Africa Is a Country

My fellow Africans

Africa Is a Country Podcast
African Five-a-Side Podcast

My fellow Africans

By
William Shoki

On the next AIAC Talk, we talk with several AIAC fellows about their work. Tuesday on Youtube.

Photo by Brad Neathery on Unsplash

A few weeks ago on AIAC Talk, we spoke to Anakwa Dwamena and Bhakti Shingrapure about the world of writing and publishing on the African continent. A recurring theme throughout the conversation was how to revive the lively intellectual culture which thrived on the continent during its wave of decolonization.<

But, in romanticizing the past we can sometimes ignore that in the present, there exists a vibrant world of ideas on the continent already, that sometimes, we just aren’t looking closely enough. This is one of the reasons why Africa Is a Country began a fellowship program, the purpose of which is to “support the production of original work and new knowledge on Africa-related topics that are under-recognized and under-covered in traditional media, new media, and other public forums. It particularly seeks to amplify voices and perspectives from the left that address the major political, social, and economic issues affecting Africans in ways that are original, accessible, and engaging to a variety of audiences.”

In May last year, we awarded ten fellowships and since then have been working with the inaugural class of fellows to support the creation and publication of their original work. This week on AIAC talk, we will profile two fellows and their projects: Youlandree Appasamy, a freelance writer and editor from South Africa, will explore South African Indian class identities, particularly in Kwazulu-Natal province; and Liam Brickhill, a freelance journalist from Zimbabwe, will unearth stories on Zimbabwean cricket.

Another fellow, Ricci Shryock, has previously appeared on AIAC talk to discuss the role of women in Guinea-Bissau’s liberation war.

Last week, we were joined by Grieve Chelwa to remember the life and legacy of Zambia’s founding president Kenneth Kaunda, as well as Herman Wasserman to discuss the rise of media disinformation in Africa. Watch that show on our YouTube channel and stream the next show Tuesday at 6pm in Johannesburg, 7pm Nairobi, and 12pm in New York.

Further Reading

Kenya’s vibe shift

From aesthetic cool to political confusion, a new generation in Kenya is navigating broken promises, borrowed styles, and the blurred lines between irony and ideology.

Africa and the AI race

At summits and in speeches, African leaders promise to harness AI for development. But without investment in power, connectivity, and people, the continent risks replaying old failures in new code.

After the uprising

Years into Cameroon’s Anglophone conflict, the rebellion faces internal fractures, waning support, and military pressure—raising the question of what future, if any, lies ahead for Ambazonian aspirations.

In search of Saadia

Who was Saadia, and why has she been forgotten? A search for one woman’s story opens up bigger questions about race, migration, belonging, and the gaps history leaves behind.

Binti, revisited

More than two decades after its release, Lady Jaydee’s debut album still resonates—offering a window into Tanzanian pop, gender politics, and the sound of a generation coming into its own.

The bones beneath our feet

A powerful new documentary follows Evelyn Wanjugu Kimathi’s personal and political journey to recover her father’s remains—and to reckon with Kenya’s unfinished struggle for land, justice, and historical memory.

What comes after liberation?

In this wide-ranging conversation, the freedom fighter and former Constitutional Court justice Albie Sachs reflects on law, liberation, and the unfinished work of building a just South Africa.

The cost of care

In Africa’s migration economy, women’s labor fuels households abroad while their own needs are sidelined at home. What does freedom look like when care itself becomes a form of exile?

The memory keepers

A new documentary follows two women’s mission to decolonize Nairobi’s libraries, revealing how good intentions collide with bureaucracy, donor politics, and the ghosts of colonialism.

Making films against amnesia

The director of the Oscar-nominated film ‘Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat’ reflects on imperial violence, corporate warfare, and how cinema can disrupt the official record—and help us remember differently.