Arts + Culture – Views & Research – The Conversation

A young female character, representing a doll, in a school uniform who is illustrated in the Japanese artistic and cultural 'Kawaii' style. The bright doll with green eyes is in the palm of an anonymous and sinister figure and surrounded by darkness and shadow in contrast to her colourful uniform. There is a faint web-like pattern on the figures and the background.

A young female character, representing a doll, in a school uniform who is illustrated in the Japanese artistic and cultural 'Kawaii' style. The bright doll with green eyes is in the palm of an anonymous and sinister figure and surrounded by darkness and shadow in contrast to her colourful uniform. There is a faint web-like pattern on the figures and the background.

People are marrying holograms and making friends with chatbots. But can AI bring true happiness?

Anné H. Verhoef, North-West University and Edmund Terem Ugar, North-West University

A large stone wall around a settlement in a valley leading to the remains of other settlements.

A large stone wall around a settlement in a valley leading to the remains of other settlements.

Great Zimbabwe: debunking the myth of tyrants and forced labour

Robert T. Nyamushosho, Queens College, CUNY

Pianist Abdullah Ibrahim crafted a magnificent new culture for South Africa

Henning Melber, University of Pretoria

Abdullah Ibrahim: South Africa’s master pianist who was still touring the world at 90

Christine Lucia, Stellenbosch University

An elderly man with grey hair stands under a light on a stage next to a piano, hands in a thank-you prayer position in front of him.

An elderly man with grey hair stands under a light on a stage next to a piano, hands in a thank-you prayer position in front of him.

A young African woman sits in front of a mirror in a glamorous outfit with elongated headgear. She looks frankly to camera. In the mirror is a reflection of a man playing a guitar.

A young African woman sits in front of a mirror in a glamorous outfit with elongated headgear. She looks frankly to camera. In the mirror is a reflection of a man playing a guitar.

The story behind Soweto Blues, Miriam Makeba’s famous song about the June 16 uprising

Gwen Ansell, University of Pretoria

Two African women pose for a photo, heads touching, looking at the camera.

Two African women pose for a photo, heads touching, looking at the camera.

Ma Vesta Smith: why this unsung activist matters 50 years after the Soweto uprising

Maria Suriano, University of the Witwatersrand

An old illustration of a boat approaching a fort from across the water.

An old illustration of a boat approaching a fort from across the water.

Appolonia: the story of an African kingdom that resisted the Atlantic slave trade

Nana Kesse, Clark University

World Cup 2026: the real story of the resilient African migrants reshaping global football

Uroš Kovač, University of Groningen

How traditional music helps the elderly in a South African care centre

Ntshengedzeni Evans Netshivhambe, University of South Africa

A group of women dressed in colourful traditional attire standing together and holding sheets of paper

A group of women dressed in colourful traditional attire standing together and holding sheets of paper

Anti-foreigner violence in South Africa is easily sparked: what hasn’t been done to deal with it

Alan Hirsch, University of Cape Town

A joyful man in a red wig holds his arms out in a football stand, surrounded by others in brightly coloured outfits.

A joyful man in a red wig holds his arms out in a football stand, surrounded by others in brightly coloured outfits.

Africa at the World Cup: 10 teams, local coaches and tactical depth usher in a new era

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

A shiny gold trophy of a globe held up by human hands, in the background a blurry shot of men in suits, one with white hair standing and talking.

A shiny gold trophy of a globe held up by human hands, in the background a blurry shot of men in suits, one with white hair standing and talking.

A football World Cup is a global cultural exchange. How will that work in Trump’s America?

Chuka Onwumechili, Howard University

Unearthing Namibia’s forgotten genocide through forensic archaeology

William Mitchell, University of Huddersfield and Kevin Colls, University of Huddersfield

People standing looking at an exposed coffin sticking out of the earth

People standing looking at an exposed coffin sticking out of the earth

Central Africa’s wild meat dilemma: why outright bans threaten food security for millions

Mattia Bessone, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior

Woman handling meat at a market stall where pieces of meat are displayed

Woman handling meat at a market stall where pieces of meat are displayed

AI can design cities, but can it understand what matters to people? 10 ways to keep humans in control

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

An illustration of a robot fist up against a human fist.

An illustration of a robot fist up against a human fist.

Propaganda machine to public good: a brief history of 50 years of TV in South Africa

Sisanda Nkoala, University of the Western Cape

A vintage television test pattern showing a circle and a grid with colours, but glitching.

A vintage television test pattern showing a circle and a grid with colours, but glitching.

Flames visible under large metal drums being tended by two people

Flames visible under large metal drums being tended by two people

Kenya’s war on traditional alcohol: a colonial hangover about what it means to be ‘civilised’

Wafula Yenjela, University of the Free State

A vintage illustration of a family of lions, a female licking a cub while a male looks on.

A vintage illustration of a family of lions, a female licking a cub while a male looks on.

Cameroon’s sacred and royal animals: could literature and futures thinking help save them?

Kenneth Nsah Mala, University of Cologne

Dog on a chain in front of a kennel

Dog on a chain in front of a kennel

South African study reveals most dog fights happen at home – and how best to prevent it

Josef Hanekom, University of Pretoria

Uganda’s Bobi Wine on the books (and songs) that shape his politics

Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Harvard University

A young African man with a beard stands, armed crossed, in a room with a shelf of books in the background.

A young African man with a beard stands, armed crossed, in a room with a shelf of books in the background.

Rock art, dance and ritual: what we learned from paintings in Zimbabwe

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

Figures painted on a rock surface, and a hand holding a measuring tape up to them

Figures painted on a rock surface, and a hand holding a measuring tape up to them

South Africa’s AI policy cited fake research, created by AI: what lessons need to be learned

Nomalanga Mashinini, University of the Witwatersrand

A smiling emoji with big teeth is fragmented in a computer view.

A smiling emoji with big teeth is fragmented in a computer view.

Kenya’s Sawe breaks the 2-hour barrier: what’s next for the men’s marathon world record?

Simon D. Angus, Monash University

A man running, arms spread out, at a finishing line showing 1:59:30

A man running, arms spread out, at a finishing line showing 1:59:30

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Most read this week

Music

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

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.

Revolutionary rap: Nigerian star Falz has kept protest music alive

Paul Onanuga, Federal University, Oye Ekiti

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.

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.

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

Read more on African musicians

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Film + TV

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

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.

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

Gibson Ncube, Stellenbosch University

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.

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

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.

Read more on African cinema

Books

Read more on African writers

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

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

Rodwell Makombe, North-West University

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

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

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.

African poetry is celebrated in a groundbreaking publishing project

Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Harvard University

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

Miki Flockemann, University of the Western Cape

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.

Browse our arts, culture and society archive

Faith

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

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.

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

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.

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

Meg A. Warren, Western Washington University

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.

Read more on TB Joshua

History + heritage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Read more on history + heritage

Sport

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

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

Fabrice Lollia, Université Gustave Eiffel

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.

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

Chuka Onwumechili, Howard University

A group of football fans at a stadium

A group of football fans at a stadium

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

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'.

Read more on African football

Cities + societies

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

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

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.

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

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.

Read more on African cities

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