Editor's Letter

In “The Man Who Saw The Future Of Africa”, an essay for the New York Times published in August this year, its author, Howard W French, writes about John F Kennedy’s close relationship with Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana.

Kennedy had begun to see Africa as a “continent full of promise”, says French, professor of journalism at Columbia University. Nkrumah was President Kennedy’s most influential African counterpart, a leader who secured Ghana’s peaceful independence, and a man determined to unite a continent long divided by the borders and politics of colonial rule.

It was a moment in history charged with confidence, ambition and possibility; a time when African leaders dreamed not just of independence, but of a continent that could speak for itself and to itself.

That dream is yet to be realised – and 60 years on it still feels just as urgent. For too long, Africa’s story has been edited elsewhere: simplified, stereotyped and defined by what’s missing. But if we want to change the narrative, we can’t just speak louder. We have to speak to each other.

This issue is exactly that conversation. For the first time, Design//Life Africa is bringing together eight Southern African countries under one banner – a milestone for us, and testament to the creative brilliance of this region. We’re highlighting how shared creativity can shift the narrative of what Africa is, and in doing so, focus attention on the real power and possibility that lie within the continent.

In this edition, we travel across the region: there’s big and beautiful fashion from Botswana (“Glotto Fabulous”); perspective-shifting photojournalism from Namibia (“Body Of Work”); and an exploration of the pulse-pounding DJ scene in Zimbabwe (“All Hands On Decks”). We visit trailblazing art galleries in South Africa (“Showing Up”) and Zambia (“Lusaka Through A Lens”) and pay tribute to one of Southern Africa’s most talented musicians (“Ray Of Light”). We also delve into the deeper issues: Leo Muzivoreva makes the case for why Africa must take charge of who tells its tale (“Beyond The Single Story”) and we examine the impact of the United Nations’ new tax legislation on Africa (“Global Tax: The Next Chapter”).

Together these stories reveal a region that’s not waiting to be seen, it’s already busy showing itself. Collaboration is shifting perspectives. Storytelling is reclaiming power. The next wave of Southern African creativity isn’t just happening in isolation – it’s happening together.

So, let’s talk – across languages, across mediums, across borders.

The conversation starts here.

Milly McPhie
Editor, Design//Life Africa

EDITOR'S LETTER