Arts + Culture – Views & Research – The Conversation

An oil painting showing a woman in traditional headgear seated in front of a landscape of mountains and sky.

An oil painting showing a woman in traditional headgear seated in front of a landscape of mountains and sky.

Zimbabwean artist Option Nyahunzvi explores cultural values in a bold new exhibition

Barnabas Ticha Muvhuti, Rice University

An African woman sits in a chair in purple traditional attire, gesturing at the camera as she talks animatedly.

An African woman sits in a chair in purple traditional attire, gesturing at the camera as she talks animatedly.

Sophie Oluwole, the trailblazing Nigerian woman who redefined philosophy

Christophe Premat, Stockholm University

What does a house mean to you? We asked some women who head households in South Africa

Mziwandile Sobantu, University of Johannesburg and Emmison Muleya, University of the Witwatersrand

Women walk on a dirt road past a sign with an illustration of a man accosting a woman.

Women walk on a dirt road past a sign with an illustration of a man accosting a woman.

Faith leaders joined the fight against woman abuse in the DRC. Did it help?

Meg A. Warren, Western Washington University

What is happiness? A philosopher looks for answers

Anné H. Verhoef, North-West University

A wall painted in different bright colours with graffitti of a red smiley face.

A wall painted in different bright colours with graffitti of a red smiley face.

Colonialism in Africa: archaeology offers a deeper view

Timothy Clack, University of Oxford and Shadreck Chirikure, University of Oxford

Old map of Africa

Old map of Africa

An African man stands on a stage in an elaborate suit with pink flowers on it, behind him a woman in pink raises a finger in the air, her back to him.

An African man stands on a stage in an elaborate suit with pink flowers on it, behind him a woman in pink raises a finger in the air, her back to him.

Prophets and profits: the art of the sell in Shepherd Bushiri’s YouTube sermons

Ambrose Kolawole Dada, Nelson Mandela University and Janelle Vermaak-Griessel, Nelson Mandela University

Dance scenes in South African rock art: a closer look at ritual, music and movement

Joshua Kumbani, University of Tübingen and Margarita Díaz-Andreu, Universitat de Barcelona

Painting of human figures moving

Painting of human figures moving

Forgiveness isn’t always easy, but studies show it can help you flourish

Richard G. Cowden, Harvard University

An illustration of a black hand holding up a delicate white flower.

An illustration of a black hand holding up a delicate white flower.

An African woman walks down a street past a mural that reads "My body. My rights. My choice."

An African woman walks down a street past a mural that reads "My body. My rights. My choice."

Sierra Leone’s harsh new laws to protect women and girls are causing harm in the wrong places

Luisa T. Schneider, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Independent Social Research Foundation

Adolescents on bicycles carry tubs of drinking water on a rural path.

Adolescents on bicycles carry tubs of drinking water on a rural path.

Children’s views are rarely sought by researchers: we found a way to do it

Deborah Levison, University of Minnesota and Anna Bolgrien, University of Minnesota

Statue of a woman against a stained glass window inside a church

Statue of a woman against a stained glass window inside a church

Clergy wives in Ghana can be powerful – but it takes constant bargaining with men

Abena Kyere, University of Ghana

East Africa’s dismal football record doesn’t match its passion – what needs to happen

Wycliffe W. Njororai Simiyu, Stephen F. Austin State University

A crowd of sports fans in a stadium. A woman wears a sash reading 'God Bless Kenya'.

A crowd of sports fans in a stadium. A woman wears a sash reading 'God Bless Kenya'.

South African novelist Lauretta Ngcobo is the subject of a tender and urgent new film

Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Harvard University

Two polaroid-style photos of an African woman, one looking deadpan ahead and the other off into the distance, colourised backgrounds in blue and red.

Two polaroid-style photos of an African woman, one looking deadpan ahead and the other off into the distance, colourised backgrounds in blue and red.

Street food in Mombasa: how city life shaped the modern meal

Devin Smart, West Virginia University

A hand cooking a flat bread on a pan on a fire.

A hand cooking a flat bread on a pan on a fire.

New rugby rules for South African kids aim to keep them safe: what does the research say?

Sharief Hendricks, University of Cape Town

Boys running on a field

Boys running on a field

An illustration of a photo with a bright red background, showing two young women smiling broadly.

An illustration of a photo with a bright red background, showing two young women smiling broadly.

Banning Rafiki was unlawful: why new court ruling is an important moment for African film

Gibson Ncube, Stellenbosch University

A group of football fans at a stadium

A group of football fans at a stadium

Afcon drama: what went wrong and what went right at the continent’s biggest football cup in Morocco

Chuka Onwumechili, Howard University

Group of women wearing chequered blankets and patterned headscarves

Group of women wearing chequered blankets and patterned headscarves

Marriage and migration: what happens when men return to the family home in Botswana

Unaludo Sechele, University of the Free State

AI can make the dead talk – why this doesn’t comfort us

Tom Divon, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Christian Pentzold, University of Leipzig

Drawing of a person hugging an outline figure with an electronic circuitry pattern

Drawing of a person hugging an outline figure with an electronic circuitry pattern

Two Kenyan women rebuild libraries in a quietly powerful new documentary

Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Harvard University

Steps leading up to colonial style building with pillars. A woman is mopping the steps.

Steps leading up to colonial style building with pillars. A woman is mopping the steps.

Looted African belongings must be returned: is it repatriation or restitution? The words we use matter

Victoria Gibbon, University of Cape Town and Ciraj Rassool, University of the Western Cape

Stone standing in a landscape and bearing an inscription

Stone standing in a landscape and bearing an inscription

Kenya’s ‘night running’: how a rural ritual with links to witchcraft became an urban staple

Maureen Amimo, Maasai Mara University

Several well-lit buildings against a dark blue sky.

Several well-lit buildings against a dark blue sky.

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Most read this week

Music

A painting of a supper with a futurist backdrop. Men and women and children laugh and partake, at the head of the table an African man in a gold headpiece raises a gold goblet.

A painting of a supper with a futurist backdrop. Men and women and children laugh and partake, at the head of the table an African man in a gold headpiece raises a gold goblet.

Revolutionary rap: Nigerian star Falz has kept protest music alive

Paul Onanuga, Federal University, Oye Ekiti

Pops Mohamed mixed old and new to reinvent South African music

Gwen Ansell, University of Pretoria

Black and white image of a man playing the strings of a wooden musical instrument, singing into a microphone alongside it, his eyes closed.

Black and white image of a man playing the strings of a wooden musical instrument, singing into a microphone alongside it, his eyes closed.

Kippie Moeketsi at 100: the soul-stirring story of a South African jazz legend

Gwen Ansell, University of Pretoria

A portrait of a weary-looking African man holding a cigarette, pensive.

A portrait of a weary-looking African man holding a cigarette, pensive.

Feya Faku as I knew him – a tribute to the great South African jazz trumpeter

Darius Brubeck, University of KwaZulu-Natal

A black and white photo of a bald-headed African man blowing into a trumpet, his eyes closed.

A black and white photo of a bald-headed African man blowing into a trumpet, his eyes closed.

Amadou Bagayoko: the blind Malian musician whose joyful songs changed west African music

Lucy Durán, SOAS, University of London

Read more on African musicians

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Film + TV

A man sits at a laptop with a microphone

A man sits at a laptop with a microphone

Inside Uganda’s video halls, ‘video jokers’ transform Hollywood blockbusters into local entertainment

Damien Pollard, Northumbria University, Newcastle

How Nollywood films help Kenyan housemaids make sense of their lives

Solomon Waliaula, Maasai Mara University

An African housekeeper in a uniform straightens a sheet on a bed with a faraway look on her face.

An African housekeeper in a uniform straightens a sheet on a bed with a faraway look on her face.

Ghana’s films don’t often make it to Netflix – local solutions may be the answer

Robin Steedman, University of Glasgow; Ana Alacovska, Copenhagen Business School; Rashida Resario, University of Ghana, and Thilde Langevang, Copenhagen Business School

A man holding a camera

A man holding a camera

Netflix gives African film a platform – but the cultural price is high

Wunpini Fatimata Mohammed, Cornell University

A woman looks angrily at something off camera, arms folded, a group behind her looking at her.

A woman looks angrily at something off camera, arms folded, a group behind her looking at her.

Shaka iLembe: finally, a TV series on the Zulu king that’s true to language and culture

Bongephiwe Dlamini-Myeni, University of Zululand

A muscular man stands in front of a reed and wood homestead wearing armbands and a codpiece of animal hair, beads across his chest.

A muscular man stands in front of a reed and wood homestead wearing armbands and a codpiece of animal hair, beads across his chest.

Read more on African cinema

Books

Read more on African writers

African poetry is celebrated in a groundbreaking publishing project

Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Harvard University

South African writer Zoë Wicomb embraced humanity in all its complexity

Andrew van der Vlies, University of Adelaide

A young light-skinned African woman with a large Afro, eyes cast downward and face deadpan.

A young light-skinned African woman with a large Afro, eyes cast downward and face deadpan.

Darker Shade of Pale: why I wrote a book about my grandfather and how it changed my view of him

Leslie Swartz, Stellenbosch University and Deborah Posel, University of Cape Town

Black and white photo of a seated woman holding a bouquet of flowers and a man standing behind her

Black and white photo of a seated woman holding a bouquet of flowers and a man standing behind her

African novels are being translated to English in a bold new trend. We review Ignatius Mabasa’s The Mad

Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Harvard University

A figurative painting of African men talking on the street.

A figurative painting of African men talking on the street.

NoViolet Bulawayo wins the best of 25 years of the Caine Prize. Why she deserves it

Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Harvard University

A young dreadlocked African woman in a wax print fabric dress sits in a red auditorium chair looking directly to camera, hands clasped.

A young dreadlocked African woman in a wax print fabric dress sits in a red auditorium chair looking directly to camera, hands clasped.

Browse our arts, culture and society archive

Faith

A black and white photo of Africans worshipping, hands in the air.

A black and white photo of Africans worshipping, hands in the air.

God in Nigeria: the country’s novelists help us understand the complexity of Christianity

Adriaan van Klinken, University of Leeds

Jesus chatbots are on the rise. A philosopher puts them to the test

Anné H. Verhoef, North-West University

A digital image of a man with a halo and shoulder length hair in a robe, an orange sky behind him.

A digital image of a man with a halo and shoulder length hair in a robe, an orange sky behind him.

Zimbabwean artist Portia Zvavahera turns her prayers into paintings

Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Harvard University

An African woman with long dreadlocks smiles as she looks into camera, standing in front of a table with paints and brushes, behind her a large red painting.

An African woman with long dreadlocks smiles as she looks into camera, standing in front of a table with paints and brushes, behind her a large red painting.

Christians and the British empire: how a church NGO got entangled in colonial violence in Kenya

Poppy Cullen, Loughborough University

Black and white photo of armed men in uniform standing over a group of people who are squatting on the ground with their arms held above their heads

Black and white photo of armed men in uniform standing over a group of people who are squatting on the ground with their arms held above their heads

God and Nollywood: how Pentecostal churches have shaped Nigerian film

Elizabeth Olayiwola, University of Abuja

A film studio with a cameraman filming a scene involving a priest and a woman in a confessional.

A film studio with a cameraman filming a scene involving a priest and a woman in a confessional.

Read more on TB Joshua

History + heritage

Apongo was a rebel leader in Jamaica – a diary entry sheds light on his west African origins

Devin Leigh, University of California, Berkeley

Early shoppers: how African consumers set global trade trends in the 1800s

Alessandro De Cola, Universität Wien; Università di Bologna; Giorgio Tosco, Universität Trier, and Mariella Terzoli

A colourised historical illustration of African men at a shelter talking with a man in European clothing. They hold elephant tusks and metal objects.

A colourised historical illustration of African men at a shelter talking with a man in European clothing. They hold elephant tusks and metal objects.

The history of the Zambezi River is a tale of culture, conquest and commerce

Malyn Newitt, King's College London

A black and white photo of a boat on a wide river with a crowded group of Africans holding long sticks.

A black and white photo of a boat on a wide river with a crowded group of Africans holding long sticks.

Muslim ritual meets Swahili culture at Kenya’s unique annual maulidi festival

Tom Mboya Olali, University of Nairobi

A group of young men in Muslim attire laugh and smile and cross their arms over their chests as they move.

A group of young men in Muslim attire laugh and smile and cross their arms over their chests as they move.

Ciara’s Beninese citizenship: marketing ploys can’t heal the past

Kwasi Konadu, Colgate University

A sandy path leading to an arch

A sandy path leading to an arch

Read more on history + heritage

Sport

A young African man in a wheelchair holds a basketball in his lap on a court, looking ahead and about to throw it.

A young African man in a wheelchair holds a basketball in his lap on a court, looking ahead and about to throw it.

Wheelchair basketball: what can be learned from a South African athlete’s journey to France

Phoebe Runciman, Stellenbosch University

Nigeria wins its 10th Wafcon title – but women’s football has never been more competitive

Chuka Onwumechili, Howard University

An African woman with short bleached hair poses for a photo against an orange backdrop, holding a hand playfully to her ear.

An African woman with short bleached hair poses for a photo against an orange backdrop, holding a hand playfully to her ear.

Women’s basketball in Nigeria is on a winning streak: how to take it further

Michael Gbemisola Aina, University of Ilorin

Ahmed Faras will be remembered as a football hero and symbol of Morocco

Abderrahim Rharib, Université Hassan II Casablanca – AUF

An old colour portrait of an earnest young man looking straight to camera.

An old colour portrait of an earnest young man looking straight to camera.

Cricket’s great global divide: elite schools still shape the sport

Habib Noorbhai, University of Johannesburg

Read more on African football

Cities + societies

Stamp with illustration of bus and people with baggage

Stamp with illustration of bus and people with baggage

The price of going home: Christmas boxes and the final return from South Africa to Zimbabwe

Saana Hansen, University of Helsinki

Marriage and migration: what happens when men return to the family home in Botswana

Unaludo Sechele, University of the Free State

Group of women wearing chequered blankets and patterned headscarves

Group of women wearing chequered blankets and patterned headscarves

Internet shutdowns are increasing dramatically in Africa – a new book explains why

Tony Roberts, Institute of Development Studies

We studied the walking habits of young men in Cape Town and London – and debunked a myth

Bradley Rink, University of the Western Cape and Gina Porter, Durham University

A wide shot of a wall with graffitti and a young African man walking resolutely in work clothes.

A wide shot of a wall with graffitti and a young African man walking resolutely in work clothes.

News influencers are reshaping the media – insights from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa

Amy Ross Arguedas, University of Oxford and Nic Newman, University of Oxford

An illustration of an open mouth with bright red lips.

An illustration of an open mouth with bright red lips.

Read more on African cities

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