Now in its 33rd year, the festival brings together filmmakers, actors, producers, and cultural leaders from across Africa and the diaspora, showcasing more than 100 films from over 30 countries. The event highlights the diversity of African narratives while strengthening cultural exchange between the continent and global audiences.

Organized by African Film Festival, Inc. in partnership with Film at Lincoln Center, the festival begins with screenings in New York City before expanding to additional cultural venues throughout the month of May.

This year’s program features a blend of feature films, documentaries, short films, and experimental productions exploring themes such as identity, migration, climate change, social justice, and urban transformation. Both established directors and emerging filmmakers are represented, reflecting the rapid rise of African cinema on the global stage.

Beyond screenings, the festival includes panel discussions, filmmaker conversations, exhibitions, and community events aimed at deepening engagement with African arts and culture. Organizers say the event continues to serve as a bridge connecting African creatives with international distributors, critics, and audiences.

Since its launch in 1993, the New York African Film Festival has played a key role in introducing American audiences to African filmmakers while supporting new generations of storytellers shaping the future of global cinema.

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Years later, after college and a move across continents, she finally allowed herself to pursue music fully. She had always been someone who prepared for the worst, someone who tried to anticipate every possible outcome, but music required a different kind of openness.

“I finally admitted to myself that it was okay for me to pursue music,” she said. “It truly was the only thing I really wanted to pursue with my entire being. I allowed myself to do that, and it was a fantastic decision. And I am very much aware that it’s a very long road, but it’s one that I want to be on.” She began recording from her apartment in Madrid, learning how to build songs from the emotions she carried.

Her writing often begins in moments of reflection. She describes herself as someone who lives with anxiety, especially around love, and many of her songs grow out of that tension. “When I’m going through the motions of love, that’s when songs pour out of me,” she said. “And one of the taglines I’ve kind of stuck to is ‘I make music that will make you cry and learn to love yourself,’ because that’s certainly how I have gone through emotions with my own music.”

The idea behind her album Garden came from trying to create a space where she could feel steady, even when life felt unpredictable. “I cannot control all of the things that will happen to me,” she said. The album became a way of shaping a safe place around that truth.

Two songs on the album almost never made it. She doubted her voice, her writing, and whether they belonged. “I am my worst critic,” she said. She considered removing them entirely, but she released them anyway. Listeners later told her those same songs were among their favourites, a reminder that the creative process often moves ahead of the artist’s confidence.

Her growth has been gradual. She recently shared data showing her annual Spotify listeners rising from 800 to 167,000 in just over three years. The surge surprised her, but she tries to keep her attention on the work rather than the numbers. “It feels good,” she admits, “but I’m still trying to focus on making good art.”

It is, however, Riah’s Cape Verdean heritage that has remained central to her identity.

Cape Verde’s musical tradition is rich, shaped by genres like morna and carried by artists such as Cesária Évora, Mayra Andrade and June Freedom.

For generations, this tiny archipelago off West Africa’s coast has cradled a music that mends the heart’s quiet fractures, from Cesária Évora’s velvet laments to the unsung melodies of fishermen and families holding fast against the ocean’s pull.

Riah grew up listening to that sound, and she hopes to contribute to its visibility.

“Our music deserves to be listened to,” she said. Many people she meets have never heard of Cape Verde, and she wants her work to change that, even in small ways. “We are a very, very small country, and I’m very happy and proud that both of my parents come from there. And I feel like, when I go there, there’s a very big part of home that kind of kicks into place… Just getting our name out there would be fantastic,” she said.

She spent ten weeks on the islands last year, staying with her grandmother and meeting local musicians. Many face visa barriers that limit their ability to perform abroad. She hopes to bring them onto international stages as her own career grows. “I would love to be the reason they can fly somewhere else and perform their beautiful work,” she said.

Her path has been independent. She has spoken with labels and companies, including some she never expected would reach out, but the offers rarely aligned with what she needed. “Lots of times they can’t do too much for artists that we’re not already doing for ourselves,” she said.

Some deals required giving up too much for too little. She decided to continue with her small team, keeping control of her work while acknowledging the challenges. “The biggest place where I would love help is in management and PR,” she said. “There’s so much work behind the scenes, especially in the release of this album (Garden).”

She is now based in Boston and focused on performing more. She has played at shows in Madrid and Cape Verde, and she wants to build her stage experience gradually. She prefers intimate spaces where she can see the audience and feel their reactions. “I want to be in their faces, in their spaces,” she said. “Getting the music directly into their ears.” She is also learning to use social media more intentionally, posting consistently and experimenting with content. “I threw myself in the deep end,” she said. “I’m glad I did.”

Her goals are long‑term. She is not chasing a sudden breakthrough. She prefers slow growth, steady listeners, and songs that find their audience over time. Her track “Too Fast” is an example. It had been out for a while before it suddenly climbed to hundreds of thousands of views. She checked YouTube one morning and saw the numbers rising. It kept growing over the next two months, a reminder that music often finds its moment quietly.

For Riah, music is not something she adopted later in life but the way she experiences the world. She taps rhythms without thinking, hums melodies while concentrating, and writes lyrics in the middle of ordinary days. “It was always a part of who I am,” she said. The realisation was not that she loved music, but that she needed to share it. “I won’t feel complete unless I bring my own music to the world.”

Her work now carries the quiet soul of Cape Verde, the emotional honesty of her writing, and the patience of someone building a career one step at a time. She is shaping a sound that reflects where she comes from and where she hopes to go, and she is doing it with the same steady rhythm that has guided her since childhood.

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New data from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) shows Sub-Saharan Africa generated over USD 110 million in recorded-music revenues in 2024, driven largely by explosive demand for Afrobeats, amapiano, and other contemporary genres. The region also posted one of the world’s highest year-on-year growth rates at 22.6%.

But most of that expansion is concentrated in Anglophone markets such as Nigeria and South Africa, leaving Francophone countries struggling to capture comparable value despite strong creative output.

Industry experts say the gap is rooted not in talent, but in systemic constraints that limit monetisation and investment. These include weak production and touring infrastructure, streaming models dominated by low-paying freemium consumption, a lack of formal contracts, scarce market data, and limited access to credit for artists and creative entrepreneurs.

“Francophone Africa has the creativity, but it lacks the financial architecture and professional structures needed for the industry to scale,” said Mamby Diomandé, Founder and General Commissioner of the Salon des Industries Musicales d’Afrique Francophone (SIMA). He argues that formalisation is essential if artists are to access bank financing, negotiate equitable contracts, or secure long-term investment.

Regional institutions are beginning to respond. The African Export–Import Bank’s Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme has earmarked USD 1 billion for content production, distribution, and industry capacity building. Still, observers say national governments must complement these efforts with guarantee funds, tax incentives, microfinance tools, and modernised rights-management systems.

Benin is emerging as a test case. As the host of SIMA 2025, the country has made culture a core pillar of its development strategy—investing in museums, creative residencies, heritage exhibitions, and cultural tourism infrastructure. Analysts view this as a model for how Francophone governments can move from symbolic cultural support to strategic, long-term investment.

Sector leaders also stress the need for regional integration to strengthen market size and bargaining power. Linking key hubs such as Abidjan, Dakar, Cotonou, Lomé, Douala, and Libreville could create shared touring circuits, harmonised standards, and unified intellectual-property frameworks—improving leverage with global platforms and distributors.

Despite current challenges, the outlook remains optimistic. Stakeholders say that with the right financing mechanisms and policy reforms, Francophone Africa can convert its cultural dynamism into sustainable economic performance and claim its place in the global music economy.

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The amount of plastic clogging Africa’s landfills is slowly decreasing, as governments across the region tighten restrictions on single-use plastics and packaging in an effort to cut pollution.

Of the continent’s 54 states, 34 have passed laws or issued ordinances banning or limiting non-recyclable plastic, positioning Africa as a global leader in the push to eliminate disposable plastics.

Yet, enforcing bans and clamping down on black-market trade remains difficult in many nations, even as multinational corporations face blame for the plastic pollution burdening the continent.

The 2021 Plastic Waste Makers Index revealed that just 20 companies are responsible for more than half of the world’s single-use plastic waste—none of which are based in Africa.

The index identifies nations and entities fuelling the climate crisis through the production of virgin polymers, which include items from face masks to plastic bottles and bags that frequently end up in landfills, oceans, or incinerators.

The data shows that companies headquartered in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Middle East account for 55 percent of the world’s plastic pollution.

American giants ExxonMobil and Dow top the list, contributing 5.9 million and 5.6 million tonnes of disposable plastic waste respectively in 2019.

China’s Sinopec and Thailand-based Indorama Ventures generated 5.3 million and 4.6 million tonnes, while Saudi Aramco followed closely, producing 4.3 million tonnes during the same period.

According to figures shared by Greenspace, 34 out of 54 African nations have either enacted and enforced a ban on plastics or passed legislation in preparation for implementation.

“Of those, 16 have completely banned plastic bags or partially done so, though regulations to enforce the bans remain pending. Compared to other regions, Africa appears to be performing impressively,” reads the report.

Eritrea was the first country to institute a total plastic bag ban back in 2005, followed by Benin, which outlawed the production and import of non-biodegradable plastic bags.

Other countries making headway include Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Nigeria, Mali, Tunisia, Malawi, Mauritania, The Gambia, and Mauritius.

Also on the list are the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Seychelles, Burkina Faso, Botswana, Zambia, South Africa, Gabon, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Djibouti, Morocco, Niger, Togo, Zimbabwe, Cabo Verde, Burundi, and Guinea Bissau.

As governments crack down on single-use plastics, startups are stepping in to transform waste into practical products.

In Accra, Ghana, entrepreneur Nelson Boateng is crafting construction bricks from recycled plastic waste—mirroring the efforts of Nzambi Matee in Kenya, who founded Nairobi-based Gjenge Makers. The company produces low-cost, lightweight bricks by blending plastic waste with sand, resulting in material stronger than concrete.

In Johannesburg, South Africa, Mbongeni Buthelezi has gained international acclaim for turning discarded plastic into richly textured portraiture from his studio in Booysens. Across the continent, more artists are creatively upcycling plastic into decor, sculptures, and functional art.

Meanwhile, Kenyan startup Noma Green Plastic Limited is repurposing up to 30 tonnes of plastic waste every month into outdoor furniture such as benches, tiles, chairs, and tables.

Still, despite notable progress in plastic bans, most African nations continue to lack efficient waste collection and management systems.

Nonetheless, according to the UNEP Africa Waste Management Outlook, African countries are among the smallest contributors to global plastic waste, with most of their waste stream made up of organic material.

In 2019, the continent generated 180 million tonnes of municipal waste, averaging 0.5 percent per capita per day, according to data from Science Direct, with a population exceeding 1 billion.

UNEP figures show that 57 percent of this waste was organic, 13 percent plastic, 9 percent paper, and 4 percent each from metal and glass.

This stands in stark contrast to countries like Australia, where the average person generates 59 kilograms of plastic waste annually, according to the Plastic Waste Makers Index.

In 2019, the index reported per capita plastic waste levels of 53 kg in the U.S., 44 kg each in South Korea and the UK, 37 kg in Japan, 36 kg in France, 35 kg in Saudi Arabia, 34 kg in Spain and Canada, and 23 kg in Italy. In Germany, the average was 25 kg per person, while China and India registered just 18 kg and 4 kg respectively.

However, figures released in 2020 by Science Advances and later cited by Forbes painted a more alarming picture.

According to those figures, U.S. residents generated an average of 105 kg of plastic waste per person annually, while UK citizens produced nearly 99 kg.

That report estimated that out of the 300 million tonnes of plastic waste created globally each year, at least 8.8 million tonnes end up in the ocean.

Across Africa, approximately 70 percent of all garbage is dumped, with annual plastic waste generation just over 17 million tonnes, as reported by Science Direct.

Experts warn this trajectory is unsustainable.

“An environmental catastrophe beckons: much of the resulting single-use plastic waste will end up as pollution in developing countries with poor waste management systems,” the Plastic Waste Makers Index stated.

“The projected rate of growth in virgin polymer production is likely to make new, circular models of reuse and recycling financially uncompetitive without policy intervention.”

According to the UK’s Guardian, global production capacity for virgin polymers used in single-use plastics could expand by over 30 percent within the next five years. By 2050, at current trends, plastics are projected to account for between 5 and 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

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“FREE GLOBAL SHIPPING” blares across the homepage of Ananse Africa in unmistakable capital letters. Just beneath, three models stride confidently down a stone-lined street — one clad in deep navy silk, another in flowing white adorned with hand-painted designs, and the third in a golden outfit that commands attention.

Further down, English and French taglines vie for attention — “NOS PRODUITS PRÉFÉRÉS” shares space with “Create an account to shop from fashion designers and artisans across Africa.” Even the bilingual layout exudes runway appeal, tailored for both Francophone and Anglophone fashion lovers.

Ananse, named after the legendary spider in West African folklore known for weaving connections, is one of several rising digital platforms transforming how African fashion reaches the public.

UNESCO’s observations show that lesser-known African fashion labels are gaining traction, as more consumers opt to support local over international brands or imported second-hand clothing.

Digital tools, advocates say, have removed geographic limits for African designers, helping them break beyond domestic borders and access regional and even global clientele without relocating.

Initiatives such as Proudly South African continue to champion local industries, pointing to job creation and cultural preservation as key benefits. Happy Ngidi, the group’s chief marketing officer, notes that buying African-made helps strengthen both the economy and identity.

Similar movements are gaining ground continent-wide, from Lagos runways to Ghana’s fashion expos and textile revival campaigns.

Statista data projects the African apparel market will generate US$73.59 billion in revenue by 2025, with annual growth expected at 4.77% through to 2029.

Women’s wear continues to dominate, accounting for US$30.99 billion of 2025’s total, as designers like Kenya’s Vivo Fashion and Nigeria’s Lisa Folawiyo reinterpret African prints through a modern lens.

Although annual spending per person is still modest—around US$54.77—consumer habits point to a larger shift underway.

By 2025, the average African is forecast to buy 9.3 garments per year, pushing total clothing volume to 13.6 billion pieces by 2029.

Importantly, 98% of sales will come from the non-luxury segment—precisely the space in which local labels thrive by offering value and authenticity.

In Nigeria, demand for traditional fabrics like adire and aso-oke is surging, with tailors often booked out months in advance.

Designer Amaka Osakwe of the Lagos-based label Maki Oh is among those pushing boundaries. Her bold interpretations of Yoruba aesthetics have graced runways in both Paris and New York, winning her acclaim for her distinctive takes on femininity and form.

“That’s where I find beauty,” Osakwe told The New Yorker in an earlier interview.

In a similar trajectory, Kenya’s Wandia Gichuru has led Vivo to open 29 outlets across East Africa, with all garments produced locally. The brand has even expanded abroad, opening a store in Atlanta.

South Africa’s Afronala positions itself as the ultimate one-stop destination for discovering and promoting domestic fashion brands.

“We believe in the strength of local business and the uniqueness they bring. Our platform provides visibility and growth opportunities for emerging designers,” the site declares.

African designers are also experimenting with innovative customer engagement. Ghana’s Selina Beb, for example, designs personalised kente cloth using chatbot tools, while Rwanda’s KnitAfrika fulfills orders via SMS.

Social media is also playing a key role. Tailors now showcase their collections to local and global audiences via Instagram and WhatsApp, while mobile money and improved shipping logistics simplify transactions across borders.

Platforms like Ananse offer multilingual interfaces and integrated delivery, allowing craftspeople in Dakar to sell wax-printed dresses to customers in Durban, or cooperatives in Kigali to dispatch handwoven baskets to Paris.

Mobile devices power much of this shift—Africa boasts the highest global share of web traffic coming from smartphones, at 69%—prompting brands to design with mobile-first customers in mind.

Efforts to upskill fashion entrepreneurs are gaining ground too. Ecobank has led e-commerce training initiatives in Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Kenya, while the Mastercard Foundation has partnered with Ananse to support African talent.

Meanwhile, regional payment systems such as PAPSS are making it easier to transact across the continent in local currencies, boosting cross-border trade.

Hyper-personalisation is also taking hold, allowing fashion businesses to tailor offerings to individual tastes and deepen customer loyalty.

That said, the second-hand market remains robust. From Mtumba in Kenya and Okrika in Nigeria to Madunusa in South Africa, pre-loved clothing is still a mainstay.

However, a new hybrid trend is emerging, where traditional African embellishments are being applied to thrifted garments—blending the old with the local.

According to a 2023 Afrobarometer poll, nearly half of Africans between 18 and 35 now express a preference for clothing made on the continent.

Governments are backing the shift. Rwanda and Uganda have already banned imports of second-hand clothes, and Ghana is considering a similar policy. The African Continental Free Trade Area is also working to eliminate tariffs that stifle intra-African trade.

This could allow fashion startups like Tanzania’s Kikuu to ship Kenyan khangas to Zambia at lower costs—signalling a future where Africa’s garment industry not only sustains itself, but goes global.

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CKay secured the 98th spot on Billboard’s best-selling artists in the U.S. for 2022, thanks largely to his infectious single Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah), which also reached number 17 on the Billboard Global 200 and number 55 on the Hot 100.

The year 2022 marked another high point for African music—a trend poised to continue through 2023—as Nigerian megastar Burna Boy gears up to headline London Stadium on June 3. According to Rolling Stone, he’ll be the first African artist to headline a stadium in the UK.

Back on April 2, CKay’s Love Nwantiti—which originally dropped in 2019 and blew up through viral TikTok remixes—topped the inaugural Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs Chart. It has now racked up over 1 billion streams on Spotify and ranks among the most Shazammed songs globally.

CKay is far from alone. Fellow Nigerian artists like Tems, Wizkid, and Fireboy DML also appeared on the Billboard 100 with Wait For U, the Essence remix, and Peru, respectively. Tems even co-wrote Lift Me Up with global superstar Rihanna, featured in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Rema’s Calm Down remix with Selena Gomez also landed on the Global 200 at number 124, while Burna Boy’s Last Lastfeatured at number 156.

The wave isn’t just Nigerian. Artists from South Africa, the DRC, and Tanzania are also making global inroads, indicating that African music is no longer niche—it’s mainstream.

It’s now common to hear Jerusalema by South Africa’s Master KG on European airwaves, see Afro-inspired tracks trending on celebrity social media feeds, or watch African musicians grace top-tier international talk shows.

There’s also serious money flowing in. Burna Boy, known as the African Giant, packed out New York’s Madison Square Garden—making him the first African act to sell out the iconic venue, performing to more than 20,000 fans.

Collabs with global stars are becoming the norm. While musical partnerships with international names aren’t new, they’ve only recently gone mainstream. In 2022 alone, Rema teamed up with Selena Gomez (Calm Down), Burna Boy collaborated with Ed Sheeran (For My Hand), and Tems appeared alongside Drake and Future on Wait For You.

The African soundscape has evolved dramatically in the past decade, fusing traditional rhythms with contemporary beats to create unique, genre-blending sounds. This evolution has helped birth stars like Fally Ipupa, DJ Maphorisa, and many others.

Today, these artists are not just entertainers—they’re cultural ambassadors. Cross-continental collaborations are rising, and music is fast becoming a tool for unity and cultural identity.

As UNESCO notes, music has succeeded in fostering African unity where politics has often fallen short.

The global music industry is now seeing Africa not as a cluster of individual artists or genres, but as a cohesive, powerful musical force. Billboard put it succinctly:

“In the past few years, Africa has emerged as a powerhouse in global music. From U.S. labels signing breakout talents like Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, and Davido, to the growth of African platforms like Boomplay and major labels like Universal, Sony, and Warner expanding on the continent—the future of African music is looking commercially bright.”

With the continent’s population, economy, and streaming base all on the rise, African musicians are charting internationally and signing major deals at a growing pace.

Streaming revenue from platforms like YouTube, Boomplay, Spotify, and ringback services like Skiza are playing a key role in this boom.

Artists are also becoming more attuned to what their audiences want, and recognition from major awards—including the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), the BETs, and the Grammys—is pushing them further into the global spotlight.

Veterans of the African music scene remain as relevant as ever. Legends like Salif Keita, Youssou N’Dour, Fatoumata Diawara, and Angelique Kidjo continue to draw large audiences—testament to both their timeless artistry and renewed global exposure.

Even artists who have passed on—like Manu Dibango, Lucky Dube, Franco Luambo, and Kanda Bongo Man—remain musically influential long after their time, with their legacies still echoing through today’s global playlists.

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