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Senegal is decolonising its heritage, and in the process reclaiming its future
Written by Ferdinand de Jong, Associate Professor in Anthropology, University of East Anglia After Faidherbe’s fall, the municipality quickly reinstalled the statue but removed it again in early 2020 claiming they wanted to renovate the square where it once stood. The incident illustrates the long journey Senegal has travelled in coming to terms with […]
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Rwanda’s passionate female conservationist on Kigali’s best
Singita’s 178-acre property sits on the border of Volcanoes National Park; one of four national parks in Rwanda and its most heavily patrolled. Home to one-third of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, conservation of this precious habitat is an enormous priority. Claudine’s days involve environmental monitoring and protection, following up on the plant nursery and […]
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Sudan has twice as many pyramids as Egypt – this is their little-told story
The ‘Black Pharaohs’ and the rise of the Nubian Empire For a period of 200 years, around 3000 BCE, Egyptian pharaohs sent their army south along the Nile in search of gold, granite for statues, ostrich feathers and slaves. They built forts, and later temples, to demonstrate their dominance over the Nubians. The Nubians were […]
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Zimbabwe’s brilliant female environmental lawyer (and urban farmer) shares her Harare
Takudzwa’s conservation journey started in Hwange National Park. Her father worked there, which she says birthed an innate desire to protect wildlife and the environment. Today, Takudzwa’s experience includes co-authoring a Handbook for Prosecuting Wildlife Crimes and developing the first virtual training on wildlife crime and the law for authorities in Zimbabwe. She has drafted […]
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Two astonishing new UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa
This year, the record engraved 29 more cultural sites and five new natural sites from across the globe. After analysing submissions from 2020 and 2021 (the committee has met annually since 1978, but didn’t convene last year due to COVID-19) the UNESCO World Heritage Committee added 34 new spots to its famous list. Just two […]
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This man wants to reclaim Africa’s lost art
Although he was stopped by the museum’s guards, the point had been made by his largely symbolic and political gesture. There are thousands of items of African art and artifacts residing in museums and galleries around the world, but mostly in Europe, that were looted from the continent. Mwazulu was fined €1,000 for the Quai Branly […]
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A culinary guide to Kenya’s land of trees and honey
An apiarist, Abbas was showing me around his farm, a smallholding between Watamu and Gede, and sharing his beekeeping story. We stood together in the shade of a mango tree that dripped with fruit. Above him, three beehives painted an equally mango shade of yellow were strung up in the boughs. “There are 400 beekeeping […]
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Who are the Hyena Men of Nigeria?
“Seeing them perform is unforgettable,” photographer Pieter Hugo says. “It’s a huge spectacle. They beat drums to draw in the crowds, then take the muzzles off the hyenas. Next, they put their arms and even their heads between the animals’ jaws. The aim is to convince the audience they have special powers, and that the […]
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From Cape Town to the cups of royals, writers and revolutionaries: the wine that put South Africa’s vineyards on the map
Following van der Stel’s death in 1712, the estate was divided and sold in three parts, most famously Groot Constantia and Klein Constantia. The latter’s modern-day fate was placed in the unlikely hands of Johannes Colijn, the illegitimate son of a burger and Cape-born freed slave Maria Everts (whose own parents hailed from modern-day Guinea […]
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12 Enthralling African destinations to add to your wander-list for 2021
Every year, I eagerly anticipate the travel hotlists and destination round-ups released by the likes of CondĂ© Nast and National Geographic, and each time am routinely disappointed by the conspicuous absence of alluring African countries. Our continent will forever be an eternal safari hotspot, but there are so many more reasons to plan a trip. […]