GALLERY 

London, United Kingdom — Fashion London Fashion Week returns from 17–21 September 2026, bringing together established fashion houses, emerging designers and international creative voices for the Spring/Summer 2027 season. For Africa First Magazine, one of the most compelling aspects of London’s fashion landscape is the growing visibility of designers whose creativity is shaped by African heritage and the wider diaspora. Designers and brands including Tolu Coker, Ahluwalia, On

After years of coming close, Cameroon have finally reached the summit of African women’s football. The Indomitable Lionesses were crowned 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations champions after defeating Malawi 3–0 in the final in Rabat, Morocco — securing the continental title for the first time in their history. For a nation that had previously reached three WAFCON finals without lifting the trophy, the victory carries particular significance. Cameroon arrived at this tournament

Across Africa, important progress has been made in strengthening laws and policies designed to protect women’s rights, promote equality and tackle gender-based violence. However, a significant gap remains between legal commitments and the everyday reality experienced by many women. Across several countries, women continue to face challenges linked to violence, discrimination, unequal economic opportunities, limited access to justice and weak enforcement of existing protection

For decades, Nollywood has been one of Africa’s most prolific cultural industries, building an enormous audience through stories made primarily for African viewers. Today, its influence is travelling much further. The Nigerian film industry has evolved dramatically from the direct-to-video productions that helped define its early growth. Larger productions, international collaborations, streaming platforms and cinema releases have created new routes for African films to reach

Across Africa and its diaspora, a new generation of designers is reshaping what African fashion looks like on the global stage. Among the names contributing to that movement is Nigerian designer Ugo Monye, whose work combines traditional references with contemporary tailoring and a distinctive sense of occasion. Based in Lagos, Monye has become particularly recognised for menswear that challenges the boundaries of conventional formal dressing. His designs often feature dramat

Burna Boy’s career has reached a point where the question is no longer whether African music can travel globally. His journey is increasingly about what happens when an African artist becomes part of the global mainstream without abandoning the identity that made his music distinctive in the first place. The Nigerian artist has spent years expanding beyond the traditional boundaries placed around African musicians. From international festivals and arena performances to Grammy

Across Africa, a name can carry far more than identity. It can preserve family history, mark the circumstances of a birth, express faith, honour an ancestor or carry a parent's hopes for a child's future. Naming traditions differ enormously across the continent. Among the Akan of Ghana, for example, traditional names can reflect the day of the week on which a child was born. In parts of Yoruba culture, names often carry meanings connected to family circumstances, spirituality

For more than a century, some of Africa's most important cultural objects have been displayed thousands of miles from the societies that created them. Museums across Europe and North America hold sculptures, royal objects, manuscripts, masks and ceremonial works acquired during colonial rule. Some were purchased or exchanged, while others were removed through military expeditions, looting or circumstances in which the balance of power was profoundly unequal. Today, a growing

Kolwezi is known internationally for mining. Copper, cobalt and the mineral wealth of Lualaba Province have shaped how the city is seen both inside and outside the Democratic Republic of Congo. But in July 2026, Kolwezi presented another side of itself. From 1 to 5 July, the city hosted the second edition of Kolwezi Fashion Week, under the theme “Héritage en Lumière” — Heritage in the Light. The event brought together Congolese and international designers in a celebration of

African-founded fintech Yellow Card has secured $40 million in new funding as it looks to expand its stablecoin-powered payments and treasury infrastructure globally. The latest strategic funding round marks another significant milestone for Yellow Card, which launched in Nigeria in 2019 and built much of its early growth across African markets. The company has increasingly shifted its focus towards providing businesses with infrastructure for cross-border payments, stablecoi

Football may command much of Africa’s sporting attention, but the continent’s influence on global sport stretches far beyond the pitch. Across athletics, basketball, boxing and other disciplines, African athletes continue to compete at the highest international level, building sporting legacies that are sometimes overshadowed by the continent’s enormous relationship with football. Nowhere is that legacy more visible than in athletics. East Africa has produced generations of e

Across Africa, storytelling has long been more than entertainment. Before histories were recorded in books, communities preserved knowledge through spoken words — passing histories, beliefs, genealogies, music and collective memory from one generation to another. From griots in West Africa to praise poets in Southern Africa, oral traditions have played an important role in documenting societies. Storytellers were not simply performers; many served as historians, cultural guar

Few African cities bring together dramatic landscapes, urban culture, history and coastline quite like Cape Town. Framed by Table Mountain and stretching towards the Atlantic Ocean, South Africa’s coastal city offers a travel experience that moves easily between nature, food, art and heritage. For many visitors, Table Mountain is the natural starting point. Its distinctive silhouette dominates the city, while the surrounding Cape Peninsula opens onto beaches, mountain roads a

AFRIMMA returns in 2026 with another celebration of African music, bringing together some of the continent’s most established stars alongside a new generation of artists reshaping the sound of Africa. The awards, scheduled for 12 September 2026, continue to reflect how African music has expanded beyond national borders. Afrobeats may remain one of the continent’s most internationally recognised sounds, but AFRIMMA’s nominations demonstrate a much wider musical landscape stret

At just 19 years old, Côte d’Ivoire international Yan Diomande has completed one of the most remarkable rises in modern African football. Real Madrid confirmed on 6 August that it had reached an agreement with RB Leipzig for the Ivorian winger, signing him to a seven-year contract that will keep him at the Spanish giants until June 2033. The financial scale of the transfer makes the move even more significant. Reports indicate that the deal could reach €125 million, with furt

Across the African diaspora, the idea of “going home” carries enormous emotional weight. For descendants of people displaced through slavery, colonialism or later migration, Africa can represent ancestry, identity and a connection interrupted across generations. In recent years, improved travel links, social media and deliberate outreach from African countries have made that connection increasingly tangible. Ghana's Year of Return brought global attention to the idea in 2019,

Across Africa, markets have always been more than places to buy and sell. They are centres of commerce, information, community and social power — and for generations, women have been at their heart. From the market women of Ghana and Nigeria to traders in Togo, Benin, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo, women have built businesses that supported households, financed children's education and connected rural producers with rapidly growing cities. Long before conversatio

Ghana has become one of Africa’s most recognisable destinations for travellers from the global African diaspora. Over the past several years, the country has positioned itself not simply as somewhere to visit, but as a place to reconnect — with history, culture and a contemporary African identity that extends far beyond the traditional tourist experience. Much of that international attention accelerated with the Year of Return in 2019, which marked 400 years since the arrival

Dakar does not introduce itself quietly. Positioned at the western edge of the African continent, Senegal’s capital is energetic, creative and constantly moving. Traffic, street life, music, Atlantic winds, restaurants, markets and contemporary culture overlap in a city that can feel intense at first, but increasingly rewarding the longer a visitor stays. For travellers, Dakar offers something different from the resort-led image often associated with African tourism. The attr

Africa’s economy is continuing to show resilience despite a difficult global environment marked by geopolitical tensions, high borrowing costs, trade uncertainty and pressure on public finances. Across the continent, growth is being supported by a combination of domestic demand, infrastructure investment, expanding services, agricultural production and stronger regional trade. While the pace of growth differs significantly from one country and region to another, the broader o