Note from Publisher
As a North American African Diaspora, my sister and I - like so many of us who migrated in the early 80's - grew up explaining that Africa was not just huts, chaos and camels or even the daunting images of 1984 World Vision that had most of us in the 1980's in America justifying our privilged upbringing. Fast forward, as a political scientist and business studies graduate, with over 20 years of domestic and international experience, I always knew my mission was to change the narrative of Africa in North America and strengthen US-Africa relations primarily because the largest African Diaspora after Brazil are based in the United States of America. With my co-founder, we determined our company's mission and kept working "brick by brick". The journey of an entrepreneur is one that has been misunderstood ( we will leave that one for another newsletter).
As a business, we ensured that having business intelligence, knowing the key players and providing strategic solutions for managing perceptions would be at the forefront of everything we do for our clients. With a wide network of professionals, partners and collaborators, we have continued to position Abrabrand as the leading multicultural and cross-cultural brand marketing company committed to offering a range of integrated communications services including but not limited to public relations, multimedia productions and business advisory.
Where creativity meets knowledge, from Web design to communication materials preparation including content writing, and documentary as well as video productions, Afrolehar | Abrabrand continues to thrive to deliver with the highest quality and in a pristine manner. We provide multimedia production services as creativity, storytelling and relevant information, with the understanding of cultural nuances, are key to content productions and user experiences, and we work with various stakeholders in the creative industries and are proud to be a resource to advise on cultural perceptions, diversity and inclusive narratives, and even produce content that portrays dignified African stories.
As part of our engagement, we recently had the opportunity to produce an insightful 10 episodes dialogue series with incredible US-Africa experts titled "US-Africa relations: A Time for Reset". The show is presented by Africa Prime and Afrolehar being the executive producer, we once again take this opportunity to thank Ambassador Jendayi Frazer, Ambassador Cindy Courville, Ambassador David Shinn, Florie Liser, Dr. Joseph Sany, Frank Samolis, Witney Schneidman, Mohamed Camara, Koffie Alle and Gregory Simpkins. We also thank Yaya Moussa and Moktar Gaouad. Last but not least, thank you to our entire production team and of course our long time partner and Director of Photography Frank Maniglia.
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We look forward to your feedback and if you are interested to learn more about our work, contact us.
Always a pleasure extending our newsletter to you to promote a "New Version of Africa".
Best
Rahel G.
Agrifrica Digital Magazine - May/June 2021
Agrifrica.com is a news and content publishing platform focusing on agriculture, energy and environment and these sectors are part of the SDGs and imperative for the #FutureofEarth. If you want to receive our Agrifrica Newsletter, subscribe at agrifrica.com and to work with us contact us. In this issue you will find:
- Exclusive Article from Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity and Water to Thrive organization.
- Country Profiles [ Ethiopia, Columbia and Vietnam] + Continental view.
- Interview with an Entrepreneur in Antigua selling Coffee brands in CARICOM.
- Interview with filmmakers from Caffeinated.
- Interview with Artist from Israel who transitioned from Medicine to Arts.
US-Africa Engagement
USAID Administrator Power weekly recap
A NEW PLATFORM: AMERICA BRANDING FOREIGN POLICY
ShareAmerica is the U.S. Department of State’s platform for communicating American foreign policy worldwide. We share compelling stories and images that spark discussion and debate on important topics like religious freedom, rule of law, economic prosperity, human dignity, and sovereignty. Read more
JOINT INVESTMENT PLAN TO BOOST VACCINE MANUFACTURING CAPACITY IN AFRICA
The United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) in collaboration with the World Bank Group, Germany, and France, announced a joint investment to boost vaccine manufacturing capacity in Africa. As Vice Chair of DFC’s Board of Directors, I was proud to vote yes on this deal. This financing will enable a South African business to ramp up manufacturing capacity and produce more than 500 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by the end of 2022. Read more.
USAID ADMINISTRATOR POWER HELD URGENT MEETINGS ON FAMINE AND ATROCITIES IN TIGRAY, ETHIOPIA, INCLUDING MINISTERIAL CONVENING WITH NINE COUNTRIES AND CONVERSATION WITH THE WEEKND, AND ANNOUNCED $181 MILLION IN NEW USAID ASSISTANCE
To discuss ways of generating public pressure and action that can directly help Ethiopian civilians, Administrator Power met virtually with recording artist Abel Tesfaye (known professionally as The Weeknd). Tesfaye, who is the son of Ethiopian immigrants to Canada, donated $1 million in April to assist Ethiopians impacted by the conflict. USAID representatives leading the Agency’s on-the-ground response briefed Tesfaye on the latest developments, and Administrator Power and Tesfaye discussed how to most effectively raise awareness about the dire situation. Administrator Power also commended Tesfaye, one of the world’s most popular musicians, for his generosity and commitment to speaking up for civilians in desperate need of help. Read more.
USAID PROVIDES $91 MILLION IN URGENTLY NEEDED FOOD, WATER, AND HEALTHCARE FOR COVID-19 RESPONSE ACROSS AFRICA
- $9 million for Chad to provide food assistance, including school meals, for vulnerable people and nutrition assistance to children.
- Nearly $4.7 million for the Democratic Republic of the Congo for protection of vulnerable people, primary healthcare services, and support to strengthen capacity by training health care workers to respond to future disease outbreaks and health emergencies.
- More than $3 million for Sudan to support risk communication and community engagement, provide vital hygiene supplies and personal protective equipment, and respond to gender-based violence. Read more.
Interview with filmmaker and Executive Producer of " A Fire Within"
To read more
The film "A Fire Within" is a docu-drama that exposes the story of three women who were victimized during the Communist Era in Ethiopia and were able to seek justice in their adoptive country, the United States of America. The filmmaker Christopher Chambers comes together with the Executive Producer Jeff Hoffman from Above the Clouds in addition to Liya Kebede to tell the story of justice, dignity and survival. The film was first screened in Atlanta where the case took place. A must watch to see how the US has been a land of opportunity and a beacon of hope for immigrants.
Interesting Articles
DISNEY, AFRICA'S KUGALI REVEAL FIRST LOOK AT SCI-FI SERIES " IWAJU"
Set in a futuristic version of Lagos, Nigeria, the series offers what production designer Hamid Ibrahim described as a “Kugali-Disney mash-up.” “This is a true collaboration. It’s not Disney in some ways pushing our vision onto Kugali,” said Walt Disney Animation Studios’ chief creative officer Jennifer Lee. Read more
NETFLIX LAUNCHES NEW MOBILE STREAMING PLAN IN SOUTH AFRICA
The mobile plan can be accessed on a tablet or a smartphone and allows only one stream in standard definition (520p resolution). Streaming on multiple devices is not permitted under this plan. Users can still have up to five different profiles on the mobile plan. However, they can only stream on one device at a time. Read more
STEMMING CORRUPTION IN THE CULTURAL AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AND USING ARTS TO FIGHT GRAFT
Through the declaration of 2021 as the Year of the Arts, Culture and Heritage, the African Union (AU) recognises the potential for the CCIs to promote unity in society, as well as hasten the process of restructuring and growing economies through the creative sector. The Theme also calls to the fore the need for commitment by policy makers to create an enabling environment for investment in the development of cultural industries including allocating the necessary and adequate resources, legislative action, and implementing policies and programmes aimed at establishing a more robust and sustainable creative industries sector. Read more
NATIONAL STUDIES ON ASSESSING THE ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF THE COPYRIGHT INDUSTRIES
The fact that similar studies had never been undertaken in Ethiopia made it difficult to realize the fundamental role of copyright in value creation. Ethiopia is home to more than 80 ethnic groups, each with its own language, culture, customs, traditions, and lifestyles. There are rich traditions of art, music, dance, literature, and other forms of creativity. The country thus has great potential to diversify its economy through the use of its cultural heritage and pool of creative talent as a feasible development tool. Using creativity as a strategic asset for economic development in Ethiopia calls for defining effective intervention strategies, which in turn requires understanding and responding to the factors shaping the development of the creative industries.
- As a large share of copyright activities are already concentrated in the core copyright industries compared to other countries in the region, policy measures aimed at the other three types of copyright industries (interdependent, partial and non-dedicated support) should focus on increasing their size (e.g., added value, employment and exports).
- Advertising services (the third largest copyright industry in terms of GVA and the fourth largest in terms of employment), as with other copyright industries, could benefit greatly from horizontal policy measures related to the enforcement of copyright regulations and a more effective protection of intellectual property rights. Read more
Brief about Africa Creative Industries
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's Creative Economy Report 2008 defined the creative economy as "the interface between creativity, culture, economics and technology as expressed in the ability to create and circulate intellectual capital, with the potential to generate income, jobs and export earnings while at the same time promoting social inclusion, cultural diversity and human development. This is what the emerging creative economy has already begun to do."
Africa and the Middle East achieved US$58b in revenues (3 per cent of the total) and generated 2.4 million jobs (8 per cent of total cultural and creative industries jobs). These two regions rank as the fifth largest cultural and creative industries markets. In the case of the African continent, with a labor force expected to grow between 12 and 16% every half decade to 2050, Africa needs to create 20 million new jobs annually to meet projected demand, and the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) provides such opportunity. For example, in January 2020, Afreximbank announced a 500 million creative industry support fund. The fund opens lines of credit and direct financing to arts industry participants. In the USA, the creative sector contributes $800 billion per annum and globally the CCIs generate annual global revenues of up to $2,250 billion.
African Creative industries is largely led by Nigeria's film industry - also known as Nollywood, which is currently the fourth biggest economic sector in Nigeria contributing approximately $18 billion to GDP (World Bank 2020). On average, more than 2,000 feature length movies are made each year and a feature movie sells an average of 50,000 copies at about $2 a DVD, offering Africans an affordable entertainment option even if countries such as South Africa estimates that it loses 44% of DVD revenues and 15% of which is online. It is worth noting that one of the largest and most prominent film festivals is the Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO).
On another note, launched by UNESCO in 2004, the Creative Cities Network is rapidly expanding, and now encompasses two cities in Africa. Creative cities are considered to be 'creative hubs' promoting both socio-economic and cultural development through their use of creative industries. Most recently, Brazzaville (in the Republic of Congo), has been designated the 'City of Music'. The city of Aswan in Egypt, was appointed as UNESCO's first 'City of Crafts and Folk Art' in 2005, owing to its unique heritage in folk art and its nature as a hub of exquisite craftwork, arts education, creative exchange and civil engagement. Furthermore, the success of the annual Festival "Sur le Niger" held in the city of Ségou in Mali, demonstrates the value of culture for development, attracting tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world, which promotes cultural tourism and increases country revenues.
Numerous cultural industries, such as new media and creative services rely to a great degree on information communication technology (ICT). With the aim to grow connectivity throughout the continent, limited broadband penetration and the high costs that accompany it continue to significantly impede the development of new technology based creative industries. Internet activity is highly concentrated in Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa; Africa's three biggest economies, but eludes the majority of the African population. It will take $100 billion of investment in the next decade to get broadband to all Africans by 2030.
Fun Facts
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Cape Verde is said to have the highest number of musicians per square km in the world, is a good example of how a country can leverage such resources to place the creative economy at the cornerstone of its development strategy.
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Nollywood is the third-largest film industry by value in the world, after Hollywood and Bollywood. It generates an estimated $500 to $800 million annually. Nollywood’s model of rapid production and home consumption is now being exported across the continent, with countries such as Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, and Mali adopting this model over traditional American or European features.
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