Advocacy
Rewriting narratives. Backed by evidence. Amplified by campaigns. Empowered by tools.
We’re shifting the way Africa is perceived using research and evidence that unpacks the impact of stereotypical storytelling about Africa.
Evidence-Based
We produce evidence-based insights on the impact of the current stereotypical narratives on the continent.
Media
Examining how African stories are framed in local and global news.
Diaspora
How African identity is lived, represented, and perceived in the diaspora.
Influence
Studies exploring Africa’s soft power.
Climate
Exploring how climate change is communicated and experienced across Africa—and what’s at stake if the continent remains underrepresented in global climate discourse.
Academic Reports
In-depth research by leading African academics offering critical perspectives on narrative, identity, and representation.
Literature Reviews
In-depth research by leading African academics offering critical perspectives on narrative, identity, and representation.
Campaigns.
Our campaigns challenge stereotypical representations and create space for new stories.
Storytelling tools.
Whether you’re a content creator, communicator, journalist or creative, our storytelling tools are here to help you tell better stories about Africa…
Africa Bias Buster
The Africa Bias Buster helps storytellers, journalists, and communicators detect and eliminate bias in their African stories.
A ‘How To’ Guide for Writing About African Elections
How to Write About an African Election: A Guide equips journalists with tools to report African elections beyond the usual tropes of rigging and unrest.
Ethical Storytelling Course
The Ethical Storytelling: How to Write About Africa course equips communicators with practical tools to avoid stereotypes often seen in development storytelling…
Ethical Storytelling Handbook
The Ethical Storytelling Handbook helps communicators undo the stereotypes that persist in development storytelling.
Why We Need to Change the Way We Write About Africa
Why Change the Way We Write About Africa? explores the power of narrative, provides historical context, and offers practical tools for journalists and storytellers to reframe how Africa is written about.
The Writing Room by Brittle Paper
Free creative writing classes by Brittle Paper.
African Stories: A Guide for Journalists
The African Stories: A guide for journalists on how to tell better stories about Africa course is designed to boost participants with in-demand skills like mobile journalism, visual and multiplatform storytelling.
Our voice.
Breaking Africa’s Cycle of Dependency
2025 Ibrahim Governance Weekend
Naija Now! Shaping Nigeria’s future through authentic storytelling
Let’s bring Africa’s successes to light
“Looking Towards Freedom” private viewing
The UNGA Games
Mountains, pyramids, deserts, souks, beaches, islands and wildlife – Inside Tourist Africa
Africa No Filter Summit 2023
Join Africa No Filter’s Nairobi Summit—an immersive gathering of storytellers, funders, researchers, and changemakers engaging in powerful dialogue, workshops, and networking to shape Africa’s narrative-driven future.
Live Aid led to the patronising ‘save Africa’ industry. We don’t need a musical about it
Nigeria's new media seeks to cover Africa's ignored stories
That narrative is what a new breed of local media created by young Nigerians hopes to counter by getting away from the stereotypes they say are too often perpetuated by the foreign press.
The Africa No Filter Great Debate 2023
Afropolitan: Can a digital nation create abundance for Africa?
African leaders behaving badly
When Africa’s leaders are the main lens through which outsiders view the continent, they should take care to present themselves well. Moky Makura examines some cases of African leaders ‘behaving badly’ and suggests some simple rules from school discipline that would help them clean up their acts.
How Lewis Hamilton showed the world the positive side of Africa
A ‘good news law’ for Africa?
Africa’s Stockholm syndrome
We Want More Young, Famous and African
The reality show fits neatly into the category of celebrity content that thrives on drama, scandal, beef, and over-the-top displays of luxury, to hook audiences. But there’s more to it than that, which is why it’s important.
How to Tell a Story About Coups in Africa
In “How to tell a story about six coups in Africa”, Moky Makura discusses the need for accuracy when it comes to writing about Africa. This is the first in a series of bird opinion pieces, featuring African influencers.
How not to write about an African election
Do we have what it takes to be One Africa?
Although Africans have more in common with each other than differences, the real dream of a One Africa, as envisaged by Kwame Nkrumah, remains elusive. Why is this? asks Moky Makura.
Decolonising aid is not supposed to be easy
Why ‘Coming 2 America’ Only Delivers Hollywood’s Version of Africa
The fictional country of Zamunda is a mixed bag of persistent stereotypes about African poverty, disease, conflict, poor leadership and hypersexual women who lack agency, all coated in Eddie Murphy’s brand of slapstick comedy that uses negative stereotypes to get easy laughs. It doesn’t add much nuance or context to the continent’s story, but it does put Africa front and center on a global stage.
Who is to blame for vaccine inequality?
Who is to blame for the vaccine inequality that has pushed Africa to the back of the queue? The answers are not so obvious as they first seem, says Moky Makura.
Africa’s youth: Busting myths and creating change
A few weeks ago Nigeria’s leaders chose to open fire on a group of well-disciplined, extremely well-organised protestors who were demonstrating against police brutality. What was unique about this demonstration was that the protestors were largely young, educated and digitally savvy.
The 'Jerusalema' Phenomenon Shows Africa's Trendsetting Abilities
Written by South African producer and DJ Master KG with vocalist Nomcebo Zikode, “Jerusalema” started life as a rhythmic South African gospel track, and grew with the addition of the Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy’s voice. It then raced to every corner of the globe in the form of the #jerusalemadancechallenge.
Wakanda forever?
What many Africans are hoping to see in Beyonce's 'Black is King'
Let the lions roar and change the way the world sees Africa
The Africa No Filter Summit 2020
Join Africa No Filter’s Summit 2020—a landmark event uniting storytellers, researchers, funders, and changemakers to ignite powerful conversations, workshops, and collaboration for narrative change across Africa.
