub-Saharan growth rising to 4.4%, edging past Asia — signalling expanding opportunity across multiple African economies.

Different sectors. Same story: Africa is moving.

 Remember to follow us on social media at @Africanofilter.

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