It has been a decade since the foot-tapping beats and vibrant culture of Amapiano became one of Africa’s most popular music genres. In recent years, it has been the toast of the global music scene as well, as African artists continue to release hits that dominate the charts worldwide.



And 2024 has set the record straight for the rising popularity of the genre.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;



On streaming site, Spotify, Nigerian artist David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, and South African artist Musa Makamu (Musa Keys), hit the number one spot for Unavailable, the most-streamed song this year. The Amapiano number garnered over 183 million streams on Spotify and over 123 million views on YouTube.



In second place was viral favorite, Tshwala Bam, a remix by South African producers, Thato Mathobela (TitoM), Bongani Sibanyoni (Yuppe) and S.N.E (Sinenhlanhla Sibanyoni), but now featuring Nigerian Grammy award-winning artist, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy. The remix gained 50 million streams on Spotify and just over 30 million views on YouTube. It seems to have enjoyed the most success on TikTok, where, according to reports, the remix received over 1.4 billion views.



According to a report by Wallaroo Media, 60% of TikTok users are Gen Z, a generation typically defined as people born between the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2010s. In 2024, they would be between the ages of 12-27 years old. Furthermore, the Wallaroo Media report assessed that “Gen Zers are trendsetters; next year, 74 million people in the U.S. will be part of Gen Z, which will make it the largest generation of all.”



With Africa’s bulging youth dividend, it’s easy to see how this generation has amplified Amapiano music.



&#8220;Amapiano has become one of the defining sounds of 2024, captivating global audiences with its hypnotic blend of house music, soulful melodies, and the unmistakable spirit of South Africa&#8217;s township,” Phiona Okumu, Head of Music at Spotify Sub-Saharan Africa, tells FORBES AFRICA. “Tracks like Tshwala Bam and Mnike are lighting up dancefloors worldwide, and this genre&#8217;s unstoppable rise is a testament to its prolific producers and passionate fans who keep it fresh, vibrant, and innovative.”



Okumu says that Gen-Z listeners in the U.K. alone have spent over 82 million hours streaming Amapiano, while fans in Mexico clocked 4 million hours; in Spain, it was 6 million hours, and Japan followed with more than 2 million.



“Amapiano is not just a genre; it’s South Africa’s number one cultural export, a movement that continues to inspire and evolve,” adds Okumu.

AfroFuture Festival 2023 Takes Place In Accra

10 Years Of Amapiano: Davido, Musa Keys, S.N.E, TitoM, Yuppe And Burna Boy Dominate The South African Music Genre In 2024, Mostly Thanks To Gen Zs

It has been 30 years since the release of the cinematic classic, The Lion King. It has been 27 years that it has been playing on stage at the Minskoff Theatre in Broadway, New York. The legacy continues with the release of Mufasa: The Lion King, the prequel to the 2019 live-action version of The Lion King. South African actor Dr John Kani, who reprises his role voicing for Rafiki the mandrill, and Kagiso Lediga, who played the mandrill in the live-action film, reveal more to FORBES AFRICA.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2189455823.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63981" style="width:686px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2189455823.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2189455823-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2189455823-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> The world premiere of Disney&#8217;s Mufasa: The Lion King at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on December 09, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)</figcaption></figure></div>


“When they first released the first animation of The Lion King, that had everybody glued,” South African actor and author, Dr John Kani tells FORBES AFRICA. “We had to watch it 89 times because the kids kept saying, ‘I want to watch The Lion King’.”



Chatting to FORBES AFRICA just days before the release of Mufasa: The Lion King, Kani says the animated film is deeply rooted in being African as it teaches audiences about the gift of hearing stories from your elders. In the movie, Rafiki relays the legend of Mufasa to lion cub Kiara (played by Beyoncé’s daughter Blue Ivy), the daughter of Simba and Nala.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="554" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/LKP-T2-00086893-1024x554.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63983" style="width:656px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/LKP-T2-00086893-1024x554.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/LKP-T2-00086893-300x162.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/LKP-T2-00086893-768x415.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/LKP-T2-00086893-1536x830.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/LKP-T2-00086893.jpg 1998w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rafiki (voiced by John Kani) in Disney’s live-action MUFASA: THE LION KING. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.</figcaption></figure></div>


“In&nbsp;2019, we did the CGI (computer generated imagery) version, which was more technically advanced,” Kani says. “And when I got the call from the director, Barry Jenkins, that ‘we&#8217;re doing The Lion King again, but this time, it&#8217;s a prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King; and would you voice Rafiki again’, I thought ‘what an honor, what an incredible moment for me’.”



“The pressure of [being asked to come and play Rafiki], the iconic-ness of it all,” exclaims South African actor and comedian Kagiso Lediga. “But I also feel like it&#8217;s part of this collective human [race]. From the past 30 years, people who grew up in the 1990s, people who have had children, who&#8217;ve watched it, they&#8217;ve put their children to sleep [with it]. It&#8217;s almost, I don&#8217;t want to say religion, but it&#8217;s [almost like it]. It&#8217;s got its subculture of people.”



Related in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a lion named Taka — the heir to a royal bloodline. The meeting then allows for “an extraordinary group of misfits to search for their destiny”.



Director Jenkins says that he saw this film as an opportunity to ground Mufasa — to show that the character was not born perfect.



“In The Lion King, when Mufasa looks up to the heavens and you see all the great kings, we assume that they were all just born great… He was not born wealthy. He was not born entitled. He was just someone with a family who lost that family,” Jenkins says. “Then faith and fortune and luck gave him a new family that he learned from and built with. He wasn’t given a damn thing — he earned all of it through learning, through being one with his environment, through caring for others.”



For Kani, the film emphasizes the emotional connection between generations and the need for young people to understand their roots. Highlighting the story of Mufasa, it also showcases the bond of family. Kani stresses the importance of relationships and understanding diverse cultures, and that this is what he believes people will relate to when watching Mufasa: The Lion King.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="554" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/007_FB_2270_comp_v0841_R_1046_1_22_2-1024x554.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-63984" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/007_FB_2270_comp_v0841_R_1046_1_22_2-1024x554.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/007_FB_2270_comp_v0841_R_1046_1_22_2-300x162.jpeg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/007_FB_2270_comp_v0841_R_1046_1_22_2-768x415.jpeg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/007_FB_2270_comp_v0841_R_1046_1_22_2-1536x830.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/007_FB_2270_comp_v0841_R_1046_1_22_2.jpeg 1998w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> Rafiki (voiced by John Kani) and Kiara (voiced by Blue Ivy-Carter). Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.</figcaption></figure></div>


“One of the greatest threats in our modern society is the disappearance of family. Children do not grow up with grandparents they can rely on and confide [in] when faced with challenges,” Kani adds. “To get a story like this where the role of elders is still critical in passing on to the next generation… This is what people will relate to when watching this great epic Mufasa: The Lion King. That they will need to go home and ask mom; ‘tell me more about your family, who was your mother, what was your father.’… &nbsp;You will feel like you will need a moment of sharing the past, the present, and how we go to the future.”



Lediga says that he would like audiences to feel what he felt the first time, in 1994, when he watched The Lion King at Sterling cinema. He recalls how he was on a date and how for the first time, as Apartheid had just ended, as a Black man, he could walk into a cinema and watch a film. He went to a different cinema house in Durban a few weeks later and watched the film again.



“Look at it like this, you’ve got this great script, you’ve got this great iconic character, and it was very important to just honor that. You need to live in that, in the present of it all,” Lediga says, recalling the days leading up to the production of the project. “Take that script to where it&#8217;s meant to go and further. And I guess that&#8217;s the job I had. If the audiences can watch this, and if I could make audiences feel the way the original film made me feel, the original Rafiki made me feel, then, I&#8217;m happy, then it&#8217;s Christmas!”

South African Premiere Of Mufasa The Lion King

‘The Iconic-ness Of It All’: South African Actors On Playing Their Part In The Prequel Of The Much-Beloved Disney Classic That You Can Watch Again And Again And Again    

Scams during the festive season are the most lucrative for criminals, according to experts. How can customers ensure that they don’t fall prey during the holiday season and into 2025?



As the festive season continues, experts have warned consumers that although it is a time to be merry and jolly, it’s also when South Africans could face a heightened risk of becoming victims to a variety of scams.



“Certain scams are seasonal in nature, and the scammers take advantage of that opportunity to maximize their returns during those periods,” Nazia Karrim, Head of Product Development at the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service tells FORBES AFRICA.



“And of course, the festive season is particularly lucrative, taking into account all the activity that takes place during this time.”



Jemaine Manikus, CEO of Latita Africa, which offers business and consulting services, further states that people tend to be more relaxed at this time of year and to let their guard down, making them easy targets.



“It opens up opportunities for fraudsters to exploit and this is done via people just manipulating things or systems that they’ve gained confidence in, believing that these requests for information come from reliable and trustworthy sources when, in fact, it’s a potential scam artist on the other side,” he explains.



The highest increase in fraud during the festive season will likely be through online shopping. According to Karrim, during Black Friday, that already reflected the highest increase in volume and the incidents reported by victims were primarily associated with the purchasing of goods and services online.



She also noted that scams like vacation deals, where a customer would see a deal for a holiday online and click the link, and donation scams (fake charities) are the most prevalent during this time.



However the most unfortunate is that of scams of a personal nature.



“These are also known as lonely heart scams,” Karrim adds.



“A lot of the people who maybe have lost family members, who may not be living close to their family members [or] maybe looking for people to spend time with – the scammers here will make themselves available.”



Karrim says that statistics have shown that 15% of the victims meet their scammers face-to-face at some point. Some of this also stems from online dating, which is very popular in terms of inciting fraudulent behaviour.



“They may have chosen to just contact somebody online, speak to them, talk to them over the festive season, and discuss some things. And, in this case, they fall victim from a romance scams perspective, looking for that companionship,” she says.



So how can people ensure that they don’t fall victim to any of these scams?



“Don’t think for a moment that you’re too clever to be outsmarted by them; they are masters at getting you to do what they want because they’ve practiced on thousands of others before you,” says Manikus.



He explains that anyone asking for information via SMS and unsolicited emails which aren’t secure should be your first red flag. For example, credible institutions, like banks, have applications with which they use to communicate to customers.



“It is critical that we avoid offering information on any scale to anybody that calls us if it’s not something that we can verify ourselves. And I think just avoid anybody calling you and kind of creating this perception that they are the authority on the other side, and they need to get information,” he adds.



Karrim further states that it is also a mindset shift. Many people do not think beyond the scam and how it could affect those around them.



A scenario she paints is when people walk through crowded streets with their phones in their hand or ask strangers to take photographs of their memorable holiday moments. The risk is that the device can be stolen, compromising personal information, social media accounts, and of course, finances.



However, data like contact lists are also compromised.



“This will harm you, yes, but also your loved ones, and any of the associated people that are linked to your device on your contact list, on your emails list. Your device is compromised; you are then helping facilitate the expansion of potentially new targets for that scammer,” Karrim adds.



Customers are also encouraged to take care of the applications they download, where they download them from, and which security settings change once they have downloaded these third-party applications.



Karrim encourages users to always read the terms and conditions – it’s an easy thing to not do but she says, in the long run, it will bring more cheer this holiday season.



“What we need to start practicing is what we call awareness,” she adds.



“And that is speaking to a change in our behaviors and habits. It speaks to being proactive and employing due diligence and staying alert, being mindful of what we do when we do it, what we share, how we share it, and who we share it with. ‘Who are we choosing to trust with our information? And can those people be trusted to keep it safe?’”



This vigilance needs to continue into 2025. The reality is that cybercrime remains one of the top three scams that occur in South Africa and, due to the continued shift from traditional habits to an increased reliability on technology, this crime may grow in the New Year.



In January alone, Karrim predicts that registration scams, where students have to pay a registration fee to their tertiary education institution, will increase and loan scams will become more prevalent.



“The primary thing you need to keep at the back of your head is, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.



“I think what’s important to note is, when you find yourself having a situation where you think you’ve been [defrauded],” Manikus &nbsp;adds, “that you follow the general steps to ensure that it safeguards you from any continued fraud by going in and reporting this to the relevant institution.”

Man with smartphone and credit card near Christmas tree

Festive Fraud In South Africa: How To Avoid Being Scammed This Season

Monday marked the last day of 16 days of activism in the country. While the campaign was designed to raise awareness of the negative impacts of violence and abuse on women and children, experts, activists, and researchers believe that more, especially at the private sector level, can be done to mitigate and eradicate it.



“I’m not entirely sold on the whole idea of 16 days,” Advocate Bernadine Bachar, director at the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children in Cape Town says, adding, “Because it is an easy pass for policymakers and politicians to say we&#8217;re going to be concentrating on gender-based violence for 60 days and then kind of revisit it a year later.”



In December 2024, the South African Police Services (SAPS) and activism social media group, Women For Change released the 2023/2024 crime stats, identifying that femicide had surged by 33.8% in one year. According to SAPS 5,578 women were murdered between April 2023 and March 2024, a hike from 4,169 women in 2022/2023.



The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Gender &amp; Health Research Unit also released a report in October stating that 60% of women murdered in 2020/21 were killed by an intimate partner, an increase from previous years.



The report further noted that convictions had also dropped, with fewer than one in five intimate partner femicide cases resulting in a sentence. The study shows that a woman’s chance of receiving justice significantly decreased, with more cases of unidentified perpetrators.



“Femicide is preventable. Yet, in South Africa, reports of another femicide have become the new normal.&nbsp;We must address this crisis with urgency, especially given the sharp rise in intimate partner femicide during the pandemic,” Professor Naeemah Abrahams, Chief Specialist Scientist at the SAMRC Gender &amp; Health Research Unit said in the report.



“The fact that conviction rates are so low, and the number of unsolved cases is growing, should be a resounding call to improve our justice system’s response to gender-based violence.”



Bachar says that this also has a dire effect on the economy.



“Gender-based violence and its impact on survivors has an impact on the economy when it comes to our health system, our police system, our workforce, our children and their placements in schools and ability to carry on with their schooling. It affects every aspect of a woman’s life. And if we don’t get to grips with eradicating [it], we are going to be damning the next generation to be sitting exactly where we’re sitting at the moment.”



KMPG has estimated in their Too Costly to ignore –&nbsp;the economic impact of gender-based violence in SA report that the economic impact of that violence is between at least ZAR28.4 billion ($1.5 billion) and ZAR42.4 billion ($2.3 billion) in 2013, representing 0.9% and 1.3% of GDP respectively.



GBV researcher Gorata Chengeta states that although she agrees that the monetary value of it is there, there are also costs that cannot be quantified.



“As someone whose research and work is focused on the experiences of survivors and what happens after GBV, it’s really important to remember the human cost of GBV to people’s individual lives, which cannot be quantified in monetary terms, but also the conversations about the economic impact are also related to that human cost,” Chengeta tells FORBES AFRICA.



Although there have been initiatives and programs from corporates that are centered on assistance regarding GBV, the question remains – is there more that can be done?



Experts believe that agency and urgency can help elevate the problem, especially when it comes to the involvement of the private sector.



Ngaa Murombedzi is the Southern Africa Regional Advocacy and Policy Manager at AIDS Healthcare Foundation. She highlights that the intersection between GBV and HIV in South Africa needs to be confronted and says that it starts with policy.



“Private sector companies can have clear policies that speak against gender-based violence within the workspace; this looks like providing a safe environment for employees that encourages reporting any form of abuse without fear of retaliation,” she tells FORBES AFRICA.



“We know that stigma and discrimination continue to be the biggest contributing factors around gender-based violence and its perpetuation within our society in South Africa.”



Institutions like the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children have served 276,000 women and children over the last 25 years, and have offered job skills, entrepreneurial training, and psychosocial support.



However, Bachar notes that the unemployment rate is a lone indicative of how costly GBV is to the country.



“What the private sector can do is work with those of us that are in in the gender sector to perhaps free up 100 entry-level jobs,” Bachar adds.



“Let’s talk to supermarkets [for example], free up entry-level jobs for GBV survivors that are coming out of shelters; we can then start moving these women through the shelter system into jobs that can be empowering to them to actually put food on the table, get a sense of self-worth [and] move away from violence and the perpetrator.”



It been referred to as something that is paramount to a “pandemic that is crippling society, depriving women and children of their right to be safe and continue with their daily lives without fear of being murdered or raped, if not both” by South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa.



“The private sector often has resources to support other causes. They have corporate social responsibility causes and something practical that they can do with that money right now is to invest in funding shelters that support survivors and victims of domestic violence, because at the moment, there is a shortage of funding, and it’s a sector that does a lot of very important work,” Chengeta concludes.

WCG Form Human Chain In Commemoration Of 16 Days Of Activism

Beyond The 16 Days: What Corporates Can Do In The Fight Against GBV In South Africa

It has been a stellar year for music on the continent. Globally, more artists from Africa have taken center-stage introducing the nuances of African sound that’s becoming a firm favorite.



Digital music service provider Spotify has just released its much-anticipated ‘Wrapped’ list that collates the biggest songs, genres, and artists from around the world. According to its data, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is experiencing what the streaming service is calling a musical renaissance, with a 114% growth in music consumption, eclipsing other regions.



Leading this charge in 2024 is Nigeria-origin genre Afrobeats, which, according to Spotify, has captivated listeners worldwide.&nbsp;



Wrapped 2024 reveals that Nigerian artists such as Ahmed Ololade, also known as Asake, and Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, dominated the most-listed charts.



“This is a major win for Afrobeats, showcasing its growing global influence,” Phiona Okumu, Spotify&#8217;s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa says. “And with Ogulu, a global icon, still holding strong in the top ranks, it&#8217;s clear that Afrobeats isn&#8217;t just a trend; it&#8217;s a cultural phenomenon.”



The streaming platform has also noted the rise of female artists in Africa such as Tyla Laura Seethal and Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, known as Ayra Starr. Starr takes the crown as the most-streamed female artist, while Tyla leads the EQUAL artist program in SSA. &nbsp;



The South African Amapiano scene also continues globally to take over charts with Tshwala Bam (a song by South African producers TitoM, whose real name is Thato Mathobela, and Bongani Sibanyoni, popularly known as Yuppe) and Imithandazo (song by Kabelo Motha, known to the world as Kabza De Small and Njabulo “Mthunzi” Ndimande) securing spots on the most-streamed list.



“The significant growth in local music consumption reflects the deep connection audiences have with homegrown sounds. Afrobeats continues to captivate the world, while Amapiano’s explosive growth highlights the continent’s ability to innovate and shape global music trends.



“We’re also seeing a rising interest in rap music, underscoring the diversity of African listeners and their appreciation for lyrical and cultural storytelling. This isn’t just about music — it’s about a celebration of identity, creativity, and the cultural heartbeat that makes Africa a global force in music today… Their success is a testament to the power of music to empower and inspire,” Okumu adds.



The Most-Streamed African Artists In 2024



1.Asake Nigerian singer and rapper, Ololade, first came onto the scene in 2017. When he released his hit single, Mr Money, in 2022, the world began to take note. In 2024, his song Lonely At The Top, was one of the most-streamed.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="682" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2173625350.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63865" style="width:368px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2173625350.jpg 682w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2173625350-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage)</figcaption></figure></div>


2. Burna Boy Known to the world for his vocal texture, as well as singing in a blend of English and Yoruba, last year, Ogulu became the first international Afrobeats artist to obtain the number one spot on the official weekly UK album chart. His track Higher was on the most-streamed list this year.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2181280997.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63864" style="width:383px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2181280997.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2181280997-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


3. Seyi Vibez At only 24 years old, Balogun Afolabi Oluwaloseyi’s track Different Pattern was ranked number six this year on the most streamed list. Hailing from Nigeria, in 2023, Oluwaloseyi had his breakthrough with his single Chance (Na Ham), which debuted at number 19 on the UK Afrobeats singles chart and peaked at number 7 on the TurnTable Top 100 chart.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1658504921.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63863" style="width:449px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1658504921.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1658504921-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


4. Rema Since his rise to stardom in 2019, Divine Ikubor has continued to reach new heights with his music. In 2023, his hit single Calm Down, also featuring global pop artist Selena Gomez, reached over one billion streams on Spotify.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2187245344.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63862" style="width:293px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2187245344.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2187245344-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(Photo by Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images for British Vogue)</figcaption></figure></div>


5. Davido In 2023, Forbes called David Adedeji Adeleke &#8220;The King of Afrobeats&#8221;, and he has had a big role in the growth of African music globally. This year, Adeleke released a song with five-time Grammy award winning Benin artist, Angelique Kidjo, which has had over two million streams on Spotify.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2186244849.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63861" style="width:534px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2186244849.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2186244849-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2186244849-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


6. Wizkid Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun has been regarded as one of the most prominent figures in the “modern-day Afrobeats music scene” as well as considered him as “one of the biggest and most influential African artists of all time”. In 2024, Balogun released his much-anticipated single Piece of My Heart, featuring American singer-songwriter Brent Faiyaz.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2187920400.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63860" style="width:427px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2187920400.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2187920400-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images for BFC)</figcaption></figure></div>


7.&nbsp; Bnxn Afro-fusion has become relatively popular but it’s not a new genre on the continent. However, artists like Daniel Etiese Benson have been at the forefront of this genre since his breakthrough in 2018.



8. Omah Lay Stanley Omah Didia has become a household name for songs like Soso and Holy Ghost. His album Boy Alone was also ranked number 8 on the most-streamed list this year.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="682" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2160689344.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63859" style="width:388px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2160689344.jpg 682w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2160689344-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage)</figcaption></figure></div>


9. Kizz Daniel Oluwatobiloba Daniel rose to fame in 2014 with his single Woju. In 2024, Daniel has had over four million monthly listeners.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1443949840.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63858" style="width:504px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1443949840.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1443949840-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1443949840-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(Photo by Hector Vivas &#8211; FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


10. ODUMODUBLVCK As an artist who is known for his genre blend music, (known as ODUMODUBLVCK) Tochukwu Gbubemi Ojogwu’s album EZIOKWU was in the top five for the most-streamed album in 2024.

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‘The Cultural Heartbeat That Makes Africa A Global Force In Music’: 2024’s Biggest African Artists As Afrobeats Dominates Charts Again

In a move to strengthen South Africa-Nigeria ties, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa announced last night that efforts to create a favorable environment will include a simplified visa process for travelers coming in to South Africa from the West African nation.



With Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is in South Africa for the 11th session of the South Africa-Nigeria Bi-National Commission in Parliament in Cape Town, Ramaphosa added in his opening remarks: “Qualifying Nigerian business people can be granted a five-year multiple entry visa. In addition, tourists from Nigeria can now apply for a visa without submitting a passport.”



That the visa process, previously, has been cumbersome, has been widely reported.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">South Africa&#39;s President Ramaphosa: We want to see Nigerian products on the shelves of South African shops&#8230; Nigerian tourists can now apply for a visa without submitting a passport.&quot; MXM <a href="https://t.co/4PLI7lJrb4">pic.twitter.com/4PLI7lJrb4</a>&mdash; Jonathern Thom 🇿🇦 (@JonathernThom) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonathernThom/status/1863991288649130038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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A <a href="about:blank">2024 report</a> by the Centre for Human Rights (University of Pretoria) stated that South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has a list of countries exempted from needing a visa for a 30- to 90-day stay in the country, but countries such as Nigeria, Senegal, The Gambia, Cameroon, Sudan, Somalia, to name a few, are not on the list.



“Despite Ramaphosa’s emphasis on immigration and tourism, the first year of his presidency saw 7,000 Nigerians get their visas rejected,” Mamadou Saidou Bah and Marie Rebecca Jolicoeur wrote in the report. “It is indeed true that South Africa is largely closed to other Africans but more welcoming to the wider world. When it comes to Africans, the visa regime of South Africa is applied rigidly and that is a contributing factor to the high rejections of visa applications by Africans.”



The president’s announcement garnered mixed reactions on social media.



“We already have a problem with these nationals in our country, now we further relaxing visa laws. Please make it make sense,” one user said on Instagram.



Another on <a href="about:blank" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X said</a>: “The damage done by some Nigerians is hard to overlook. However, should we look into the business side of things? We can both benefit. Africa is our home. Let&#8217;s find a way to work towards making it a great continent.”



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">At this rate, the plan of ANC is to destroy South Africa. How does strengthening our relationship with Nigeria secure comfortable future of South Africans? 😩😭&mdash; Oracle (@Oracle5152) <a href="https://twitter.com/Oracle5152/status/1864019886093062538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">South Africans we are on our own!!!! We want to see Nigerian products on the shelves of South African shops&#8230; Nigerian tourists can now apply for a visa without submitting a passport.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/HrBttGavw5">pic.twitter.com/HrBttGavw5</a>&mdash; Sir Cabonena Alfred (@Lebona_cabonena) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lebona_cabonena/status/1863942923806818371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Trade between Nigeria and South Africa is significant, with Nigeria being South Africa&#39;s largest trading partner in Africa. Crude oil from Nigeria constitutes a major portion of this trade. With recent agreements focusing on easing visa restrictions for Nigerian businesspeople…&mdash; People (@MadawaMan_) <a href="https://twitter.com/MadawaMan_/status/1864270349287768511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Ramaphosa also stated in his address that he would like to see more Nigerian products on the retail shelves in South Africa. Nigeria is South Africa’s largest trading partner in West Africa. He wishes to see more robust trade between the two countries.



“Nigeria and South Africa enjoy strong diplomatic ties and expanding trade and investment flows,” Ramaphosa said. “The strategic positioning of both countries in their respective regions presents enormous opportunities for collaboration.”



According to <a href="about:blank" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Africa Check</a>, in 2016, there were 30,000 Nigerians living in South Africa.



“The outcome of this 11th session of the Bi-National Commission reaffirms our commitment to strengthening existing ties and deeper collaboration between Nigeria and South Africa towards a future of shared prosperity, security, and progress for our people,” Tinubu wrote on X. “As two of Africa’s leading economies, Nigeria and South Africa must keep working together to ensure shared prosperity for our countries and Africa.”

Nigeria-South Africa bi-national Commission held in Cape Town

South Africa To Ease Visa Rules To Strengthen Ties With Nigeria; Both Countries To Work Collaboratively To Boost Trade

Since its inception in 2014 – with Checkers (Shoprite Holdings) becoming the first official retailer to introduce Black Friday in South Africa – the appetite and uptake for what is arguably one of the biggest shopping days in the world has grown.



But consumers tend to amp up their spending on this day in particular, ahead of the festive season, which experts feel can be avoided.



“Black Friday is a great time to really set yourself up in some instances,” Ester&nbsp;Ochse, Product Head at FNB Integrated Advice, tells FORBES AFRICA. “But it&#8217;s also a very quick way to set yourself up to a very long January. If you do tend to overextend yourself at this moment in time, when are you going to pay the price? You&#8217;re going to pay the price after the festive season.”


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GettyImages-1807427908.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63801" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GettyImages-1807427908.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GettyImages-1807427908-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GettyImages-1807427908-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A sign that announces a price discount for Black Friday in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Wang Xi/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


Ulana van Biljon, Chief Operating Officer of Emira Property Fund, wrote in her thought leadership piece that the condensed festive season may actually lead to higher spending in January. “This year, fewer shopping days between&nbsp;Black&nbsp;Friday&nbsp;and Christmas Eve, could signal lower sales over the festive period, even with a surge in shopping as consumers scramble to make purchases,” van Biljon said.



To curb this, Ochse recommends that shoppers plan by budgeting their purchases to ensure they do not find themselves in any debt.



“Before you even think about buying anything, set up a discretionary budget on how much you want to spend for Black Friday.”



Furthermore, Ochse recommends that although the festive season is a great time to pick up bargains, make a list during this time as well and avoid just walking around the shopping aisles “aimlessly” as there will be temptations to “just buy.”



However, extended campaigns may actually work in consumers&#8217; favor, according to van Biljon, which could allow for them to “feel more secure in their purchasing decisions as they have longer to evaluate deals and sales”.



FNB’s stats have shown that the major purchases consumers make during Black Friday are groceries (specifically non-perishables), clothing, home buys (such as for home improvements) and travel. What is a surprise for Ochse, however, is how people budget their Black Friday money for medical bills.



“Medical, interestingly enough, is a category that&#8217;s come up. I&#8217;m not quite sure if there are some doctors running specials out there.”



Limit chances for fraud



The key ‘do’ for Black Friday is for consumers to continue to rely on digital payments as opposed to using their actual cards. This will ensure cyber-criminals have less access to fraud.



“This shift towards digital payment technology is crucial during events such as Black Friday,” Norman Nyawo, the Head of Merchant Solutions for Business and Commercial Banking at Standard Bank South Africa, says in a statement. “When long queues and transaction delays can make or break sales success.”



“Virtual cards are vitally important,” Ochse adds. “The reason why you want to use virtual cards – and there&#8217;s been a significant uptake in this – is you want to make sure that by using it, you&#8217;re protecting yourself. Because as much as we think it&#8217;s a great time to go out and do some extra shopping, the scammers and the fraudsters are out there as well, and by using things like your virtual card, you&#8217;ve got that little bit of an extra protection and layer as well.”



It’s all about smart planning and doing the math, so if the discount is not that significant, it is not a bargain. But it’s also about spotting the real deals and the scams that consumers just don’t see coming.



“For instance, a very popular outdoor warehouse store [stated that they] now suddenly having things like 90% off,” Ochse said. “Now you know that a store in South Africa will not do 90% off, and if you click through – not that I am encouraging anyone to click through – what happens is it takes you to a sort of duplicate site or scammer site.”



In the United States, where Black Friday reigns supreme, US Today reported that 131.7 million people (72%) shop on the day. &nbsp;



In South Africa, the stats are no different, as in 2024, a Capital Connect report found that retailers in could generate ZAR22 billion ($1.2 billion) in additional direct revenues due to Black Friday sales this year, as well as generate ZAR28 billion ($1.5 billion) in indirect economic impact. In this same period, the wholesale sector will gain additional sales of ZAR32.1 billion ($1.7 billion).



The study finds that consumer interest in Black Friday looks to be higher in 2024 than any of the past three years.



“Black Friday, obviously, as you know, is an American concept. It&#8217;s the first Friday after Thanksgiving there, so you can get up to 70%-80% off,” Ochse adds. “In South Africa, because we do everything [differently], we have made it a month-long thing because we already start getting Black Friday deals [from] the first week in November.



“But is it really good? You&#8217;re going to have to hunt for those bargains.”

Black Week Sale

Preparing For Your Black Friday Bargains In South Africa And What You Must Not Do

It has been an exciting and rewarding debut year for South African singer, Tyla Seethal, best known as ‘Tyla’.



Her latest recognition on the global stage is a raft of historic awards and nominations.



On Sunday, in Manchester, United Kingdom, Tyla took home three MTV Europe Music Awards (MTV EMAs), making her the first African artist to win three EMAs in one night.



Tyla was one of the biggest wins of the night; American singers Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter who also won multiple EMAs last night.



The 22-year-old South African songtress was nominated in four categories and also took home an award for ‘The Best African Act’, a category in which she was up against Nigerian artists Asake and Ayra Starr along with South African musicians DBN Gogo, and TitoM &amp; Yuppe.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="396" height="594" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GettyImages-2184021824.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63645" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GettyImages-2184021824.jpg 396w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GettyImages-2184021824-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tyla paying tribute to Aaliyah (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/MTV EMA/Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Viacom International)</figcaption></figure></div>


Tanzanian global artist Diamond Platnumz, who won in this category in 2023, was also nominated. Tyla also won the award for ‘Best Afrobeats’; her fellow nominees were other African music icons Burna Boy, Tems and Rema.



“I can’t believe it,” she said, accepting the prize from LL Cool J.



“Literally, all the nominees, they are insane. They have taken Afrobeats so far and I’m so honored to be winning this award… Afrobeats has opened so many doors for African music, so thank you so much to Afrobeats.”



Tyla also took home the award for ‘Best R&amp;B’, beating artists such as Usher and Victoria Monét.



“I&#8217;m just as shocked as you guys. Like, I don&#8217;t know what to do,” she said in her acceptance speech. “I know it&#8217;s just so hard to categorise my music. I literally mix so many different genres into one, but R&amp;B is a huge influence in my music, especially Aaliyah, she&#8217;s like one of my idols.”



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The exact moment Tyla found out she won BEST R&amp;B at the MTV EMAs. I&#39;m not crying, you are 😭 <a href="https://t.co/PO7wBGi0sH">pic.twitter.com/PO7wBGi0sH</a>&mdash; Tyla Club (@TylaClub) <a href="https://twitter.com/TylaClub/status/1855843426173849982?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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She paid tribute to the late ‘Princess of R&amp;B’, Aaliyah, by wearing a replica of the Roberto Cavalli dress that the she wore at the 2000 MTV VMAs.



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Let&#39;s hear it for Tyla! 🗣️ Congratulations <a href="https://twitter.com/Tyllaaaaaaa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tyllaaaaaaa</a> on winning Best R&amp;B at the 2024 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MTVEMAs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MTVEMAs</a>! <a href="https://t.co/FqjLmnLi0y">pic.twitter.com/FqjLmnLi0y</a>&mdash; MTV EMA (@mtvema) <a href="https://twitter.com/mtvema/status/1855757329700131108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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“The fact that I&#8217;m even winning this in her dress is like – oh my God.”



This has been a record year for the South African singer. In February, she made history when she took home her first Grammy award for ‘Best African Music Performance’ for her hit single Water.



“I did not think I would win a Grammy at 22 years old,” she said as she accepted the award at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, United States.

MTV EMAs 2024 – Winners

South African Singer Tyla Has Record-Breaking Year As She Makes History (Again) At MTV EMAs And Pays Tribute To R&B Legend

With a remarkable 20-year track record in the entertainment industry, South African television presenter, radio personality, and businesswoman, Bonang Matheba, spoke with FORBES AFRICA in September, reflecting on the highlights of her career, such as founding Bonang Matheba Entertainment in 2017, producing award-winning documentaries, and becoming the first face of Revlon outside the United States in 2013.



“When I think back, [the pivotal moments] were meeting certain people or being part of certain moments or events or projects that have really pivoted my career and completely changed how I view things,” she says.



Even as her reality show B’dazzled by Bonang airs the final episode (of the season), Matheba says that building a brand is a never-ending strategy but one she has been fortunate to take in different directions.



“I usually do very well when I’m doing something I absolutely love, or I’ve aligned with things that love me back,” she explains. “It’s not just about me slapping my name on to something. I’m a bubbly girl, so I launched my own bubbly. I’m a shoe girl, so of course, I’ll have my own shoe collection with Steve Madden. I’m a big makeup person, so of course I’ll be working with L’Oreal and flying between Paris and South Africa.”



And through working on “the small big things as opposed to a lot of little things”, Matheba believes there is more opportunity for growth. Five years ago, Matheba launched her own luxury bever age brand, the House of BNG and its Brut and Brut Rosé Méthode Cap Classiques (MCCs).



In July this year, she launched the non-alcoholic version of BNG. Her inspiration?



Simple; listening to trends and “giving people what they want”.



Matheba says she worked for about three years listening to her consumers and researching non-alcoholic beverages. The market for this is big, as Statista reports that in the non-alcoholic drinks market, South Africa alone is expected to generate a revenue (in supermarkets and convenience stores) of over $4 billion in 2024.



“I think BNG for me has expanded [way more than] what I thought I could do as a businesswoman and entrepreneur; and also [to] kind of commercialize using my name, to generate a lot more income, and a different kind of approach to brand Bonang has been amazing.”



However, the buck does not stop there for ‘Queen B’ (as she is affectionately known by her fans). Matheba says she believes that she was put on this earth to serve. Be it by promoting the growth of other aspiring entrepreneurs or creatives or just by giving back, she notes the significance of her endeavors.



“I will always tell anybody that knows me or listens to brand Bonang or watches what I do that you should always be guided by your heart,” Matheba says, commenting on the work she also does as a global ambassador for Zero Malaria and with her foundation, “because you will never, ever fail; your gut and your heart are really your true lighthouse”.

Bonang Matheba

The Art Of Being South African and Brand Bonang

In a surprising turn of events, Botswana’s President Dr Mokgweetsi E.K Masisi conceded defeat after the country rejected its longest-serving governing party, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in the parliamentary elections held on October 30.



As per <a href="about:blank">reports</a>, Masisi’s conceding came in hours before the final results were announced. The BDP, which has governed the southern African country since 1966, stood at fourth place in the polls.



Voters took to the ballot across the diamond-rich country as Masisi, who has been President since 2018, sought to be re-elected for a second and final term in office.



The country has had its share of economic challenges.



Insights by <a href="https://www.coface.com/news-economy-and-insights/business-risk-dashboard/country-risk-files/botswana">Coface </a>(global provider of trade credit insurance, business information and debt collection) indicate long-standing issues of inadequate infrastructure (water and electricity production and distribution) and high unemployment rates, particularly among the youth – of about 23.4% in 2023. In 2022, the poverty rate was also relatively high at 14.5%.



Reverend Prince Dibeela, a political activist and President of the Botswana Labour Party, told AP News that this is the first time in more than four decades that “the state coffers are negative”.



“There are also more than 200,000 young people who are employable but cannot find work. We are a very fragmented society.”



“I will respectfully step aside and participate in a smooth transition process ahead of inauguration,” Masisi told a press conference on Friday in the country’s capital Gaborone. “I wish to congratulate the opposition on their victories and concede the elections. I am proud of our democratic processes and I respect the will of the people.”



Duma Boko, President of Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), emerged victorious in what has been described an overwhelming lead in the election. A lawyer by profession, taking part in the elections for the third time, Boko had continuously urged voters to stay at voting stations.



&#8220;Counting centres remain places of further rigging and we should not let up. Do not leave the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and police officers with boxes (ballot) during breaks. We will celebrate once the job is complete, not now. It is not over yet until the final ballot is counted,&#8221; he said in a statement, according to News24.



“We got it wrong big time in the eyes of the people,” Masisi told the press. “We were really convinced of our message. But every indication, by any measure, is that there’s no way that I can pretend that we’re going to form a government.”



Masisi said in an <a href="about:blank">audio</a> with Boko that he will start the process of a handover tomorrow, “and you can count on me to always be there to provide whatever guidance you might want.”



State television reported results showed that from 55 of the 61 constituencies up for grabs, the UDC won 32 seats in parliament.

BOTSWANA-VOTE

Masisi Concedes Massive Defeat: Boko Wins In Landmark Botswana Election Ending 58 Years Of BDP Rule

When Danai Gurira returned to the United States (U.S.) at the age of 19 from Zimbabwe, she was acutely aware that something was lacking in the way African stories were being told.



“This built up an outrage in me, so to speak, because I couldn’t see the African narrative told, in the United States, in a way that I felt portrayed us, in a way that was truthful, complex, full and humane… I saw that being allowed for the Western perspective, but not for our perspective,” she says.



Fast forward to 2024… It’s well after lunch in bustling New York City in the U.S. as Gurira logs on to Zoom for the interview, to reflect on her “strange geographical timeline”.



Born in the U.S., Gurira and her family moved back to Zimbabwe when she was fi ve years old. She then returned to attend school at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota’s capital city.



“When there was a perspective given for the African story, it was very much stereotyped; very one- to two-dimensional, and [it] fi lled me with more outrage,” Gurira tells FORBES AFRICA.



Her iconic role as General Okoye of the Dora Milaje in Marvel’s Academy Award-winning Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as well as her roles in Avengers: Infi nity War and Avengers: Endgame had a notable impact on the topic of representation of Africa in cinema.



Gurira recalls moments during the fi lming of the massive blockbuster, Black Panther, where everyone involved wanted to ensure they brought in “as much ‘African’ ” as possible to the entire production.



From language to consumption, everything was about “authentic representation”.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/GettyImages-1829750201-3-683x1024.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-63017" style="width:543px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/GettyImages-1829750201-3-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/GettyImages-1829750201-3-200x300.jpeg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/GettyImages-1829750201-3-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/GettyImages-1829750201-3-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/GettyImages-1829750201-3-1366x2048.jpeg 1366w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/GettyImages-1829750201-3-scaled.jpeg 1707w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


“The pressure was there inside of ourselves because, if you get a platform that big, you have to bring your authenticity to it. The irony is, some people would say – who I disagree with – ‘if you get a platform that big, make sure that it is palatable to everybody’. And I say, ‘if you get a platform that big, get as specifi c in your authenticity as possible because then people will have to celebrate the fact that this is a story we’ve never seen, and why aren’t we seeing more of them?’ ”



Crossing the cultural bridge continued into the second part of the Black Panther franchise, even as the cast and crew mourned the loss of cast member and “leader”, Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in 2020 after a four-year battle with colon cancer.



“We had the most horrible tragedy in losing Chadwick,” Gurira says. “There was pressure in that we wanted to make sure we were honoring him, and we were honoring the legacy that he had left in terms of how he so beautifully and brilliantly led us through the first one.



“But it was also about a lot of processing and grieving that we had to walk through together.” 



Before her work with Marvel, earlier on in her career, Gurira had learned the power of saying ‘no’, something she encourages emerging African artists to do as well.



After finishing her graduate training, Gurira was approached to do playwright workshops in New York.



In a 2012 interview with Marin Theatre, Gurira said that playwriting became “a necessity, being the mother of invention type thing” as she wanted to see and perform stories that reflect her people.



The workshops in The Big Apple were an opportunity for her, as an actor, to help other playwrights. But again, she noted that the portrayal of Africans was being done in an “infantile way”.



“I remember I was just really furious, and I had a school-mate who was at a play workshop with me, and he said, ‘you have to start saying no’.”



However, for Gurira, this meant fighting for the portrayal of Africans and African-Americans to be accurate and genuine, no matter the medium. During her time as a play-wright, Eclipsed was reportedly the first Broadway play to have an all-female cast, writer and director. To further the perspectives of African women in mainstream theater, her stage plays – which also include In the Continuum and The Convert – give a voice to the untold narratives.



As a writer, Gurira’s focus and mandate is clear, even when she is adapting books – it needs to be about creating a vision and authentically telling a story that advocates for Africa.



Some individuals have openly identified the problematic theme surrounding stories about the continent in that they either perpetuate stereotypical and harmful narratives about Africa or come across as inaccurate.



In a 2023 academic article by Stellenbosch University’s Rebecca Pointer, she states that while some studies have suggested that the stereotypical Western mainstream media narratives about Africa may be shifting, there are still some platforms where these stereotypes continue to repeated.



“Behind these stereotypes is the assumption that Africans are poor, lack agency, and they frequently experience famine, such that only interventions from Western development agencies can help turn things around,” Pointer wrote in her study titled Beyond western Afro-pessimism: The African narrative in African and non-western countries. “While the [current] data are discouraging, there are pockets of hope on digital media (including social media), where women and youth are taking back the proverbial pen using storytelling and humour to show that Africa is neither monolithic, nor all doom and gloom,” Pointer adds.



“I created my first play (In The Continuum) because I was tired of the statistics around African women and HIV,” Gurira explains.



“It, sort of, was taking us away from being our fullest and just being individuals. We were statistics. And I was like, ‘let’s create a character that is telling a story where the audience can’t ignore her reality, her real human’.”



Gurira carried this passion into her work on film.



Notably, and recently, she has received a nomination by the Black Reel Awards for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series, for the fourth episode of the limited series The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, which is a spin-off to the popular horror-drama series, The Walking Dead.



The series reunites her character Michonne with co-star Andrew Lincoln, who plays Rick Grime, to continue the journey and their love story in six episodes. Although Gurira’s final season was in 2020, she, Lincoln, and writer Scott M. Gimple had always hoped to return and continue Michonne’s story.



“So this was us finally fulfilling that promise to the fan-base,” Gurira says.



“Did I plan to be in this massive television franchise back in 2012 when I got that job? No, I had no idea that was coming to me. But it then became a thing where I’m part of something global and extremely popular. “[And then coming back] the power of that, as an African woman, is that I was now in a very, very powerful position in this very well-known franchise as a co-creator, executive producer, writer, and the star of the show. And that then allowed me a certain degree of power and connection to a process that I didn’t have 12 years ago when I got the job.”



While the world celebrates the strides that Africa has taken, especially from the lucrative creative economy, Gurira believes that Africans need to take ownership of their stories.



“I think I’m more concerned with us seeing us than what the West decides about us. If we are unapologetic in who we are and how we tell our stories, they’ll have to pay attention. But I think that, at the end of the day, we have to not make them our first concern. Our first concern is our pursuit of excellence and our pursuit of our narratives.” Off screen, as an ambassador for Irish singer-songwriter and activist Paul David Hewson’s Bono ONE campaign, as the co-founder of Almasi Arts Alliance, which supports African drama artists, and as the founder of Love Our Girls, Gurira is dedicated to furthering gender equality and policy change. “Don’t dilute yourself, even if people have to spend two hours reading subtitles – don’t dilute yourself. Tell it from a truthful, authentic place. And it might take a long time to find the right partners who see your vision, but they will come and you will be proud of what you’ve done,” concludes the artist who has done Africa proud.

Screenshot 2024-09-05 at 12.29.44

Zimbabwean-American Actor-Playwright Danai Gurira: ‘Our First Concern Is The Pursuit Of Excellence And Our Narratives’

From Tems to Tyla, African music has had a great year thus far, especially for female artists across the continent. The success of artists like Ayra Starr or Fave has been one that Afropop queen, Yemi Alade, has inadvert- tently had a lot to do with.



“Sometimes I feel like there are no expectations of the female artist, that is the problem,” the Nigerian singer and song- writer tells FORBES AFRICA. “I think that all the expecta- tions are on male artists and none for females… For the guys, even when they don’t do their best, they are applauded, it’s a worldwide celebration. There isn’t much we can do about that, because whether we like it or not, it’s a man’s world. But guess what? Women created the world.”



Alade released her highly-anticipated sixth studio al- bum and tenth project overall, Rebel Queen (which also features five-time Grammy award-winning artist Angélique Kidjo) in July. The Grammy and Latin GRAMMY Award-winning artist says that this album signifies Alade’s “boundless, un- apologetic love” for her African heritage and her “commitment to charting her own path in the music industry”.



“It signifies a lot to me and my journey so far,” says Alade. “The one thing that I honestly wanted to do with this album was to go back to the music that I grew up listening to as a kid, when my parents took me to family parties. [I just wanted to make] nostalgic music, go back to the core of Afrobeats as I remember it. I wanted to give my take on that musically and my own rendition, as well as some of my experiences, my opinions, and just share that with the world.”



Known to the world for her feature on global icon Beyonce’s The Power, Alade was the first African female Afropop artist to hit over a hundred million views on YouTube and VEVO with her hit single Johnny, which is also one of the most- viewed music videos from Africa and among Afrobeats’ biggest songs of all time.



“I always tell my people [who are aspiring artists] is you need to be true to yourself if you have chosen to follow a dream. A dream is a big deal. A dream is what you see when you’re asleep. A dream is what no one else can see but you. It’s a physical and spiritual journey. If that is something that you truly want to chase in your real life, you must under- stand that it is not going to be easy, and it will come with its obstacles and hurdles. What’s important is that you maintain [your] vision.”

Yemi Alade 002 (1)

‘Going Back To The Music I Grew Up Listening To’: The Afropop Rebel Queen With A Dream

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



A pair of listeria outbreaks in the U.S. in recent weeks have led stores and brands—including Boar’s Head, Wiers Farm and Freshire Farms—to recall products like deli meat in 23 states, as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s0828-listeria-outbreak-deli-meats.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">officials</a>&nbsp;say five more people died in relation to one outbreak.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Facts</h2>



A listeria outbreak in deli meats was first reported last month, and as of Wednesday, it has been linked to 57 cases across 18 states, with all of those cases resulting in hospitalization,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s0808-listeria-deli-meats.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according to</a>&nbsp;the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.



Those cases include eight deaths: one in Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico, Virginia, Illinois and New Jersey, and two in South Carolina, the CDC said Wednesday.



During the investigation into the outbreak, Boar&#8217;s Head recalled a number of deli meats and the United States Department of Agriculture&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/07/26/listeria-outbreak-deli-meat-liverwurst/8b245002-4b5d-11ef-9149-c75da5dd9201_story.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;it was conducting testing to determine if those products were connected to the outbreak.



In early August, Boar’s Head&nbsp;<a href="https://www.inquirer.com/health/boards-hed-deli-lunch-meats-listeria-outbreak-20240731.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">recalled</a>&nbsp;7 million pounds of deli meats—significantly more than the initial 200,000-pound recall—and added 71 products made over the course of six weeks to its list, including pre-packaged meat and poultry products for the first time.



The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/boars-head-provisions-co--recalls-ready-eat-liverwurst-and-other-deli-meat-products" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Department of Agriculture</a>&nbsp;also said in early August more than a dozen pre-packaged and bulk summer vegetables were being recalled due to possible listeria contamination, though no illnesses have been reported in association with that recall—the two do not appear to be related.



<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/faq.html#:~:text=Listeria%20can%20sometimes%20infect%20other,1%20in%206%20people%20die." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Listeria</a>&nbsp;is a foodborne illness most often contracted by eating improperly processed deli meats (listeria spreads easily among deli equipment, surfaces, hands and food, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/prevention.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">CDC says</a>) and unpasteurized milk products, and the hearty bacteria can survive refrigeration and even freezing.



Most healthy people rarely become ill from listeria infection, but it does disproportionately impact people older than 65, newborns and pregnant women, who may themselves experience only mild symptoms, but babies in utero can die from Listeria.



Almost all cases (87%) require hospitalization and one in six people die from the illness,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/faq.html#:~:text=Listeria%20can%20sometimes%20infect%20other,1%20in%206%20people%20die." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according to</a>&nbsp;the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Where Have People Gotten Sick From Listeria In Deli Meat?</h2>



The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/delimeats-7-24/map.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">18 states</a>&nbsp;where cases have been recorded, according to the CDC, include: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. New York and Maryland have reported the most cases, with 17 and eight, respectively.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Deli Meats Have Been Recalled For Listeria?</h2>



Boar’s Head Provisions Co. recalled liverwurst after a sample of the product in a Maryland store tested positive for listeria, and the company has also recalled meats sliced on the same day on the same line as the liverwurst at a Virginia plant. Those include Virginia old fashioned ham, Italian Cappy style ham, extra hot Italian Cappy style ham, bologna, beef salami, steakhouse roasted bacon ham and garlic bologna with an Aug. 10 sell-by date. Boar&#8217;s Head second recall, announced last week, includes 71 different products made between May 10 and July 29. More specifics can be found on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/boars-head-provisions-co--recalls-ready-eat-liverwurst-and-other-deli-meat-products" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">USDA&nbsp;</a>website. The outbreak has been linked to meat sliced at deli counters, not prepackaged meats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How Does Listeria Spread Among Deli Meats?</h2>



The listeria bacteria&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/listeria-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20355269" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">can be found</a>&nbsp;in soil, water, animal feces and raw materials.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/prevention.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">The CDC says</a>&nbsp;cold cuts, cheeses and other deli products are at particular risk of listeria because of how easy it is for the bacteria to spread among deli equipment and surfaces. While meats are kept refrigerated, refrigeration does not kill listeria, and it can be a tough bacteria to eliminate. When meats are prepared at a facility where listeria persists, the bacteria can spread on surfaces, hands and through the food itself. One person died and 16 were sickened due to a listeria outbreak among deli meats and cheeses in six states in 2022, and a similar outbreak killed one and sickened another 12 in four states in 2020.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Stores Have Recalled Produce For Listeria, And In What States?</h2>



Walmart has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/wiers-farm-inc-expands-voluntary-recall-whole-and-salad-cucumbers-due-possible-contamination" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">recalled</a>&nbsp;bagged and bulk produce in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Aldi locations in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have done the same. Other stores, including Save-a-Lot, Kroger, Shop &#8216;n Save, have also recalled products in the states listed above and Maine, Missouri, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Tennessee.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Vegetables Have Been Recalled For Listeria?</h2>



Bagged poblanos, cubanelle peppers, green beans, salad cucumbers, serranos, organic bell peppers, cucumbers, yellow squash and zucchini from the Wiers Farm have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/wiers-farm-inc-expands-voluntary-recall-whole-and-salad-cucumbers-due-possible-contamination" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">recalled</a>, as have bagged green beans and jalapenos from Freshire Farms. Bulk Anaheim peppers, clinanto, cubanelle peppers, cucumbers, green beans, green bell peppers, habanero peppers, hungarian wax peppers, jalapeno peppers, mustard greens, pickling cucumbers, parsley, poblanos, serranos and tomatillos have also been recalled, though no specific brand names were mentioned. The barcodes for each recalled product can be found on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/wiers-farm-inc-expands-voluntary-recall-whole-and-salad-cucumbers-due-possible-contamination" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">FDA&#8217;s website</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Surprising Fact</h2>



A Missouri couple&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lawsuit-filed-against-boars-head-on-behalf-of-missouri-woman-hospitalized-in-listeria-outbreak-linked-to-deli-meats-302207602.html#:~:text=MINNEAPOLIS%2C%20July%2026%2C%202024%20%2F,St.%20Louis%20County%20Circuit%20Court." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">has sued</a>&nbsp;Boar&#8217;s Head and Schnucks Markets after they purchased contaminated liverwurst in June. Sue Fleming, 88, became &#8220;deathly ill&#8221; and was hospitalized with a listeria infection, according to her lawyer. She did recover from the illness after a long stay in a hospital, followed by a stay at a rehabilitation facility. The couple is<a href="https://nypost.com/2024/07/27/us-news/boars-heads-sued-over-multistate-listeria-outbreak/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">&nbsp;now suing</a>&nbsp;for $25,000 in damages and claims the illness caused “loss of enjoyment of life” and “damage to the marital relationship.&#8221;

Houston Chronicle

Everything To Know About The Listeria Outbreaks—As More Deaths, Hospitalizations Reported

It’s no secret that, along with South Africa and Nigeria, Kenya is right up there as one of the biggest producers of content in Africa’s entertainment and media landscape. As stated in the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Africa Entertainment and Media Outlook 2023-2027 report, Kenya’s entertainment industry (including cinema, OTT, TV etc) revenue grew 9.8% in 2022 and is worth over $2 billion.



“I would say the film space in Kenya has really grown. Even if you look at TV, we have a lot of different shows,” says Kenyan actor Sarah Hassan.



“Looking at what there is, is a testament to the growth of the industry… We still have a long way to go, but we are moving in the right direction.”



This is especially true with the continued reinforce- ment of local post-production facilities and expanding financing. However, the sustainability of the film industry requires the formation of local ecosystems rather than relying on external support.



According to Tanzanian filmmaker Amil Shivji, factors such as limited infrastructure, low government support at times, and limited exposure to the global film world, is what has prevented the rise of the industry in East Africa.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignleft is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="682" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/IMG_2734-682x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-62889" style="width:449px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/IMG_2734-682x1024.jpg 682w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/IMG_2734-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/IMG_2734-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/IMG_2734-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/IMG_2734.jpg 1333w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(Image Supplied)</figcaption></figure></div>


“Unlike our fellows in Nigeria, South Africa or in North Africa, I think East Africa hasn’t really had an in- dustry as such. There has been a lot of volume of films; Tanzania makes close to 2,000 films a year but none of those films travel. Those films don’t cross borders. And I think we are relegated to choosing between two or three platforms for distribution,” Shivji adds.



However, as a writer, director and producer who has also lobbied for better film policies, Shivji says there are opportunities that come with not being so visible as an industry.



“The exciting thing about not having the formal struc- tures of an industry is that we get to pave our own path and redefine what an industry can look like. We can look towards Hollywood, Bollywood and Nollywood and see



the things that we like and don’t like… Make them make sense for us in Tanzania. I think that’s the advantage of not having things structured in stone yet and, for us, as Tanzanian filmmakers, to play around with and devise our own stance of an industry.”



“We have everything needed to make a good industry,” Rwandan actor Eliane Umuhire tells FORBES AFRICA. “But the only thing missing is the means, not only from the government, but also from the private sector.”



Filmmakers in East Africa are now able to live on online revenue gen- erated from their work. This is more prevalent in Rwanda, Ethiopia and Kenya, according to a 2021 UNESCO report. Furthermore, the report shows that in countries like Kenya and Rwanda, female representation has increased by 30%, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. “In Rwanda, we are a country that has 62% of women in parliament. So, having women represented [in the film industry] has never been a question. Also, growing up and choosing to be an actress, I’ve never felt the need to fight to prove that I can be an artist as a woman because even the people who taught me, who took me under their wings to train me as an actress, were women,” adds Umuhire.



This is also evident in storytelling.



In 2016, David Oyelowo starred alongside Kenyan actor Lupita Nyong’o in the Disney drama, Queen of Katwe. The movie depicts the life of a young girl, Phiona (portrayed by Madina Nalwanga), battling the odds in Uganda until she becomes a leading chess player under the guid- ance of Robert Katende (played by Oyelowo).


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/GettyImages-613632918-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-62891" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/GettyImages-613632918-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/GettyImages-613632918-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/GettyImages-613632918-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/GettyImages-613632918-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/GettyImages-613632918-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> Lupita Nyong&#8217;o and David Oyelowo attend the gala screening of &#8216;Queen Of Katwe&#8217; (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney)</figcaption></figure></div>


Oyelowo recalls how “there was pressure from people” who attempt- ed to make his character the lead in the story. But he and director Mira Nair pushed to making Phiona the main protagonist.



“Then that story becomes universal because little girls are looking at this girl in the story become the hero and aspire to be that,” Oyelowo adds. “Hollywood is looking to Africa because they are doing prequels and sequels and everything, and we have fresh stories coming out of Af- rica.” “My dream is to see our artists live out their arts as any other person would in any other country, and seeing more of our stories on our TV screens,” Umuhire says. “Our children need that. They deserve to see their culture celebrated. They deserve to see themselves represented, so that they can dream that for themselves.”

BTS T-Junctionn (2017) (1)

East Africa’s Tinseltown Boasts Its Own Creative Narrative

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



Netflix tallied its first all-time high share price in nearly three years, capping a lengthy return to glory for the entertainment giant amid password crackdowns and a successful ad-supported subscription—a recovery that has evaded other streamers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



Netflix shares closed at $698.54, topping the prior high of $691.69 set Nov. 17, 2021.



Spurring Tuesday’s 1.5% rally was the company’s&nbsp;<a href="https://about.netflix.com/en/news/netflix-closes-successful-upfront-and-expands-advertiser-capabilities" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">announcement</a>&nbsp;it secured a 150% year-over-year increase in upfront advertising commitments, an encouraging sign for its fledgling ad-supported subscription tier.



Now up more than 300% from its May 2022 nadir, Netflix stock is the only major publicly traded streamer to recapture the all-time high share prices achieved during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, when investors grew enamored with sky high subscriber growth amid stay-at-home orders.



Shares of other streamers have all fallen from their 2021 highs: Disney+ parent Disney (down 56%) Max parent Warner Bros. Discovery (down 90%) and Paramount+ parent Paramount (down 89%).



Peacock parent Comcast (down 35%) and music streamer Spotify (down 11%) are also well off of their 2021 highs, though they two don’t make for easy comparison with Netflix since Comcast makes most of its money from its internet services and Spotify is an audio company.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contra">Contra</h2>



Netflix stock holds major bragging rights over its media peers, but it has still underperformed the broader market, as the S&amp;P 500 has returned 25% since Nov. 17, 2021, as Netflix gained 1% as it climbed back to the mountaintop.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">Big Number</h2>



$300 billion. That was Netflix’s market capitalization at Tuesday’s close, more than the combined valuations of Disney, Paramount, Spotify and Warner Bros. Discovery.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



Netflix’s 2022 selloff <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sergeiklebnikov/2022/04/19/netflix-shares-plunge-over-20-after-company-says-it-lost-subscribers-for-the-first-time-in-10-years/">coincided</a> with the company’s first quarterly subscriber losses since 2011, with the company losing half of its market value just in April 2022. That was also the year of Netflix’s first year-over-year profit decrease since 2012 in 2022, while a broader tech stock selloff as interest rates rose furthered the damage. Steady subscriber growth, following a password sharing crackdown and the rollout of its ad-supported tier, have caused investors to buy back into Netflix, which just reported record quarterly revenues of nearly $10 billion with an all-time high 278 million global subscribers.<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/"></a>

Chanel Retief

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA