Annansi Chronicles » Fashion

Do we need an African version of Vogue Magazine?

kofi — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:15:04 +0000

Recently, Paris-based Cameroonian photographer, Mauro Epanya, created a layout of what a possible African version of the trend-setting fashion glossy, Vogue Magazine would/could look like. The images, though creatively done, have sparked a debate about the merits of an African version of Vogue. In a well thought out analysis, Uduak at Labybrille Magazine, outlines the reasons why an African Vogue is not a good idea:

VOGUE Does Not Need to Validate Africa Before Africa Becomes Fashionable
The Internet has Created an African Fashion Media Revolution, So Why the Continued Need for Validation with a VOGUE Africa?
VOGUE Africa is Bad Business For Africa
VOGUE Africa Will Not Eliminate Racism in VOGUE’s Fashion Pages

For her part in the debate, Vanessa Raphaely, editor of Cosmopolitan South Africa and editorial director of Associated Magazines (Marie Claire, O, the Oprah Magazine, etc.) also writes an insightful commentary on her blog.

Then there’s the nuts and bolts of the business: Magazines generally follow where the cosmetic and fashion industry lead. On this continent, there are only two Vuitton stores. They are in Jozi and Cape Town, not in Gaberones, Brazzaville, Dar es Salaam or Libreville.

There is no High Street to speak of in Africa (not even in South Africa,) there is not a proliferation of shopping malls and high end international clothing giants littering the Sahara, North, Central, Western or East Africa, ergo, little demand for advertising pages.

In South Africa, the powerhouse of the region, local manufacturing is floundering due to a failure to compete with Asia and The Far East with regard to price.

That is why there is, to date, not even a South African Vogue. While fashion magazines like Marie Claire and ELLE are both well-established in the country, neither has the advertising riches to thrive that their sisters in the more developed parts of the world enjoy.

Both, it can be argued, require less very high-end advertising than Vogue to achieve the expectations of their European principals.

It’s not rich pickings here on the wild frontier.

So, even though it irks me to be so pedestrian, I have to ask: who would advertise in this Pan-African Vogue?

In the short term, a Vogue Africa would get many people excited and even generate a bit of revenue. Soon enough though, the novelty will wear off and the realities of organizing, producing, and shipping an African glossy in a global economy which has not been kind to print media will take hold. From platform (print vs. digital) to talent (African writers vs. Western writers) to business strategy (South Africa headquarters or not), there are different factors to think of when planning Vogue-type content for Africa; and corporate accounts will not ease the pain. That’s not to say an African fashion and style magazine cannot exist, but rather the strategy to launch and maintain one would need to take into account certain factors which aren’t an issue in the West.

One of the side-effects of the marketing and advertising activity around the upcoming World Cup is that in an effort to cash in on the African renaissance multinational corporations are again attempting to transplant their business models to a continent that lacks the same context that made those strategies successful in the West. They are looking to what their western experiences dictate and overlooking the unique opportunities that Africa has to offer – mobile proliferation being one of them.

If major publishers like Vogue/Conde Nast want to enter African markets they should look to partner with “local” businesses who have already dealt with the challenges and figured out what African audiences want and need. As I said in the comments section of the Ladybille Magazine blog, there are many many African media and content creators whose efforts are still being overlooked because their success is judged by Western perspectives. It’ll do Africans and global partners well to recognize and capitalize on what makes African stories, contexts, and perspectives unique.

African youth and the African brand (presentation)

kofi — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:40:04 +0000

A few weeks ago, I was honored to be invited to Harvard University to give a short talk and participate in the Rebranding Africa through the Youth panel as part of their Africa Focus series. The panel was a lively, collaborative one with both panelists and attendees providing perspectives on the topic. As a follow-up, I’ve put together a slide deck of my prep notes and am sharing here. Hopefully, the presentation embedded below will allow those who couldn’t attend the event a chance to join in and continue the conversation here and elsewhere. Feel free to download and share the presentation. You can contact me here or on Twitter (@GKofiAnnan) for further info or to discuss. Thanks to the Harvard team, especially Essie Yamoah and Julia Mensah, for having me up.

The youth and branding Africa

View more presentations from G. Kofi Annan.

If you can’t see the presentation above go here to view

African youth and the African brand (presentation) is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

Notes from Columbia U’s 2010 Africa Economic Forum

kofi — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:52:33 +0000

Last week I attended Columbia University’s annual African Economic Forum (AEF). The two-day conference was a diverse and insightful one with discussions ranging from Branding Africa to the growing, sometimes controversial China-Africa relationship. The organizers put together a great program with much discussion during and in-between panels. While I couldn’t attend the full program, I was able to participate in some great discussions with attendees and panelists in the Africa Arena. I’ve provided my notes from the discussions I was able to attend below. My notes cover a mixture of discussion topics and perspectives from the esteemed panelists and attendees. Please keep in mind that the notes below are portions of the hour plus long discussions from my perspective as an attendee. If you have any insight into any of the topics in my notes please feel free to comment. For clarification on any of the points in my notes please shoot me an email.

ATTENDANCE NOTES:
Panel: African Fashion Going Global
Moderator: ZANDILE BLAY, Market Editor, Paper Magazine
Panelists: OLUCHI, Supermodel and the Original Face of Africa; BUSIE MATSIKO, CEO and Co-Founder, Fashion Indie Media; AISHA OBUOBI, Designer & Founder, Christie Brown; MIMI PLANGE, Designer and Founder, Boudoir D’huîtres

Should Africans sell primarily to Africans?
African designers are more torn about designing Africa-inspired clothes vs. other western designers designing Africa-inspired clothes
Western designers are not limited or stigmatized when using African influences in designs
Should there be an African fashion capital? Some panelists say no
Is there a viable African consumer enough to support African fashion industry?
Designers don’t want to get pigeonholed as an ethnic designer; need room for growth
There is very limited support (i.e. factories, retail outlets) for African designers on the continent
Some panelists say African designers should focus on African consumers rather than targeting global consumers first
There is lack of business expertise among designers on the continent
Designers need to partner up with business professionals on the continent
Pricing African designs is tricky
Not too many Africans will pay high prices to support African designers
There are two types of African consumers: 1) those that travel and buy high-end western clothes 2) the locals who can’t afford couture and buy mass
It’s hard to produce on the continent particularly if you’re not doing mass production
Many African designers aspire to go to South Africa fashion week because it’s the top African continent fashion industry
Just like you don’t only have New Yorkers in New York Fashion week, South Africa’s Fashion Week has Africans from all over continent
African designers get inspiration from everywhere just like other designers
Some African designers are more drawn to cultural design than others

Panel: Brand Africa – Defining a Continent
Moderator: LOLA OGUNNAIKE, Entertainment Correspondent, CNN American Morning
Panelists: FEMI AGBAYEWA, Director of Production, Real Livin Films; HELEN JENNINGS, Editor, ARISE Magazine; ROSALIND McLYMONT, Editor-in-Chief, The Network Journal; MARK WALTON, Executive Vice President of Sponsorship and Corporate Development, The Africa Channel

Mostly lazy journalists who cover Africa
Mainstream media is invested in negative African images so corporations can go ahead and extract resources without contest
Many NGO’s benefit from the negative images of Africa
“Born again Africans” in the USA were slow to embrace the Africa Channel
Peace Corp. types were 1st to embrace The Africa Channel
Focus on African stories helps cross-over appeal
Do channels have responsibility for positive Africa images?
We should be focused on Africa telling African stories
African storytellers should also create opportunity to cross-over to other audiences to get money to continue telling African stories
Bollywood didn’t cross-over initially, so African film industry shouldn’t focus on that; should rather nurture African audiences first for revenue
Make films true to the African communities and sell locally, to diaspora, and other interested communities
There was a forum discussion between Bollywood, Nollywood, Nigerian government and other interested parties in Nigeria recently on how to get images out globally
Nollywood movies are not shown on The Africa Channel because of lack of adherence to legal and copyright laws
There doesn’t need to be a single Africa brand leader
Obama is the ultimate African brand
World Cup is a big opportunity for brand Africa to push forward
South Africa has the world’s biggest non-unionized film crew
Do the best within your sphere of influence to further the African brand
Agitate! Africans don’t make themselves known for good or bad
African diaspora don’t usually exercise its influence
Consumers have to own the responsibility to change programming
Africans should video and upload their life stories to show world another view
There needs to be an Ad Council-type entity for African media
The Africa Travel Association and The Corporate Council of Africa have been doing a good job of furthering brand Africa
World Cup is “The Super Bowl” for Africa and should be treated as such
Industries can coordinate branding efforts once it’s solidified
African diaspora media should take leadership responsibility for re-branding Africa
There is need for good local African journalists because big media won’t invest in sending journalists to continent
When business and financial news is positive, big media will always take interest and cover
The Africa Channel is invested in original African produced content
Only four African countries currently spend money with the The Africa Channel
African countries would rather spend money on CNN who will only plop ads into mixed programming without effort

Panel: African Hospitality – The Power Within
Moderator: SCOTT SHUSTER
Panelists: RUMIT MEHTA, CEO, Immersion Journeys; ANDREW MURPHY, CEO, Eco-Ghana; STHU ZUNGU, President, South Africa Tourism

South Africa Tourism did a lot of research to come up with brand ideals
Tourism is as significant to South Africa as gold industry
Bed and Breakfasts are mushrooming ahead of World Cup
Domestic and inter-regional tourism is important for any tourism in Africa
Travel is an investment in local culture
Eco-Ghana trained locals on how to structure tourism
Eco-Ghana is looking for Ghanaian investors
Eco-Ghana is focused on Ghanaian and Nigerian tourists
Company is looking to create first Ghanaian hospitality group
There needs to be infrastructure to enable diverse tourism destinations within African countries
With local travel comes promotion and dispelling myths
Wealthy Africans traveling within Africa can experience and communicate good brand images of continent to others
Infrastructure in domestic tourism needs to be established
Need education among Africans to bolster pride and ownership
Branding Africa tourism comes down to which countries have the most money to do so on behalf of particular regions/areas

Summit: China – Africa Trade and Investment
Moderator: DR. HARRY BROADMAN, Senior Vice President, Albright Stonebridge Group LLC & Chief Economist, Albright Capital Management LLC
Panelists: JIAN-YE WANG, Chief Economist, China Export-Import Bank; REMI BELLO, Founder & Head of Research, B&M Consulting; ABIODUN (ABI) ADISA, Founder, Oridun Capital; DR. TOM DORSEY, Chief of the Strategy, Policy and Review Department, International Monetary Fund

South-South trade and investment is a global trend not just between Africa and China
How can Africa exploit Chinese investment?
Panelist Bello forecasted higher growth potential of African commodities in 2010 due to BRIC interest
In the past, Africa was affected by world economy decline, but today Africa continues to grow despite of it
South-South trade will take up more of world trade in next couple of years
Africa’s problem is investing too low; African governments invest too conservatively in infrastructure
Africa should look at China as a market; China is still growing
China needs local African partners to invest
Chinese provide finance and have influence with African governments
Chinese best practices are driven by local standards; they have a range of competencies
Poverty data is expensive and lacking in Africa
Better macroeconomic and other policies is helping sustainable growth
Many Africa deals are not documented widely
IMF published book “Building Bridges”
Many drawbacks of Chinese aid to Africa
Chinese aid is in form of loans not grants
Aid is below market rates
Aid is tied to procurement of Chinese goods
Countries should keep an eye on debt sustainability: ability for project to pay for itself
90% of Foreign Direct Investment in Africa is still USA and EU based
Africa governments should make sure production is done in country to take advantage
Chinese are looking to set up local factories in Africa to alleviate manufacturing cost to China
Management of public finances are Chinese strong point
If Africa doesn’t invest in Africa then don’t expect others to
Africa can learn from China’s growth
China started from agriculture and so should African countries
Chinese invested in infrastructure, human capital, and primary education to spur domestic growth
Africa should invest in government processes and cutting red tape; less bureaucracy
African countries should trade with other emerging countries and within the continent
If African countries are going to borrow Chinese money, they should pay attention to how the money is spent
Africa needs independent cost/benefit analysis to make sure project loans are viable
Cleaning up bureaucracy will move projects forward faster
Africa governments should set up laws to make sure Chinese projects are using locals and track reporting of such practices
African Union should create Chinese production standard with reporting and tracking guidelines
African Union should monitor and regulate standards and quality
African governments need to strengthen regulations and consumer protection laws
African governments should pay attention to environmental effects; learn from China’s mistakes
African governments are still too closed to open investment and transparency; maybe because they are scared of past mishandling of public monies

For more about the conference please visit the 7th Annual African Economic Forum (AEF) at Columbia University website.

Notes from Columbia U’s 2010 Africa Economic Forum is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

Top 6 African business and culture trends to watch in 2010

kofi — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:10:11 +0000

If, like me, you’ve been watching people and events surrounding Africa in mainstream and non-mainstream news, you’ll know that 2009 was a big year for Africa, From President Obama’s visit, to the new fiber-optic cable in Kenya, there was a lot of president-setting efforts going on in Africa. While there were the instances of political unrest, in all I think African countries had one of the better years. Looking forward to 2010, Africa seems in line to be put through some vigorous tests, From politics to agriculture and technology, in 2010 Africa will be challenged to show the world what is brewing under the hood for the next decade. Here are a few trends I think will greatly influence how Africans live and work in 2010:

1. Trickle-up innovation/reverse innovation

In 2007 C. K. Prahalad, author of The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits, highlighted five ways that developing nations are often ahead of the curve and how multinationals can adapt to the the changing product development lifecycle. In 2010, though some analysts say the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 is in recovery, we’ll continue to see an increase in businesses looking to developing nations, including Africa, as ground zero for new product and service innovation. Organizations will not neglect consumers in developed nations though. Rather, developing nations will take precedence in business development, with markets in the west getting re-targeted efforts already proven elsewhere. The big question is will African nations also turn their innovation sights into Africa to bolster African business and gain a home-field advantage against foreign businesses.

Watch: Google, GE, Microsoft, Nokia

2. Mobile and connectivity growth and standards
At this point, mobile technology is synonymous with connectivity in Africa. From government to industry, Africans are growing more reliant on the mobile phone for all aspects of life. 2010 will see a continuance of this trend within communities, and more importantly, governments will increasingly begin to use the mobile phone as a way of reaching African civilians. We are already seeing that in Kenya’s Obama-inspired mobile campaign to educate Kenyans on public policies. Beyond mobile technology, we’ll also see a surge in government-funded connectivity efforts and legislation around Africa. With the new fiber-optic cables launch in Kenya and other regions moving more services from analog to digital, Africa’s connectivity will be a priority for forward-thinking leaders. Case in point is the Kigali government’s recent launch of a $7 million wireless hot spot facility. We can expect to also see a lot of foreign investment in development and organization of the African mobile sector. I, for one, am looking forward to the growth of mobile innovations by African entrepreneurs. Hopefully African private and public sectors can engage the independent developers to accelerate the mobile industry in 2010

Watch: Government data centers, 2010 Fifa World Cup mobile marketing, Netbook market growth, M-pesa, Fiber-optic cables usage, MTN, KenyaAirways on Twitter, Zain, Safaricom

3. Rise of the African creative class
For the past several years, young Africans have been struggling to define a new identity for the themselves in the connected global community. As political stability has solidified in many African countries and African youth have begun to exert their influence at home and abroad, a community of independent creators have strengthened their voices and come to the forefront to re-define Africa for the 21st century. Fueled by connectivity, voluntary repatriation, international travel, and the growth of African cities, Africa’s creative class will be at the center of shaping Africa in 2010. In 2009 we saw African blogging reach it’s peak and a surge in African style and design multi-media channels. From Arise Magazine, to BHF Magazine, to Design Indaba, the exploration of what it means to be African in the 21st century continued to influence all areas. In 2010, with the debut of the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa, we will see Africa’s creative class flexing their influence on everything from technology, to government policy, to international business. With so many African and foreign private and public organizations hoping to capitalize on the event, Africa’s creative class will be at the center of it all. As the core drivers of Africa’s urban areas, the creative class are the ultimate influencers. 2010 will be the year when they will be thrust into the limelight internationally. Let’s hope they (we) are ready.

Watch: Arise Magazine, Fela on Broadway, Design Indaba, Maker Faire Africa 2010, The Blk Jks, FESPACO, African Gay & Lesbian groups, Paul Sika, African Avante Garde

4. The Africa brand and tourism
The 2010 Fifa World Cup will have a major impact on Africa whatever the end result is positively or negatively. Most importantly, the World Cup will challenge African tourism, marketing, infrastructure and related industries to develop and maintain a consistent African brand identity. With the advent of high-profile global events like this and a need to share resources, African governments will have to re-visit and form cross-border alliances. While we have already seen regional groups like the East African Community strengthen their intergovernmental ties, 2010 will be the year when all African countries will have to answer the cross-border alliance question at the behest of foreign political engagement.

Watch: 2010 Fifa World Cup, African government summits, Cross-country tourism packages, ICT sector, “Made in Africa” labeling

5. Africa and African-Americans
Not much has been said about the growing relationship between Africans and African-Americans. By and large there is still a communication rift between the two groups. But slowly, the relationship between the two groups is becoming symbiotic. While I don’t see a major shift in opinion between the two groups happening in 2010, I do expect a continuation of the rapid growth of African-American wealth to playing a part in African development. Resourceful and wealthy African-Americans will continue to invest in African culture and politics both on the continent and abroad, while Africans borrow from African-American history for lessons on developing an international identity. Particularly, a growing number of African-American entertainers and business people will see Africa as an extension of their life in the United States. some will even maintain plans to buy and move to the continent seeking a more personally and financially fruitful life. Africans will also begin to formally recognize this trend and capitalize on the brain gain. As more African-Americans look to Africa, African will become more high profile in African-American press pushing Afropolitan culture further into American pop culture.

Watch: Fela On Broadway, African real estate development, Africa correspondents in urban media, African-American foreign invetment groups.

6. China..and India
In November 2009, China pledged a multibillion-dollar package of financial and technical assistance to African governments over the next couple of years. This was among one of the many efforts by Chinese government and business to form a tight alliance with Africa. China’s relationship with Africa will continue to dominate Africa news in 2010, with support and objections from many diverse groups as we’ve seen in 2009. The new year will also see an increase in Indian alliance with countries within the continent though it will continue to pale in comparison to China’s efforts. India and Africa will strengthen their ICT development relationships as African countries continue to push themselves as outsourcing destinations.

Watch: India-Africa learning trips, Chinese import export from Africa, Sino-African cultural conflicts.

What do you think? What other trends will influence Africa’s growth and development in 2010? Please share your comments.

Top 6 African business and culture trends to watch in 2010 is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

Liya Kebede stars in Somali supermodel Waris Dirie’s biopic

kofi — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:39:03 +0000

Supermodel Waris Dirie’s book Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey Of A Desert Nomad, published in 1999, helped fuel the open discussion of female genital mutilation in her native Somalia. After spawning two follow-up books, Desert Dawn and Desert Children, the original book is now premiering as a feature film starring another supermodel, Ethiopian Liya Kebede. Watch the trailer for the new movie “Desert Flower (“Wüstenblume” )” below. More about the movie here.

If the video is not visible below click here.

(via Africa_Visual_Media)

Liya Kebede stars in Somali supermodel Waris Dirie’s biopic is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

Designer Ozwald Boateng on dressing President Obama and his Made in Africa wealth initiative

kofi — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:22:05 +0000

In this three part series fashion designer Ozwald Boateng talks with CNN about outfitting President Obama for his recent Ghana visit and the designer’s new initiative “Made in Africa”.

Part 1: Tailoring for the President
CNN’s Monita Rajpal talks British-Ghanaian tailor Ozwald Boateng about his rise to fame and tailoring for President Obama’s Ghanaian visit.

Part 2: Made in Africa Ozwald Boateng talks about ‘Made in Africa.’ An organization designed to promote wealth and self sufficiency in Africa

Part 3: Designer to role model
British-Ghanaian tailor Ozwald Boateng explains his plans to help tailor Africa’s image problems.

Designer Ozwald Boateng on dressing President Obama and his Made in Africa wealth initiative is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

Birth and boom of a new African design industry

Kofi — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:37:33 +0000

: Image by mallix via Flickr

A recent article in African Business magazine looks at the recent boom of modern African designers on the continent and internationally. From February’s ThisDay Arise Magazine African fashion event at NY Fashion Week to architect David Adjaye being appointed to design the new African-American National Museum in Washindton DC, the influence of modern African design in global culture continues to solidify. But while there are more and more role models for budding African designers, there’s still a long way to go before Africa itself recognizes and taps into it’s strong creative capital.

To become truly competitive though, the continent must do things in
its own way, with its own brand of excellence and innovation. Africans
can grasp the best of design worldwide, as well as the best the
continent has to offer and transform it into something new, compelling,
beautiful and sustainable. Small pockets of success show that African
design development has reached the point at which it can play a very
real role in addressing poverty and unemployment throughout the
continent. From craft initiatives in rural villages to
multi-disciplinary industrial projects that boast global collaboration,
design can boost a nation’s GDP. (more)

CNN also reports on a new contemporary African design aesthetic in the video below shot at the 2009 Design Indaba in S. Africa.

Birth and boom of a new African design industry is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

L’Oreal sets sights on African women

Kofi — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:13:22 +0000

There’s no shortage of criticism of the fashion and beauty industry for not recognizing the diversity of what is considered beautiful. Cosmetics giants in particular have had it hard, trying to accommodate skin tones. In their effort to generate more revenue and gain market share globally, L’Oreal has announced plans to expand their product line and – most notably – make an effort to cater to African women’s beauty needs. Not being a cosmetics industry veteran myself it’s hard to tell if L’Oreal is trully addressing some of the issues it’s diversity critics have.

..the company, which has 26 international cosmetics brands and a presence in more than 130 countries, already has a presence on the continent upon which it aims to build. A key market is the African woman, and L’Oréal is seeking growth and expansion into this market, that will require balancing technological innovation with the need for prudent spending. – L’Oréal South Africa MD Philippe Raffray, more

What do you think?

photo by epicharmus

L’Oreal sets sights on African women is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

Prada space captures rural Congo experience

Kofi — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:34:22 +0000

Influx Insights points us to an interesting marriage of Congolese and Western culture in the form of an art and entertainment experience space. The Double Club, a 6 month project collaboration between Fondazione Prada (Prada’s art foundation), and German artist Carsten Höller opened in London. The space, which is literally spit in two – is a “bar, restaurant and dance club where the Congo meets the west; A bar,
restaurant and dance club where the west meets the Congo.” The project is meant to spark dialogue between Congolese and Western contemporary culture and will feature. All profits are slated to go to The City of Joy charity, which provides
shelter and services to women who have been targets of violence during
Congo’s long running civil warIf you’re in London before May 2009, check out this culture mashup.

Prada space captures rural Congo experience is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

“Africa Rising” festival brings JAY-Z, Rihanna, Alek Wek to Nigeria & Washington DC

Kofi — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:45:27 +0000

Friday was the kickoff for Nigeria-based media company THISDAY’s 3rd annual festival titled “Africa Rising”. The star-studded THISDAY Music and Fashion Festival at the THISDAY Dome in Abuja, Nigeria featured performances by Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Usher. The fashion portion of the festival featured models Naomi Campbell, Tyson Beckford, Alek Wek, Oluchi, and designers Chris Aire and Ozwald Boateng. The annual festival which is “focus on finding ‘sustainable solutions’ rather than the ‘problems’ facing Africa”, will be making it’s international debut with stops in Washington DC’s Kennedy Center on August 1 with Beyoncé and Seal as headliners, and in London on October 14. THISDAY has some 700 staff members in 38 offices across Nigeria. It also maintains a bureau in Washington DC, from which it provides news on Africa to a variety of global news organisations and agencies across all platforms- from online to broadcast.

“Right now the international community seems to be dealing with the symptoms not the problems of Africa. The symptoms are poverty and disease, but the problem is lack of social and physical infrastructure. This initiative is to highlight the need to focus sustainable solutions on the problems through massive investment in infrastructure and microfinance in order to rebuild Africa from the ground up. Europe is what it is today because after World War II the ‘Marshall Plan’ took hold. It did not deal with poverty, it focused on rebuilding Europe.” – said media mogul Nduka Obaigbena, THISDAY’s Editor-in-Chief.

The “Africa Rising” event “tour” reflects a rapidly growing trend in the Africa-focused aid sector: African’s creating products with a sustainability focus targeted to both African and international consumers. I’m eager to see what the attendance numbers are for the UK and US events.

more pics

“Africa Rising” festival brings JAY-Z, Rihanna, Alek Wek to Nigeria & Washington DC is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

Video: Ozwald Boateng on career, design and Ghanaian influences

Kofi — Fri, 30 May 2008 05:36:45 +0000

Part 1

Part 2

via YG

Video: Ozwald Boateng on career, design and Ghanaian influences is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

Video: Africa’s creative minds gather at Design Indaba ’08

Kofi — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 20:48:55 +0000

Video: Africa’s creative minds gather at Design Indaba ’08 is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

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Puma’s love affair with African football deepens

Kofi — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:57:00 +0000

Being the No. 4 sporting-goods brand is tough. But Puma is betting that backing African football (soccer to Americans) will differentiate the brand and win it a significant increase in market share. Continuing with the company’s commitment to African football made during the 2006 World Cup Games, Puma put some serious resources together for product and marketing efforts behind the 2008 African Cup of Nations held recently in Ghana. As a sponsor for 9 out of the 16 African teams, including tournament hosts Ghana and champions Egypt, Puma worked hard to make the brand synonymous with African football, even going so far as buying the Ghana team a top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz bus for transport between matches. The company began it’s Cup of Nations efforts with a sponsorship deal for Eurosport’s live coverage of the games and then a press conference at the brand new Puma store in Ghana’s Accra Mall. The press conference was held to announce several activities on the ground during the tournament, including a youth exhibition game co-hosted by the Peace One Day charity and edun Live and featuring African football legends Roger Milla and Anthony Yeboah. With a Puma sponsored team win at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, the company is now launching the celebratory â€˜African Cup of Nations packâ€™, a limited collection of sneakers based on one of Puma’s staple silhouettes, the Puma Argentina. The â€˜African Cup of Nations packâ€™ features shoes representing four African teams – Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal. The â€˜African Cup of Nations packâ€™ along with the Peace One Day/edun Live collection and accessories will be available this spring.With French multinational holding company PPR, parent company to luxury brands such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Bottega Venata, and Balenciaga, spending $7.1 billion last year for a 27 percent stake in the Puma brand, Puma is gearing up to cash in big as African football takes center stage during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. In a recent interview Puma CEO Jochen Zeitz expanded,

For us it is just part of who we are and what we do. We are about innovation and we want to look at new ways of moving the brand and our product forward and we believe there is tremendous excitement in Africa we want to use that as part of our self-expression. It’s about passion, colorfulness and diversity. To bring Africa to the rest of the world or innovation through Africa is an approach that no one has ever selected before. And that’s why we got so heavily involved.

Puma store GhanaPuma Africa Cup packPuma Africa Cup commercials(2006)(2008)Behind the scenes

Puma’s love affair with African football deepens is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

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Africa 2.0 panel at SXSW Interactive 2008

Kofi — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 19:19:11 +0000

A few months ago I asked for votes for a panel idea I had proposed for the upcoming South by SouthWest (SXSW) Interactive Festival. Well I’m happy to announce that with the support of many bloggers and readers, the Africa 2.0 panel has been chosen as part of the schedule for the upcoming SXSW Festival. Taking place on March 9, 2008, the Africa 2.0 panel will bring together a group of African professionals who are all using technology in innovative ways. The panelists for what might be the only Africa-focused panel during the festival will be:
â€¢ Erik Hersman (WhiteAfrican.com, AfriGadget.com)
â€¢ Uduak Oduok (Ladybrille.com)
â€¢ Nii Simmonds (Nubian Cheetah)
â€¢ Chosan (Silverstreetz Entertainment)

As the moderator, I will be leading a discussion on how technology is being used to affect change in Africa. The panelists will be discussing how technology factors into efforts in different industries including fashion, entertainment, finance, and marketing. For a perfect example of how technology can affect change in Africa, visit Ushahidi, a collaborative effort by African bloggers to report on the election-provoked crisis currently taking place in Kenya.

Africa 2.0 panel at SXSW Interactive 2008 is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

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Annansi notes: Brangelina buys Ethiopia, Africom, MTV Africa awards begins, (RED)washing at Gap

Kofi — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 16:40:53 +0000

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie bought Ethiopia. (Not the African country itself, but the island which represents Ethiopia in Dubai’s island phenomenon The World)
American general seeks to play down fears over new Africa command. (Uhhh… sure. No worries.)
Africa’s nuclear hopes. (Could this be the solution to the electricity shortages?)
MTV begins Africa Music Awards (Viacom knows where the money is)
More (RED)washing at The Gap (African charity still gets consumers in the retail door)
Gucci’s African charity Indy bag drops (holidays + African charity = $$$$)
India eyes Africa to meet rising energy needs (African’s need to refine and accelerate our business models)
First black (Nigerian) mayor elected in Ireland (A Nigerian Irish mayor. Wow!)

Annansi notes: Brangelina buys Ethiopia, Africom, MTV Africa awards begins, (RED)washing at Gap is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

Africa Enterprising articles part 4

Kofi — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 18:33:00 +0000

The 4th edition of the The Carnival of African Enterprising has launched at Nii Simmonds’ Nubian Cheetah blog. As with the previous 3 installments of ideas, this edition highlights some of the best posts from the African business/entrepreneurship blogosphere. I’m happy to see that as the carnival continues, there are new names and perspectives being added. This edition covers Blogging Trade & Investment Forums, Business in Africa, Entrepreneurship in Africa with posts on:

TED Global 2007: Afterglow (David McQueen)
Idea Exchange: sponsors & links (Bankelele)
TED Global, Africa: The Next Chapter (Jen Brea)
Vote to add Africa 2.0 panel to SXSW festival schedule (G. Kofi Annan)
IBM Thinks Africa (Benin Mwangi)
Hear IBM Vice President’s view on Africa’s present market opportunities (African Path)
Kenyans in the Diaspora Conference Final Thoughts (Joshua Wanyama)
Planting Seeds: TED Global (Emeka)
The Power of a TED Talk (Erik Hersman)
Tanzania diminishes chances of regional integration (Ken Teyie)
In the media: Khartoum, the Dubai of Africa (Africaincorp)
Want Financial Freedom? Start your Own Fashion Business (Uduak Oduok)
Ideas to grow the informal sector in Africa (Nii Simmonds)
Meso Finance: the next area of financing for SME’s in Africa (Nii Simmonds)
From China to Virtual Africa: How Can Participatory Media Benefit the World? (Alanagh Recreant)

Head over to the Nubian Cheetah blog for the post description and links.

Africa Enterprising articles part 4 is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

African Design Competition: Design a Uniform, Shape a School

Kofi — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:43:26 +0000

Here’s a good opportunity for African creatives to get some real world projects under their belt:
The African Leadership Academy, a world-class boarding school opening outside Johannesburg, South Africa on September 2008, has launched a pan-African design competition to solicit designs for the Academyâ€™s inaugural school uniform. The competition is open to individual students or groups of students between the ages of 12 and 20 all across Africa. The best design will be decided by an international panel which will include world-renowned African fashion designers, and the winner will be commemorated with a plaque at the Academy. The first round runs until the 15th of November.

For more information about the competition visit the ALA website.

African Design Competition: Design a Uniform, Shape a School is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

Africa Enterprising articles part 3

Kofi — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 15:44:05 +0000

The 3rd edition of the The Carnival of African Enterprising has launched at the White African blog. As with the previous installments, this edition highlights some of the best posts from the African business/entrepreneurship blogosphere. Head over to White African to check out top posts from 5 of Africa’s top blogging/business talent, with a bonus addition from Annansi Chronicles (Big Thanks to Hash).To find out more about the ongoing carnival go here. Special thanks to Benin Mwangi for organizing everything.

Africa Enterprising articles part 3 is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

African ideas: links

Kofi — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:41:33 +0000

I was catching up on some of my favorite African bloggers and thought I’d share some of their inspiring ideas. Here are some good posts from some very insightful African bloggers:

Why the African Digerati Can Make a Difference by White African
Old and new states of womenâ€™s rights in Africa by Sokari
The tragedy of innovation: how brilliant ideas are criminalised by Whythawk
Rethinking Our National Garb… by Omodudu
Interview With South Africa’s Top Fashion Insider, Renato Palmi by Ladybrille
Oh FranÃ§afrique! by Jen Brea
Experts Trade Views on US of Africa with Benin Mwangi by Benin Mwangi
AIDS and the abstinence debate in Uganda – Video by Afromusing
The news we share: water in Darfur by Ethan Zuckerman
in the media: What to invest in by AfricaIncorp
African Content Projects by Kenyan Pundit

African ideas: links is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends

Video: Ozwald Boateng Fashion Show at African Union Summit, Ghana

Kofi — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:21:16 +0000

Video: Ozwald Boateng Fashion Show at African Union Summit, Ghana is a post from Annansi Chronicles - African business and culture trends