Newsletter – September 2025

Hello

Find out why Togo's foreign affairs minister, Robert Dussey, made passionate call for the world correct the map, how Drum Circle Sudan's Sawa Sawa album weaves art, poetry and sound while connecting artists from across the continent, and what makes the Port of Mogadishu's the most efficient in East Africa.

What's Happening at Africa No Filter

1. #CorrectTheMap increased its momentum: "Togo calls for correcting the representation of Africa on the world map," said Robert Dussey, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Togo, endorsing the CorrectTheMap campaign that is calling on international organizations to switch to the Equal Earth map projection, a fairer and more accurate representation of global geography instead of Mercator projection that shrinks Africa's true size. Meanwhile, a new art piece caused a stir at Johannesburg Art Fair; "Africa Re-Union", conceived by Thebe Ikalafeng, reimagines the 1884 Berlin Conference as a gathering of African visionaries, and in this way, centers Africa and Africans by highlighting agency, leadership and shared purpose. But this is not the only statement made by piece. By using the Equal Earth map, the work amplifies the #CorrectTheMap campaign. Follow the campaign at www.correctthemap.org and @correctthemap on social media. Sign the petition here.

2. We launched our social media platforms for French-speaking storytellers: As part of our ongoing efforts to connect with storytellers in French speaking countries in Africa, we now have social media platforms that publish content in French. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook; and share with other French-speaking storytellers. The platforms feature grants and funding opportunities, unpack ANF's research insights and shine a spotlight on storytellers who are changing narratives through work that highlights creativity, progress, innovation, and opportunity.

3. Africa Bias Buster influenced an international correspondent: When Reuters journalist Catarina Demony wrote about the global reparations movement, she believed her story was accurate and balanced. Yet, she decided to assess it with Africa Bias Buster, an AI tool that flags stereotypes, assigns bias scores, and suggests improvements for fairer storytelling. For Catarina, this wasn't a one-time check. It's now a habit. "The Africa Bias Buster is invaluable for any journalist reporting on Africa. It helps dismantle harmful stereotypes and promotes more accurate, respectful, and nuanced storytelling."

4. We were out and about: Creativity shouldn't just be visible, but undeniably investible. This was our message at the Africa Creative Market Global, where our Creative Vibrancy Index for African Cities took center stage. We delivered a keynote to this year's cohort fellows of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation; discussed the role of AI in disrupting journalism in Africa and news about the continent for African Women in Media's Her Media Diary. We joined a discussion called "Africa at the Centre: Reimagining Development", a timely conversation on how bold, practical, and locally driven solutions can shape the future of global development. We were also at the Africa Film Finance Forum, where we delivered a presentation of our Naija Now! Campaign. The event brought together investors, financiers, and key industry stakeholders, to discuss film and film financing.

5. We explored what AI chatbots really think about Africa: Every day, a growing number of people ask AI chatbots questions that shape how the users think about the world. We decided to ask the most used AI chatbots (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Meta) what they each "thought" about Africa with questions like: Is Africa a slum? Is Africa civilized? What news about Africa do you "remember" most? The results were revealing. While they rejected the most extreme stereotypes, they still fell back on a familiar script: poverty, instability, disease. Read Moky Makura's latest op-ed in SEMAFOR to find out how the continent can disrupt this narrative.

Keeping up with ANF Narrative Champions

Director and screenwriter Sanaa El Alaoui is the co-founder of Native Line, Morocco's first underground film production house. A graduate of Oxford and Eötvös Loránd University, her debut short doc Icarus won multiple awards. Her latest short, Aicha, premiered at Krakow and screened at SXSW London, Durban, Brooklyn, and HollyShorts. Distributed by MAD Solutions. Watch the trailer.

Looking for your next best read? 'Suyi [Davies] Okungbowa is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Ottawa in Ontario and an award-winning speculative fiction author of multiple books and publications, most recently the climate fiction novel Lost Ark Dreaming. Find his books here.

Drum Circle Sudan's sound art concept album is here! Sawa Sawa brings together a diverse collective of writers, artists, composers, musicians, and singers, creating a harmonious tapestry that transcends boundaries and celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Sudan through eight short stories/poems, eight art pieces and eight tracks. Listen here.

Faith OT Okoh is a Lagos-born interdisciplinary artist and founder of Beghast, a foundation advancing dance, culture, and creative empowerment. From Iwaju (Disney/Kugali) to AFRIMA and global tours with Qudus Onikeku, Faith's work spans dance, film, and storytelling; building a sustainable ecosystem for African creativity and cultural preservation.

Check out the latest trailer of Izikhothane, an animation skit by Linton Nkambule. Follow @khoth_ekhothayo_ on TikTok and subscribe to Khoth Ekhothayo on YouTube to keep up with  Bullet and Gwinya's exploits.

In May 2022, a shocking video from Dubai captured global attention. A young woman had fallen from a high-rise, and within hours the name "Mona Kizz" trended online. The internet tied her death to the #DubaiPortaPotty rumor, turning tragedy into viral scandal. Behind the noise was a real person: Monic Karungi, a 23-year-old Ugandan whose humanity was lost in the frenzy. Investigative journalist Runako Celina set out to uncover the truth. Her two-and-a-half-year investigation resulted in World of Secrets: Death in Dubai,  a six-part BBC series.  Watch the report here.

Shifting Narratives
- documenting the narrative progress we're seeing

The Port of Mogadishu in Somalia has been ranked the most efficient maritime hub in East Africa in the 2024 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI). The annual index evaluates and compares the performance of ports worldwide.

Zipline, the Rwanda-born drone logistics company, is now delivering Chipotle burritos to homes in Rowlett, Texas. The deal branded "Zipotle" uses Zipline's autonomous aircraft to transport meals from Chipotle kitchens directly to customers' backyards and parks.

 Naomi Ohene Oti, a Ghanaian oncologist nurse, won the 2025 Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award, beating over 100,000 nurses from 199 countries. The award comes with $250,000 in prize money.

In West Africa, ECOWAS is rolling out gender-smart border reforms, legal clinics, mobile tools, and simpler rules, to curb harassment and open new opportunities for the women powering cross-border trade.

That's it. Remember to follow us on social media at @Africanofilter.

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