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The World In 8
Dominique Lamoer
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The hottest topics and the latest trends
How Africa Connects Through Art, Music & Dance
Vibes Don't Lie:
Omo, forget borders and passports—if one thing connects Africans from Lagos to Lilongwe, it's the culture! From fine art to fire beats and dance moves that'll make you drop it like it's hot, Africa dey vibrates on a frequency of unity. No matter where you go on the continent, you'll find people expressing themselves with creativity that speaks louder than words.
Let's discuss how art, music, and dance are the real MVPs for connecting us across Africa.
Art: The OG Storyteller
Art in Africa is not just for "hanging on the wall," abeg! It's been our style of storytelling since time immemorial. African art is rich with history, identity, and vibes, whether it's the iconic Benin bronzes from Naija or the bold Ndebele wall paintings in Mzansi.
And now? Our artist's dey para with the brush o! Contemporary creatives like El Anatsui and Wangechi Mutu dey scatter everywhere with visuals touching everything from colonial palava to our shared future. You go see their work, and just dey nods, "Yes, this is OUR story."
Art festivals like Dak'Art in Senegal or FNB Art Joburg are like proper cultural linkups—there is plenty of Jollof of ideas, no competition, just pure collaboration.
Music: The Continental Vibe Plus
Ah, music? Forget it! That one is Africa's secret superpower. Whether it's Ghana's Highlife, Naija's Afrobeats, or South Africa's Amapiano, we cook sounds like stew—full of spice and sweet to the ear.
These days, you can hear one banger in Kampala, and everybody in Lusaka will dance the next day. Amapiano, for example, went from Soweto to Nairobi faster than Bolt. The beats are addictive, and the collabos are mad—imagine Burna Boy, Black Sherif, and Sho Madjozi on one track. That's the true definition of a shutdown. No lie, African music gives us one kind of ginger. When the beat drop, wahala no dey. We're all just vibing like one big family at Detty December.
Dance: Movement with Meaning (and Vibes!)
If you've ever jammed an Azonto or tried Gwara Gwara in front of the mirror, raise your hand! Dance no dey do tribalism, my friend. Whether traditional dances like Indlamu, Kpanlogo, or Adumu (yes, that Maasai jumping one) or TikTok challenges that go viral faster than suya disappear at a party, dance brings us together quickly.
African dance communicates—sometimes better than talking itself. It tells stories, celebrates milestones, and brings wahala-free happiness. And with social media, a single dance step from Kinshasa can reach Kigali, Cairo, and Cape Town in a flash.
Big-ups to all the African choreographers who are turning our traditional steps into global trends. Y'all are the real MVPs!
One Africa, Many Cultures, Same Vibe
Sometimes, it looks like we're different, but deep down, the groove unites us. Art, music, and dance have steadily reflected our collective spirit—loud, proud, and peppered with swag.
In a continent with so much diversity, it's mad how one rhythm or one mural can connect millions. Culture no get visa—na free pass! Whether you're jamming to Amapiano in Accra or painting murals in Kigali, now, say you're part of a bigger African beat.
So next time you hear a beat drop or see someone dancing on IG, don't dull—join the vibe, my G. Because in Africa, vibes don't lie.
What's your fave African song or dance move right now? Drop it in the comments, and let's connect in the most African way—through good vibes!
Cancel Culture
The late 2010s saw the rise of social media platforms, where people began to use their voices to hold larger figures accountable for problematic views, actions, or opinions. While cancel culture has undoubtedly yielded positive results, especially in combating online harassment, I fear we're now facing its darker side. Have we taken this cancel culture one step too far?
Nowadays, it's seeping into our personal relationships, family lives and even workplaces. Family members and peers are cutting off interactions with one another over perceived offences, often without fully considering the context. This has led me to wonder: have we lost sight of what's truly offensive versus someone simply being offended, behind the guise of cancel culture?
It is wonderful being part of the time that acknowledges and holds space for mental health, where we might consider our feelings and personal well-being.
However, as we navigate this era of heightened sensitivity, one might wonder: have we gotten a bit carried away with cancelling one another based on our feelings? Are we using feelings as a justification for shutting others out, rather than engaging in constructive dialogue? One might argue that cancel culture, now in our homes and even workplace, has stifled open dialogue and controversial opinions.
It's undeniable that our emotions play a significant role in shaping our experiences, but let's not forget that feelings are not facts. It's crucial to maintain a balance between emotional intelligence and critical thinking, especially in our day-to-day lives.
In today's fast-paced, 24/7 world, it's easy to get lost in the quest for correctness. We're constantly encouraged to be sensitive, inclusive, relatable, empathetic, and the rest of it, which has wonderful intentions. But, in our efforts to avoid missteps, triggers, traumas, and being cancelled, are we losing ourselves beneath all the bubble wrap?
Many of us come from a time where toxic behaviours, especially in the childhood home, were accepted. Where some parents would use their title as a lifelong immunity badge against accountability. And this is massively shifting, thanks to cancel culture.
However, one might argue that the extremism in cancelling someone we disagree with means we no longer foster a safe space to learn and make mistakes – is that not the opposite of what we were striving for in the first place? A safe space?
Are we simply checking out at a moment's notice, in the name of boundaries and triggers? There are times I catch myself in my feels, leading me to wonder, have we perhaps become a bit arrogant as to think we are entitled to go through life having never been offended?
But now, how do we build and foster these safe environments? Surely not by turning a cold shoulder every time we take offence. Nor by running to our Aunty at every gruelling family event, enraged and seeking validation, or by pushing out that one girlfriend because she laughed at your gentle parenting approach (I mean more power to you if it works with your little tyrants!), or even by gossiping around the proverbial water cooler.
As we navigate these complex issues, now more than ever, I believe it's crucial to prioritise growth over validation.
To have uncomfortable conversations, to consider multiple perspectives, and agreeing to disagree are all essential components of personal growth. But when we prioritise cancelling over understanding, we risk losing valuable opportunities for personal growth and even community.
Or have friend and foe become the only two options left? Have we completely abandoned the fundamental principles of "innocent until proven guilty" and "benefit of the doubt"? Have everyone's feelings become Judge, Jury, and Executioner? This writer sure hopes not. Perhaps it is time to abandon this domesticated cancel culture and rather leave it to the exposing and social stripping of the world's bigots and orange clowns.
Perhaps we can at least acknowledge that not every feeling requires a label. Not every negative emotion is a trauma or a trigger. It's okay to simply feel without needing to assign a complex emotional diagnosis. This can help us break free from the need to over-analyse and over-share every experience and every feeling.
When we do feel the sting of our past traumas, let's be brave and ask for support instead of clutching our pearls and criticising. We are in the driver's seat when it comes to our own triggers – no one else is responsible for our emotional responses. That is our power.
Rather than lose ourselves in the constant haze of self-censorship, perhaps we can take a step back and allow one another the safe space to make mistakes and learn. By embracing respect and a willingness to be wrong, we can sit at the same table and engage in meaningful discussions, even when we disagree.
One of my favourite sayings adapted –
"I will work on me, for you. You work on yourself, for me."
As autumn sheds all that has reached its cycle, perhaps we can too, and go into winter with a little self-care and introspection, making space for some new healthy growth, maybe even a new sense of community.
Clean slate, anyone?
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: NOT YOUR ORDINARY SHWESHWE
“African fashion is a symphony of colours, textures, and patterns, harmonising the old with the new.” – Duro Olowu, Nigerian-born British designer
As we celebrate Africa Month, we spotlight shweshwe dresses made of a unique fabric with a rich history and a potent symbol of African identity and pride: 100% natural 3 Cats fabric.
One of our very own, Zama Mazibuko’s fashion brand, Amangwe Creations’ newest range is inspired by African prints and 3 Cats fabric, a fave with newlywed women and ladies attending traditional events/ceremonies. Her dresses are vibrant and have unique patterns while maintaining the traditional significance, integrating very easily into modern fashion.
Here are some designs from Amangwe Creations, showcasing the distinctive and beautiful aesthetic of African prints and seshweshwe:
*You can find Amangwe Creations on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Zama currently only take orders on her business WhatsApp: 0663841403
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It’s About The Balance!
If you are well acquainted with me, you know I have a big love for food! All food, any food, I rarely discriminate.
Today I will eat a giant plate of lip-smackin’ prawns; tomorrow I will have a massive sandwich THICK with the pinkest polony I can find. The more radioactive the pink, the better! And I don’t care what it is made of; I am eating until the heartburn takes me down.
In my younger years I remember thinking, the day I have polony, atchar and cheese on the same sandwich is the day I have finally reached financial freedom. Now, of course, my cholesterol would never allow such a union, never mind the economy. Has anyone else noticed you can get a kilo of rump steak for the same prices they have us paying for cheddar???
In celebration of Africa Month, I wanted to honour a dish loved by most of us South Africans! Even when it tried to unalive us back in 2020. The almighty tin fish, Lucky Star Pilchards.
This tin of goodness has been my favourite since I was a little girl. I fondly remember running back into the kitchen with my mug ready to get another scoop of pilchards, samp, and bean stew.
My absolute best.
Or those wonderful beach days with the mix of families all together, enjoying the sun, and queuing up in front of the giant pots perched on the beach blanket, filled with the yummiest pilchard biryani Aunty had prepared the night before.
Little Corallee didn’t know it back then, but those would be some of the best years of community she would ever experience, and she still has very fond memories. Alas she is a Joburg girl now!
This foodie, however, knows, when it comes to tin fish, you either love it or you hate it! So I bring you… the Ying and the Yang! The Elegant and the Economical! The Payday and the Last stretch!
Haddock Pie or Pilchard Pie, which will you be enjoying?
Haddock & Peas
Ingredients -
X1 Pack Phyllo pastry (melted butter to brush before baking)
450-500 gram smoked Haddock
250 ml Milk
120 ml Cream
1 tsp Chicken stock/or 1 billoun, dissolved in 100ml hot water
2 medium-large Leeks, diced (normal white onions also work)
100 grams Peas
100 grams Butter
2 TBSP Flour
½ cup cheddar cheese grated (if parmesan then ¼ cup will do)
Fresh Parsley
Step 1; Bring milk to boil, then add haddock. Allow to poach for 5 minutes. Drain out of milk, set milk aside (we using it later) Set haddock aside to cool.
Step 2; Separate pan sauté leeks in the butter till browned, around 5 minutes. Add flour, stirring for around 1 minute.
Step 3; Add ½ cup of haddock milk (previously set aside), stirring continuously and slowly adding fresh cream and chicken stock water.
Step 4; once a thick sauce has formed add peas and cook in sauce for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
Step 5; Roughly measure out about half of the sauce mixture into a bowl, set aside allowing to cool. Return remaining sauce to stove top and add your cheese (any sharp cheese will do, cheddar is perfect, parmesan is fantastic) and stir till melted. Feel free to add a little more milk/cream for a smoother less thickened consistency. You will serve your parcel ontop of this sauce.
(#hottip Moms if you are trying to get some more veges into the little one’s bellys, this kind of sauce is your best Trojan horse! Using frozen cauliflower (I use McCain or Harvest, Any will do) place a handful in the blender and blend with a little hot water or milk till it’s smooth, stir into hot cheese sauce allowing to cook for a few minutes. Now you have a cauliflower packed cheese sauce and I promise the family will LOVE it! )
Step 5; Now that your other half of sauce has cooled, using your hands break haddock into sauce folding to get her to make a thick chunky stuffing. Allow mixture to cool.
Step 6; Now we working with the phyllo pastry, first make sure you have a damp/wet cloth close by, as you will need to keep you’re pastry covered with this as we work – she dries out quickly and we want to avoid this. Your pastry will be in a rectangular shape, with multiple layers – cut down the middle to create 2 smaller rectangular stacks. Now stack them onto one another, one horizontal, one vertical, one horizontal, one vertical, brushing a tiny bit of melted butter between layers.
Step 7; Separate your filling into 4 equal servings, and place a serving at the centre of your pastry stack. Grabbing one corner at a time bring them to the centre and squeeze them closed in the middle, giving you a tear drop parcel bag.
Step 8; brush exterior with melted butter and pop in the oven for 20-30 minutes, till it is golden crispy. Serve on a generous spoon of cheesy pea sauce and enjoy!
Pilchards & Beans
Ingredients -
X1 Pack Phyllo pastry (melted butter to brush before baking)
2 tins of Lucky star Pilchards (I used peri-peri, but you can use any flavour profile, even combining them works great)
1 tin baked beans
2 medium white onions, diced
1 TBSP Tomato paste
1 TBSP Rama (gold and navy label - optional)
80ml mayo (optional)
1 tin Chakalaka (I used mild and spicey, but use whatever your preference is)
Step 1; sauté diced onions in a dollop of oil, till caramelized, around 5 minutes.
Step 2; Add your pilchard (once drained and bones removed – removal of bones is obviously a personal choice, no essential)
Step 3; Add tomato paste, mayonnaise, baked beans (drained) and stir in a fold like manner as to maintain as much chunkiness as possible!
Step 4; once everything is beautifully married and hot, simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 5; Now this is optional, but I always like to stir through a nice big TBSP of Rama in the end. I don’t know why, but it just makes it so much yummier! But it MUST be the navy and gold label. This is the Daddy of the Rama brands! But feel free to omit if you aren’t vibing the extra fat. Finally, allow to cool. If I am impatient, I add it to the freezer for a good 20 minutes.
Follow Steps 6 – 8 from above, only this time once cook is finished, you will serve your Pilchard bean pie on a good spoonful of chakalaka, and ENJOY!
“The Real Africa”
A poem written by Trishula Patel
"The real Africa is the one they never show you.
The real Africa is hidden beneath a veneer of poverty and hunger and death; a cancerous mass on the face of the earth that the rest of the world term homogenous ‘Africa. The real Africa is submerged underneath corruption and greed, underneath tyranny and an ostentatious elite, underneath the faces of the people they cannot feed. The real Africa is buried beneath shanty towns rife with dirt and disease, where children are brought up too quickly to survive. The real Africa is under a nomad’s desert, bare and dry, unable to sustain green and healthy life.
No, that’s not the real Africa.
The Africa I know, the Africa that is reflected in the warm sunshine that you can feel burning inside of you. The Africa that shines from a warm, spontaneous smile. The Africa that is at the heart of sky-high mountains and tropical jungle, of golden sand dunes and lush green grassland. The Africa that is at the heart of different people, different languages, different cultures, different identities who all call this land their home.
The land where moyo muti unomera pauno; where roots take hold and don’t let go, solid as the baobab tree that has always been and will always be there, standing steady and solid against the menaces of time.
My Africa is where my heart resides even when I am long gone and far away, where my mind drifts to across the distance of a never-ending ocean. The real Africa can be smelt the minute you step off a plane onto African soil and feel the air calling you, beckoning you home."
RIP COBRIZY
MultiChoice is deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Presley Chweneyagae, a powerhouse performer, cultural icon, and beloved star of The River and Cobrizi.
From his Oscar-winning role in Tsotsi to becoming a household name as Cobra, Presley brought truth, humour and humanity to every role. His legacy will live on through the stories he told and the lives he touched. Our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fans. Rest in power, Presley Chweneyagae.
COC' Tales
Salutations, celebrations and congratulations!
Time To Play
Videographer:
Given Mashego, Sisa Canca, Emmah Ngomane, Tebogo Moletsane, and Washu Ratshiungo
Mental Health Awareness: A Shared Responsibility
Mental health is an essential part of our overall well-being, yet it is often overlooked or misunderstood.
That’s why Mental Health Awareness is recognised both nationally and globally, with dedicated months and days aimed at education, support, and destigmatisation.
Key Moments in Mental Health Awareness
May: Mental Health Month was launched in 1949 by Mental Health America and has since grown into a global movement. It’s a time to promote mental wellness, highlight resources, and challenge the stigma around mental illness.
October: The 10th of October marks World Mental Health Day, recognised by the World Health Organization. This global observance shines a light on the importance of mental health education and open dialogue.
In South Africa, the month of October is dedicated to raising awareness around mental health challenges, encouraging public conversations, and building supportive communities.
Why the Green Ribbon?
The green ribbon has become a powerful symbol for mental health awareness across the world. Its meaning has evolved over time—once associated with outdated and stigmatising labels in the 1800s, the colour green was historically linked to terms like “green sickness,” used to describe various misunderstood health conditions in Western society.
Thankfully, this narrative has changed. In the early 2000s, organisations such as the Mental Health Foundation (UK) and later the South African Federation for Mental Health (SAFMH) and SCOUTS South Africa reclaimed green as a symbol of growth, renewal, and emotional healing. Today, the green ribbon stands for hope, support, and the journey toward mental well-being.
Bringing It Back to the Workplace
As colleagues, being mindful of one another’s mental well-being is not just compassionate—it’s essential for a thriving and productive work culture. Whether it’s through a kind word, active listening, or simply creating space for others to feel safe and heard, we each play a role in supporting mental health at work.
10 GREAT AFRICAN FILMS
With fifty-four countries and over three thousand ethnic groups on the continent that is Africa, we live in a thriving diaspora filled with dreams, stories, advenutres, challenges and triumphs.
With all eyes on Hollywood, we tend to forget the rich, deep pool of talent that tells our stories, as we have let the West tell ours.
That is why the criteria for these ten movies are those that are made in Africa by Africans. So, there will not be movies like Blood Diamond or Casablanca on this list. And because art is also subjective, there is no ranking. These are ten films that tell the African experience, and were successful commercially or critically.
Half Of A Yellow Sun (2013)
This Anglo-Nigerian drama film is based on the novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and tells the story of two sisters in Nigeria during the Biafran War of the late 1960s.
The film boasts a strong African cast starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandiwe Newton, and Onyeka Onwenu, and was filmed on location in Nigeria.
It is deep, poignant and still relevant to matters of state and of the heart.
Cairo Station (1958)
All human life is here: the phrase really does apply to Youssef Chahine's tragic iconic masterpiece. Cairo Station is the setting for a disturbing, passionate drama about Qinawi, a lame newspaper vendor, played by Chahine himself, and his unrequited desire for Hanuma, the Bardot-ish lemonade seller.
The film switches as Qinawi's love turns to obsession. The mood darkens, and elements of Hitchcock and Powell creep in. Cairo Station attains an air of a tragedy, crammed into one time and place.
Yeelen (1987)
Malian film-maker Souleymane Cissé, created this magical quest that was a hit at the 1987 Cannes film festival, where it won the Jury prize.
Set in the distant past (or perhaps the timeless present or mysterious future), it is the story of a father-son confrontation. A young man called Niankoro leaves the family home on a mission to find the spiritual enlightenment and strength he will need in the inevitable showdown with the father who deserted him and his mother.
Atlantique (2019)
French-Senegalese actor-turned-director Mati Diop created a modern classic in Atlantique, as it straddles traditions of realism and fable with a compelling docu-supernatural enigma.
Arranged to marry a rich man, young Ada is crushed when her true love goes missing at sea during a migration attempt.
The film is centred around a young woman, Ada, and her partner, Souleiman, struggling in the face of employment, class, forbideen love, migration, crime, family struggles, and ghosts.
Skoonheid (Beauty) (2011)
A fiercely powerful yet subtle and complex, uncompromising and shocking South African-set movie. Deon Lotz is a tour de force as he plays François, a middle-aged white Afrikaaner family man with a secret passion that he indulges with like-minded white men.
The film explores homosexuality, tradition, duty, and obsession in the context of power, control or the lack thereof.
I Am Not a Witch (2017)
Zambian-born director Rungano Nyoni created a film that is technically brilliant as she exhibits the innocence of the child and the pain of the ostracised outsider.
This film has a distinctive subversion and comedy that makes I Am Not a Witch irresistible.
In a remote Zambian community, a girl is denounced as a witch and sent on a trajectory of exploitation as a tethered member of a witches' camp, a witch for hire and a tourist exhibit.
Lumumba (2000)
This tremendously powerful true story of the controversial leader of independent Congo, Patrice Lumumba, takes on a life of its own. Drawing you in from the very beginning, this film takes you on a journey of freedom, betrayal, and a nation's hopes and dreams deferred.
It is a cautionary tale that the world has still not heeded.
Sarafina! (1992)
"FREEDOM IS COMING!" rang through the air as this film took the world by storm in the early 90s.
Seen from the experience of Sarafina (Leleti Khumalo) is a young black South African struggling for freedom during the apartheid. This film looks at the South African teenagers fight against apartheid in the Soweto Uprising.
Featuring the star power of EGOT winner Whoopi Goldberg, this film not just told a story of struggle but also helped catapult African film, into the mainstream.
Timbuktu (2014)
The acclaimed Mauritania-born director’s account of a jihadist occupation is a mesmerising and extraordinarily beautiful tragedy.
Through crimes – both real and imagined – and their consequences, Sissako looks at the human cost rather than the political implications.
A cattle herder and his family who reside in the dunes of Timbuktu find their quiet lives -- which are typically free of the Jihadists determined to control their faith -- abruptly disturbed.
With Timbuktu, Sissako made one of the most poignant tragedies of the 21st century and confirmed himself as one of modern cinema’s great directors.
District 9 (2009)
This film is a clever and prophetic sci-fi satire about migrants and xenophobia from South African film-maker Neill Blomkamp. In a not-so-distant future dystopian time, a spaceship containing aliens who have been expelled from their native planet hovers over a city.
Caring, progressive politicians from Earth have allowed these weirdly shaped creatures (nicknamed “prawns”) to settle in an area outside the city, which becomes a lawless zone called District 9.
Honerable Mentions:
BoxOffice
Here Are Your Top Six Titles That You Can Rent On BoxOffice for July to August.
DIRECTOR: Ricardo Curtis, Rodrigo Perez-Castro
CAST: David Harbour, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Scott Thompson
A wolf and mountain lion team up when a meteor unleashes a virus turning zoo animals into zombies. They join forces with other survivors to rescue the zoo and stop the deranged mutant leader from spreading the virus.
