Is fashion a form of art? The question stirs debate, but there is no right or wrong answer. Art remains a form of expression and we portray ourselves by what we wear and also create as artists. This is how stories are told, spirits are lifted and people are inspired; the play of color, contrasts and textures. We have curated a fruity palette across various woven and printed fabrics to brighten up your holiday wardrobe, adding texture with the appliqué of roses seen on fashion runways in recent weeks and complementing with bold jewelry to create elegant, vibrant and playful couture. 



STYLIST: Deneal Van Wyk| ART DIRECTION: Lucy Nkosi| PHOTOGRAPHY: Katlego Mokubyane of NeKatz Studio| MAKE-UP: Vanessa Unamaca- Makolemade Beauty| ART CURATOR: Serena Moodley_Anderson| LOCATION: Conrad Culture– BLAIRGOWRIE, JOHANNESBURG



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="FRAMING ELEGANCE: The Medley Of Art And Fashion" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mK_ZXtwPX8c?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Video by Chanel Retief </figcaption></figure>



<div class="wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right" style="grid-template-columns:auto 54%"><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
On the wall: (Middle) South African artist Serena Moodley-Anderson’s ‘His Story’ R6,500/$354 (Left and right) Serena Moodley- Anderson ‘Comfortable Silence’ R1,500/$82 each



GIFT MUDI- Fashion Model, Make-Up Artist



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Kate Spade Floral Clip On Ear Cuff-R2,990/$165</li>



<li>Gold Statement Karl Lagerfeld Choker With Pearl Detailing-R3,990/$220</li>



<li>DFLO Multi Coloured Flower, Shimmer Dress – R5,500/$303</li>



<li>Karl Lagerfeld Gold Linked Cuff-R1,990/$110</li>



<li>Europa Art Black Mule With Gold Strap – R3,290/$181</li>
</ul>
</div><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="682" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0268-1-682x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60582 size-full" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0268-1-682x1024.jpg 682w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0268-1-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0268-1-768x1153.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0268-1-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0268-1-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0268-1.jpg 1478w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px" /></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0275-1-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60585 size-full" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0275-1-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0275-1-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0275-1-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0275-1-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0275-1-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0275-1.jpg 1407w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
DAVID BLOCH Multi-Award-Winning International Show Producer, Creative Director, Entertainment Manager



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Franc Elis Printed Orange Shirt – R2,300/$127</li>



<li>Franc Elis Orange Suit –R15,000/$824</li>



<li>Silver Karl Lagerfeld Linked Bracelet: R2,590/$143</li>



<li>Silver Karl Lagerfeld Diamanté Linked Ring – R1,190/$66</li>



<li>Europa Art Suede Beige Loafers – R4,690/$258</li>
</ul>
</div></div>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-text-align-center is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
“IT’S INCREDIBLE TO SEE THE KIND OF DESIGNS AND THE KIND OF FABRICS AND TEXTURES THAT PEOPLE ARE PLAYING WITH. IT’S JUST INCREDIBLE. I MEAN, FASHION TODAY IS ART!” — David Bloch
</blockquote>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="705" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0149-1-705x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60581" style="width:477px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0149-1-705x1024.jpg 705w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0149-1-207x300.jpg 207w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0149-1-768x1116.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0149-1-1057x1536.jpg 1057w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0149-1-1410x2048.jpg 1410w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0149-1.jpg 1560w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 705px) 100vw, 705px" /></figure></div>


On the wall: Molefe Thwala of TACS Portrait ‘Isimemo II’ R22,000/$1,198



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Balmain Printed Golfer Shirt &#8211; R22,010/$1,215</li>



<li>Karl Lagerfeld Silver Diamanté Linked Bracelet – R2,690/$148</li>



<li>Silver Karl Lagerfeld Ring – R1,690/$93</li>



<li>Balmain Navy Pants –R19,760/$1,085</li>



<li>Europa Art Navy Shoes –R4,890/$269</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center" id="h-a-neutral-outlook">A Neutral Outlook</h2>



No longer classified as washed-out or boring, neutral tones have come to the fore and are here to stay. Make a statement in these subtle but trendy tones.



<div class="wp-block-media-text" style="grid-template-columns:69% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2480" height="2086" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/79.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60631 size-full" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/79.jpg 2480w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/79-300x252.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/79-1024x861.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/79-768x646.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/79-1536x1292.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/79-2048x1723.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2480px) 100vw, 2480px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>STOCKISTS</li>



<li><a href="http://www.alexandermcqueen.com">Alexander McQueen</a></li>



<li><a href="http://www.paulsmith.com"> Paul Smith</a> </li>



<li><a href="http://www.jimmychoo.com">Jimmy Choo</a></li>



<li><a href="http://www.farfetch.com">Farfetch</a> </li>



<li><a href="http://www.europaart.co.za">Europa Art</a></li>



<li><a href="http://www.shop-beauty.dior.co.za">Dior Beauty</a></li>



<li><a href="http://www.valentino.com">Valentino Garavani</a></li>
</ul>
</div></div>



“THE WAY YOU COMBINE YOUR OUTFITS, THE WAY YOU COLOR-COORDINATE, FOR ME, THAT IS ART. YOU CANNOT HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER.”— Gift Mudi



<div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:54% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="682" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0452-682x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60575 size-full" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0452-682x1024.jpg 682w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0452-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0452-768x1153.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0452-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0452-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0452.jpg 1478w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
On the wall: Serena Moodley-Anderson ‘Sophiatown Diptych’ R5,000/$272



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Karl Lagerfeld Gold Statement Earrings &#8211;R2,690/$148</li>



<li>Balmain Printed Jacket With Gold Buttons –R48,980/$2,690</li>



<li>Balmain Printed Skirt With Gold Buttons – R29,750/$1,634</li>
</ul>
</div></div>



<div class="wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:auto 46%"><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Europa Art White Bow Detail Pumps R3,990/$218</li>



<li>Europa Art White handbag-R2,990/$165</li>
</ul>
</div><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="682" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0510-1-682x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60591 size-full" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0510-1-682x1024.jpg 682w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0510-1-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0510-1-768x1153.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0510-1-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0510-1-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0510-1.jpg 1478w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px" /></figure></div>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading alignwide has-text-align-center" id="h-tis-the-season-to-sparkle">‘Tis The Season To Sparkle</h1>



If you ever second-guessed wearing a sequinned little number, now is the perfect time. With all the festivities around the corner, you can dazzle the night away.



<div class="wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:auto 64%"><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>STOCKISTS: </li>



<li><a href="http://www.europaart.co.za">Europa Art</a></li>



<li><a href="http://www.arcstore.co.za">Arc Store</a></li>



<li><a href="http://www.valentino.com">Valentino, Garavani</a></li>



<li><a href="http://www.castelo.co.za">Castelo</a></li>



<li><a href="http://int.balmain.com">Balmain</a></li>



<li><a href="http://www.sunglasshut.com">Sunglass Hut</a> </li>



<li><a href="http://row.jimmychoo.com">Jimmy Choo</a></li>
</ul>
</div><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2480" height="2021" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/081.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60630 size-full" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/081.jpg 2480w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/081-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/081-1024x834.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/081-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/081-1536x1252.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/081-2048x1669.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2480px) 100vw, 2480px" /></figure></div>






<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="682" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0399-682x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60572" style="width:600px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0399-682x1024.jpg 682w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0399-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0399-768x1153.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0399-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0399-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Forbes-Fashion0399.jpg 1478w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px" /></figure></div>


On the wall: ‘Left In The Dark’ (limited edition print) R5,000/$272 | ‘Battery Low’ (limited edition print) R5,000/$272



David wears: 



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Zegna duck Egg Linen Jacket – R12,240/$673 </li>



<li>Zegna Off White Jersey – R17,960/$987 </li>



<li>Zenga Duck Egg Linen Trousers – R28,420/$1,563</li>



<li>Europa Art Black Brogues: R4,890/$26</li>
</ul>



Gift wears



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Kate Spade Floral Drop Earrings &#8211; R4,990/$274 </li>



<li>Gold Ball Statement Karl Lagerfeld Necklace – R4,790/$262 </li>



<li>Bam Collective Yellow Pod Top – R4,800/$264 </li>



<li>Bam Collective Yellow Pod Skirt – R5,200/$286 </li>



<li>Europa Art Pink Bow Detailing Heels &#8211; R3,990/$215</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center" id="h-homing-in">Homing In</h2>



Out with the old and in with the new. These items are aesthetic and will add prized pizzazz and festive fervor to your home spaces.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="1016" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/83-1-1024x1016.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60635" style="width:530px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/83-1-1024x1016.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/83-1-300x298.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/83-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/83-1-768x762.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/83-1-1536x1524.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/83-1-2048x2032.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


STOCKISTS: <a href="http://morellirugs.co.za">Morelli Rugs</a>• <a href="http://www.luxdeco.com">Luxdeco</a> •<a href="http://www.blockandchisel.co.za">Block and Chisel</a> • <a href="http://carrolboyes.com">Carrol Boyes </a>• <a href="http://www.villeroyandboch.co.za">Villeroy &amp; Boch</a> • <a href="http://www.poetrystores.co.za">Poerty</a> • <a href="http://www.bossplus1shop.com">BossPlus1</a>

Forbes Fashion0532

Framing Elegance: The Medley Of Art And Fashion In South Africa

Susan Tusabe’s NGO in Uganda has grown to include over 600 children and 90 mothers, with activities expanding from static book clubs to a mobile library, menstrual and mental health education, leadership workshops, agricultural instruction, digital competency, and support for a boys’ football academy.



A proverb in Luganda, one of Uganda’s luxuriant abundance of languages, enjoins: okutambula kulaba, okudda kunyumya. Experience life, and return to tell your story.



The liberating power of storytelling is the beating heart of Kampala’s arts education and literacy NGO Art of a Child. Its Founding Director, Susan Tusabe, started the organization in 2016, after recognizing an appetite for reading in the children she met on her daily walk to work.



“I used to take a path through a slum area in a suburb called Kabalagala,” she says. “The children I met showed a hunger for information. If I took books for them, they would show more interest; if I didn&#8217;t show up, they would look for me. At some point, I was told that kids in the slums were not interested in reading; that I should look for another thing to do for them, like providing food. But I realized children are not really interested in other handouts; they&#8217;re actually looking for information.”



Ad hoc visits and book distributions matured into a Book Club, where stories were read aloud to include children whose literacy levels were still low. “They needed guidance on how to read books,” Tusabe says. “They had never experienced hearing a story like Jack and the Beanstalk. So they were very excited.”



Those nascent meetings attracted around 30 children; the NGO’s portfolio of programs has now grown to include over 600 children and 90 mothers, with activities expanding from static book clubs to a mobile library, menstrual and mental health education, leadership workshops, agricultural instruction, digital competency, and support for a boys’ football academy.



Tusabe says this diversification has allowed Art of a Child to meet the changing needs of the different communities it serves.



“Literacy has evolved; it&#8217;s really no longer about just reading or writing,” she says. “Literate individuals should be able to use knowledge to develop their communities. We want young people to be able to make a positive change.”



The program’s alumni have gone on to innovate solutions to problems experienced in their own childhoods. “Some girls have started up a project called School Pads, addressing period poverty,” says Tusabe. “They believe the project will reduce the number of school dropouts. Some are focusing on the environment, planting trees in their communities. And we talk to them about being able to equip themselves economically; a few have started shoemaking, another is making beauty products. So it&#8217;s a mixture of leaders.”



The success of these programs has offset the challenges an NGO of this kind often faces in both urban and rural settings: an initial resistance to outreach which doesn’t always provide an immediate tangible benefit. “Maybe because of what they have seen, or whichever organizations they have dealt with, they expect a scholarship or allowances, a reward for being there. But the ones who stay actually gain more. For example, those who are growing mushrooms have made a lot of money, to the extent that they have created savings, and are able to buy equipment.”



A further beneficiary of the NGO’s diversified offering is the Wolfgang Football Academy in the rural district of Masaka, about 80 miles southwest of Kampala. Its founder, qualified coach Rodin Joseph Bugembe, says that 30 boys now live onsite, with a further 20 traveling from other communities to take part in daily training. The academy has integrated Art of a Child’s literacy and leadership programs to build an environment which nurtures every aspect of the children’s development.



“We try to create three pillars: education, character, and football,” he says, as a thrilling, full-blooded tournament throttles past him on a dusty pitch; one boy hits a volley so fearsome it knocks the entire goal frame off its moorings (Bugembe says the academy is always in need of new footballs, more coaches to accelerate the boys’ training, and robust and reliable healthcare provision).



“Character means what you are, and what you do,” he says. “So here, these boys gain confidence and self-esteem, and are able to express themselves in public. We need everyone to work together with us, and Art of a Child, to find for the boys a good life.”

Susan Tusabe; image supplied

How This Ugandan Social Entrepreneur Is Liberating Communities With Literacy

An insatiable hunger for programming and digital technology has led to an explosion of Over-The-Top (OTT) channels. An African perspective.



By Paula Slier



Broadcasting in Africa has come a long way in the past 20 years. Before smartphones, wireless internet, small cameras and non-linear editing became mainstream, the industry relied on a somewhat messy fusion of then ground-breaking technology like satellite transmission and old-fashioned communication.



I remember working in television in Nairobi in 1998. The video editor and I were seated in front of the editing suite. At the far end of the corridor waited the cameraman; after him, the passageway turned sharply to the right and 12 meters further on stood the producer. Another sharp right turn, another corridor and in the distance was the satellite operator.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">According to Digital TV Research, at the end of last year, collective OTT revenues in Africa reached $392 million and are set to rise to $1.7 billion by 2026. The bulk of the market is, and will continue to be, Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) packages</blockquote>



“Now” shouted the video editor from some 40 meters away as he pressed play on the machine.



“Now” repeated the cameraman from his corner.



“Now” echoed the producer.



“Now” confirmed the satellite operator as he uplinked the video.



Fast-forward two decades and the industry has completely changed. The jobs of five people have amalgamated into one. Far from being the passive consumer of media, audiences are now producers and journalists in their own right.



“Gone are the days that the nuclear family would schedule time to watch something around the TV as a family unit,” says Christina Foley, Managing Director of United Kingdom-based Marvel Media Consultancy.&nbsp;



“Now you have an entire family watching different things in different rooms at the same time. We are digesting content in a very different way. We have a choice which gives us opportunity to watch when, how and what we want.”



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Christina-Foley.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50685" width="326" height="435" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Christina-Foley.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Christina-Foley-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 326px) 100vw, 326px" /></figure></div>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“Now you have an entire family watching different things in different rooms at the same time. We are digesting content in a very different way. We have a choice which gives us an opportunity to watch when, how and what we want.” – Christina Foley, Managing Director of United Kingdom-based Marvel Media Consultancy</blockquote>



The result is an insatiable hunger for programming and digital technology. This has led to an explosion in the last few years of Over-The-Top (OTT) channels through which content is delivered via an internet connection rather than a traditional cable or broadcast provider.



According to Digital TV Research, at the end of last year, collective OTT revenues in Africa reached $392 million and are set to rise to&nbsp;$1.7 billion by 2026.&nbsp;The bulk of the market is, and will continue to be, Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) packages that allow users to consume as much content as they desire at a flat rate per month. Revenues from such services like Netflix and Disney+ will grow from a current $299 million to $1.5 billion in the next five years.



“Absolutely OTT is the future everywhere, not just Africa,” says Foley.



“News and entertainment will use OTT. A lot of the mobile companies like MTN and Cell C are putting together their own content packages so when they sign up new customers they can offer them this on top for a fee.”



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Dr-Amadeo-Rahmann.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50686" width="313" height="313" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Dr-Amadeo-Rahmann.jpg 800w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Dr-Amadeo-Rahmann-300x300.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Dr-Amadeo-Rahmann-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Dr-Amadeo-Rahmann-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Dr-Amadeo-Rahmann-80x80.jpg 80w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 313px) 100vw, 313px" /></figure></div>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“We believe that the growth of digital streaming services in Africa means that the continent is primed for the democratization of content.” – Dr Amadeo Rahmann</blockquote>



But the&nbsp;switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting has been delayed in many African countries because of low internet penetration rates –&nbsp;the continent has a total internet penetration level of just under 40% compared with penetration in the rest of the world at 63.2% – limited WiFi and the high cost of data.



Martin Brasg, a broadcast consultant who’s worked with clients across the continent for the past three decades, blames this on internal politics.



“Traditional broadcasters hold monopolies over internet services and are not willing to let go. In South Africa, for example, for years they’ve been putting the brakes on cheap internet. Until a few years ago, Telkom, the country’s biggest provider of communication services, was the only company that could install fiber broadband connection. This was until the second network operator Neotel came on board. Since then a number of fiber-to-the-home operators started being more prolific in South Africa, enabling more consumers to have broadband at home.”



The potential for Africa is huge. According to Internet World Stats in December 2019, more Africans (526 million) accessed the internet than North Americans. But whereas Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria are ahead of the curve and have taken advantage of good quality internet and a deregulated internet industry, other African countries are lagging behind. Several are listed among those with the lowest internet speed and yet the most expensive communication and internet costs in the world.



“Things in South Africa started to change around three-to-five years ago,” reflects Brasg.



“Consumers have also been moving away to free-to-air operators like OVHD (open view HD) that offer a library of TV shows, films and original programming.”



The lack, and theft, of infrastructure in Africa has also set up OTT to expand enormously over mobile networks, points out Joanne Raphael-Katz, Managing Director of South African-based Exceptional Rights. Katz has been delivering OTT and VOD content to mobile and TV customers for the past two decades.



“Consider that in South Africa there are approximately 14 million TV households but 53 million smartphones. This makes OTT via mobile a force to be reckoned with,” she says.



“Mobile is so accessible and payment is by time, making it ideal for the underbanked. Phones are upgrading and always improving – a smart phone with a rich media screen doesn’t have to be the latest iPhone or Samsung. There are plenty of devices to suit all brackets of income and allow for OTT via mobile.” Africa is on record as having the fastest growing mobile telecommunication market but when it comes to content via mobile there’s still a long way to go.



User-generated content – content created by people rather than brands – like TikTok have become popular overnight.



“Apps and concepts like this will always change and shape the world and how we use our mobile. The spectrum is being opened and auctioned and will change the amount of content we consume. Content providers can also now supply their channels to DSTV via IPTV [internet television] to their platform, doing away with expensive satellite expenses,” says Katz.



But inevitably as more players enter the OTT market, competition is growing.



Dubai-based mobile technology company, Mondia, is one of many penetrating the market. In the last three months, it launched its time-based entertainment platform, Monsooq, in South Africa and Nigeria. Utilizing time as currency, users can buy entertainment time just as they would mobile airtime and use it to consume any content they choose. At the moment, the platform offers over 20,000 hours of entertainment.



“We believe that the growth of digital streaming services in Africa means that the continent is primed for the democratization of content,” says CEO Dr Amadeo Rahmann.



“Covid-19 has had such a dramatic impact on economies globally, deeply affecting consumers’ disposable income. We believe this model will have huge appeal in emerging markets.”



With a population set to double to 2.5 billion over the next 30 years, Africa also offers a vast and growing youth demographic for broadcasters and content producers. As the world of entertainment continuously evolves, consumers too will benefit greatly, accessing information as rapidly as they want – on demand and on the go.

TV remote control in the foreground, Video on demand screen in the blurry background

The Three Letters Driving Entertainment

African theater in the United Kingdom is reaching out to the creative community in robust and valuable new ways, dispelling stereotypes and adding to the value of the African story.



In the Yorùbá folklore of south-west Nigeria, the Iroko tree is a symbol of ferocious spiritual power. Cut the tree down, and imperil your fate. Cultures across the African continent venerate great trees as places of shelter and communion, the theaters of the precious in human life.



In the United Kingdom (UK), two theater companies with Nigerian roots are weathering the coronavirus storm with the defiant resilience of African hardwood.



The London-based IROKO Theatre Company was founded in 1996 by Alex Oma-Pius, who had trained on a scholarship from Nigeria at the National Academy For Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA), in Sofia, Bulgaria, in the 1980s. During the collapse of the Soviet Union, the scholarship program was dissolved, leaving Oma-Pius stranded in the UK; after an internship with the African theater company, Zuriya, he was inspired to strike out on his own.



“My professor in Sofia had always told me, ‘Alex, tap into your culture. Folklore, folklore, folklore’,” he says. “My childhood memories of traditional stories just came alive with that internship. But it had always been my dream to move what we were doing away from just drumming. Although they loved the stories, it’s the jumping up and down that people like.” He laughs at the memory. “With IROKO, we started to find a way to let people know there was more to what we were doing. What is the value of an African story? How do we want this story to impact their lives?”



For nearly 25 years, IROKO has toured all over the country, using the tools of African storytelling to not only teach life skills to the young, but also bring comfort to sufferers of age-related conditions such as arthritis and dementia, in ways that western storytelling techniques are perhaps less well-equipped to deliver. “African storytelling is a performative art, a combined art-form,” Oma-Pius says. 



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“In African stories, there is no fourth wall. You, the listener, are a performer as well.”</blockquote>



Before the pandemic, the theater company was rolling out an ambitious and innovative project called Speaking without Voice, to “research, identify, record and present four Nigerian precolonial nonverbal communication systems”: the ideographic symbols of Nsibidi (one of the vivid cultural markers featured in the film Black Panther); the aesthetic cultural practice Uli; the semiotic code of Aroko objects; and the tonal ‘language’ of the talking drum.&nbsp;



The project was inspired by a chance encounter with a group of young men in east London. “I was at a church event, and I saw a group of young Nigerian boys beatboxing, but replicating the talking drum,” says Oma-Pius. “I asked if they knew the meaning of the sounds. They didn’t &#8211; and that set me thinking. So we created a new music theater piece to share the learning about the research we had done, in a theatrical form. It’s mainly about heritage, but also an indirect way to explore generation gap issues about how we Africans have abandoned our culture.”



Oma-Pius says the pandemic has hit the company hard, and that 95% of confirmed bookings in the UK have been cancelled, including the intensive programming attached to Britain’s Black History Month celebrations in October. In response, he says they are now pivoting to supply the demand for IROKO online content. The long-lived Iroko tree has deep, irrepressible roots. “On the whole, we are still confident,” he says.&nbsp;



The Sheffield-based Utopia Theatre company “aims to produce high-quality cross-cultural content that enhances the value of the African community, and promotes its recognition and its integration.” Its founder and artistic director is Moji Elufowoju, whose experience at drama school in Britain led to an epiphany about where her own directing career might lead.&nbsp;



“I’ve spent a lot of time in Nigeria and was exposed to Nigerian theater traditions, so when I first went to drama school here, I noticed the difference in the way stories are told in the western context,” she says. “I realized the only way I will be able to add something to the industry is to actually bring something of my own. I started spending more time going to Africa, seeing more theater. What you see in Nigeria is people rehearsing on the street. I’ve never read about a painter that waits around and says, ‘until I get a commission I’m not going to start painting’. If you’re an artist, you’re an artist. And that’s the way I started my career. I didn’t wait around for funding.”



“I’ve spent a lot of time in Nigeria and was exposed to Nigerian theater traditions, so when I first went to drama school here, I noticed the difference in the way stories are told in the western context,” she says. “I realized the only way I will be able to add something to the industry is to actually bring something of my own. I started spending more time going to Africa, seeing more theater. &#8220;



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">&#8220;What you see in Nigeria is people rehearsing on the street.&#8221;</blockquote>



&#8220;I’ve never read about a painter that waits around and says, ‘until I get a commission I’m not going to start painting’. If you’re an artist, you’re an artist. And that’s the way I started my career. I didn’t wait around for funding,&#8221; Elufowoju says.



Utopia Theatre was registered in 2015, and developed a fruitful collaborative relationship with Sheffield Theatres, who provided the company with rehearsal space and opportunities to perform. It aims at “dispelling stereotypes and encouraging authentic voices from the African diaspora”, in a synthesis of African and western performing traditions.&nbsp;



“A lot of the stories of black people on stage are quite stereotypical,” Elufowoju says. “Stories of slavery, or about knife crime, deprivation. What the company tries to focus on is the positive aspects of the lives of black people. That is why Sheffield Theatres have supported us, because they know we can also change some of the perceptions of who the audiences are that come in to that building. Theater is for all. It’s about ensuring the work that we make is for regular theatre-goers, but at the same time opens up a whole avenue for a different audience.”



Elufowoju’s latest production is Here’s What She Said to Me, a semi-autographical, inter-generational story of “that complex relationship that mothers and daughters have,” she says. “But it’s also about the journey of these women’s lives, the story of migration, and all the different challenges these women have faced.”&nbsp;



Sadly, the indomitable challenge of the coronavirus saw Utopia lose its rehearsal space, and the production is now on indefinite hold. But through its online Creative Hub, which runs until the end of the year, the company has reached out to the creative community in robust and valuable new ways. “We have been able to create paid opportunities for over 50 freelance African theater industry practitioners,” Elufowoju says, “who are delivering masterclasses, workshops, and mentorship projects. The Hub has been accessed by participants from all over the world, averaging 18,000 viewed minutes per publicly available session.” &nbsp;



There are also wider, systemic challenges faced by black and African-Caribbean theater practitioners which go beyond the devastating effects of the pandemic in the global arts sector. Sophia A Jackson is the founder of afridiziak.com, an online publication celebrating African-Caribbean theater. A former listings editor for the black British newspaper New Nation, Jackson says that while there are now a greater number of black theater actors and directors, there is still enormous under-representation in the sector as a whole (the 2018 Equality, Diversity and the Creative Case report estimates representation of people of color in the industry to be as low as 7%.)&nbsp;



“What you want is the people in lighting, set design, stage production, because obviously that’s more consistent work,” Jackson says. “And that’s hugely lacking in diversity; there are definitely more directors and producers than there were, but in terms of those technical roles it’s an area that needs developing.”



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Utopia-Theatre-production-Heres-What-She-Said-To-Me-photographed-by-George-Ayo-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-48624" width="285" height="427" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Utopia-Theatre-production-Heres-What-She-Said-To-Me-photographed-by-George-Ayo-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Utopia-Theatre-production-Heres-What-She-Said-To-Me-photographed-by-George-Ayo-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Utopia-Theatre-production-Heres-What-She-Said-To-Me-photographed-by-George-Ayo-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Utopia-Theatre-production-Heres-What-She-Said-To-Me-photographed-by-George-Ayo-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Utopia-Theatre-production-Heres-What-She-Said-To-Me-photographed-by-George-Ayo-1366x2048.jpg 1366w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Utopia-Theatre-production-Heres-What-She-Said-To-Me-photographed-by-George-Ayo-300x450.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Utopia-Theatre-production-Heres-What-She-Said-To-Me-photographed-by-George-Ayo-600x900.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Utopia-Theatre-production-Heres-What-She-Said-To-Me-photographed-by-George-Ayo-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 285px) 100vw, 285px" /></figure></div>



She says the media-popular, catch-all term BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) is unhelpful in discussions about arts diversity – she prefers ‘Black theater’ or ‘African-Caribbean theater’ – and that more still needs to be done to encourage an increase in black audiences; her website offers discounted tickets to her members when theaters make these available.



“But that doesn’t happen with every show and it doesn’t happen with every theater,” she says. “Some theaters care about the demographic of their audience. And some theaters don’t.”



Jackson is encouraged by the fact that several mainstream theaters in the British capital now have black artistic directors, and believes black theater will continue heading in a positive direction when we emerge into the world of the ‘new normal’, whatever that comes to mean for the theater industry.



“We’re there to make important decisions about the narrative of theater in London,” she says, “and that’s ground-breaking, really,&#8221; Jackson says.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">&#8220;There’s hope now as theaters reopen. I’m excited again, and looking forward to seeing how the sector adapts.”</blockquote>



That mighty Iroko tree, albeit worn and weathered, remains rooted. “I know in my heart we’re a long way off from theater going back to how it used to be,” Jackson says. “But in some ways – such as in the Black Lives Matter movement – maybe that’s a good thing.”



&nbsp;



-Alastair Hagger

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