Arts + Culture – Views & Research – The Conversation

An African woman in heavy-rimmed angular glasses and a bright dress gesures as she sits talking in a chair in a modern architectural space.

An African woman in heavy-rimmed angular glasses and a bright dress gesures as she sits talking in a chair in a modern architectural space.

6 African thinkers who help us understand the world – new book

Christophe Premat, Stockholm University

A mosaic artwork of a dark-skinned man in a bishop's headgear holding a staff.

A mosaic artwork of a dark-skinned man in a bishop's headgear holding a staff.

Love, grace and world peace: how an African saint has shaped Pope Leo’s worldview

Catherine Conybeare, Bryn Mawr College

Afcon controversy: what a sports law specialist says about Senegal being stripped of the title

Abdoulaye Sakho, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar

A green bus photographed from below, men sitting on its roof, one holding aloft a trophy against the blue sky.

A green bus photographed from below, men sitting on its roof, one holding aloft a trophy against the blue sky.

Pope Leo’s visit to Africa: theology scholar outlines 3 realities the Catholic church must face

Stan Chu Ilo, DePaul University

A seated man dressed in white robes holding a piece of white paper and speaking into a microphone

A seated man dressed in white robes holding a piece of white paper and speaking into a microphone

An old city wall on a rocky hill, beneath it a dense array of square and angular old buildings of different sizes

An old city wall on a rocky hill, beneath it a dense array of square and angular old buildings of different sizes

Designing cities: should we build from scratch or keep history alive?

Abeer Elshater, Ain Shams University and Hisham Abusaada, Housing and Building National Research Center

Old wallpaper showing birds in delicate branches of a tree is peeling, revealing cemenrt beneath it.

Old wallpaper showing birds in delicate branches of a tree is peeling, revealing cemenrt beneath it.

Cape Fever: a haunting new novel from award-winning South African writer Nadia Davids

Olivier Moreillon, University of Johannesburg

A middle-aged man in glasses stares at the camera as a muscular arm grips his head and clenches a fist.

A middle-aged man in glasses stares at the camera as a muscular arm grips his head and clenches a fist.

Inside The Manosphere exposes online hate and the dying voice of traditional media

Dylan Valley, University of Cape Town

Pentecostal churches are a place of everyday care, not just bizarre spectacle: southern African study

Admire Thonje, University of Johannesburg

Two young African women smile as they sing, surrounded by other people in a gathering, some with raised arms.

Two young African women smile as they sing, surrounded by other people in a gathering, some with raised arms.

Brutal Mau Mau camps in Kenya were an extension of Britain’s colonial prison system – historian traces their roots

Ian Caistor-Parker, University of Warwick

Men huddled on the ground while two others stand towering over them.

Men huddled on the ground while two others stand towering over them.

Graphic of young women, back to back. looking at laptop screens, with streaks of light leading up a mountainside in the background

Graphic of young women, back to back. looking at laptop screens, with streaks of light leading up a mountainside in the background

Makemation: a Nollywood movie that shows AI in action in Africa

Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Harvard University

An iceberg with a hole in it looks sculptural and foreboding.

An iceberg with a hole in it looks sculptural and foreboding.

Ice Shock is a novel about passionate love in a time of climate crisis

Rodwell Makombe, North-West University

A football trophy featuring a globe cradled with the map of Africa prominent.

A football trophy featuring a globe cradled with the map of Africa prominent.

Senegal stripped of title: Afcon ruling is lawful, but it puts Caf’s reputation at risk

Fabrice Lollia, Université Gustave Eiffel

Zanele Muholi: queer South African visual activist cements their global influence

Kylie Thomas, NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies

An African woman poses for a portrait against a wall of portraits in black and white.

An African woman poses for a portrait against a wall of portraits in black and white.

Diana Ferrus: the South African poet whose words reclaimed history

Barbara Boswell, University of Cape Town

An African woman holds her arms apart in a gesture as she speaks alongside a man playing the guitar.

An African woman holds her arms apart in a gesture as she speaks alongside a man playing the guitar.

Namibia: the history of a country shaped from a rich and traumatic past

Henning Melber, University of Pretoria

A coastline with a road containing cars and vast sand dunes on the other side of it.

A coastline with a road containing cars and vast sand dunes on the other side of it.

Khaby Lame is the world’s most followed TikToker: the story of a Senegalese-born star who sold his identity

Fanny Georges, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris 3

Human traffickers are using football dreams to lure young Ghanaian men to Nigeria – how to stop it

Suleman Lazarus, London School of Economics and Political Science

A vintage black and white photo of a dark-haired woman wearing a dress with a fur collar.

A vintage black and white photo of a dark-haired woman wearing a dress with a fur collar.

Memory is not to be trusted: a South African memoir traces the search for a family secret

Miki Flockemann, University of the Western Cape

Silhouette of people dancing

Silhouette of people dancing

Afrobeats celebrates cybercrime and it’s becoming a global problem

Suleman Lazarus, London School of Economics and Political Science

The Voice of Hind Rajab: Tunisian director’s devastating film about Palestine

Florence Martin, Goucher College

Three women, one in a headscarf, stand anxiously above a man seated with a phone in his hand.

Three women, one in a headscarf, stand anxiously above a man seated with a phone in his hand.

Mali’s maestro of African salsa: how Boncana Maïga shaped dance music

Lucy Durán, SOAS, University of London

An African man leans against a classic turquoise convertible in a street with a mural of musicians behind him.

An African man leans against a classic turquoise convertible in a street with a mural of musicians behind him.

Sophie Oluwole, the trailblazing Nigerian woman who redefined philosophy

Christophe Premat, Stockholm University

An elder African woman in blue traditional attire poses for a portrait, her hands raised, her expression defiant but bemused

An elder African woman in blue traditional attire poses for a portrait, her hands raised, her expression defiant but bemused

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

Barnabas Ticha Muvhuti, Rice University

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.

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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

Ebo Taylor took highlife to the world and changed Ghanaian music forever

Eric Sunu Doe, University of Ghana

A group of people sitting under a tree, holding guitars and looking at a standing man with a guitar

A group of people sitting under a tree, holding guitars and looking at a standing man with a guitar

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.

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

Lucy Durán, SOAS, University of London

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.

Read more on African musicians

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Film + TV

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

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.

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

Damien Pollard, Northumbria University, Newcastle

A man sits at a laptop with a microphone

A man sits at a laptop with a microphone

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

Abena Kyere, University of Ghana

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

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

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.

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

Adriaan van Klinken, University of Leeds

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

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

Read more on TB Joshua

History + heritage

Old map of Africa

Old map of Africa

Colonialism in Africa: archaeology offers a deeper view

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

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.

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

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.

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

Read more on history + heritage

Sport

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

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'.

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

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.

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

Phoebe Runciman, Stellenbosch University

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.

Read more on African football

Cities + societies

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

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.

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

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."

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

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.

Read more on African cities

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