Dear Quartz Africa reader,
For Lebogang Mashile, a South African poet, actress and writer, the injustice of colonial rule is linked to her family tree. “The white soldiers who fought in World War I came back and got houses, land and jobs. My great-grandfather also fought in that war. He came back with a coat, a bike and PTSD,” she told me during a session at the recent Ake literary festival in Lagos, which focused on intergenerational trauma related to colonial history.
As Lebo spoke to me, I thought of my own maternal great-grandfather, who was shot in the thigh in what was then Burma during the war against Britain during World War II. He was not treated but discharged from the army to return home and die a few years later as a result of the bullet, which was not taken out.
Conversations like these are what African literary festivals create the space artists can have and make accessible to larger audiences. In the ten years since its inception, the Ake Festival has established itself as one of the continent’s finest and largest literary festivals.
Traditionally held in Abeokuta, Nigeria – the hometown of African Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka – it brings together not only world-renowned writers (this year two African Nobel Prize winners in literature, Wole Soyinka and Abdulrazak Gurnah), but also new and emerging writers such as Francesca Ekwuyasi , Khadija Abdalla Bajaber and Miracle Emeka-Nkwor. Under the charismatic leadership of Lola Shoneyin, author of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, Ake has grown into an impressive part of the continent’s literary journey and development.
The story of Africans who fought in Europe’s wars is best immortalized by Ousmane Sembene’s Camp de Thiaroye, which tells the true story of hundreds of West African soldiers who fought for France (dubbed the Senegalese Tirailleurs, who on their return to Senegal demanded the same wages as were given to French soldiers.They were murdered for it.France had over 200,000 African soldiers fighting for them in World War I alone, of whom 30,000 were killed in the war.
African writers have also covered more recent events in the continent’s history: Zukiswa Wanner’s hilarious novel about domestic politics, The Madams, cannot escape South Africa’s apartheid legacy; Wanjiru Koinange’s family drama “Havoc of choice” is about Kenya’s post-election violence in 2007/2008; and Nnamdi Ehirim’s family and political drama Prince of Monkeys focuses on the Biafran War and the Nigerian military regime.
Being an African writer sometimes means being a reluctant navel shiver. History refuses to stay in the past, but storytelling allows us to use them for a better future.
—Ciku Kimeria, Africa Editor
Quartz Africa Weekly is taking a two-week break for the holiday season. We’ll be back in your inboxes on January 8, 2023. I wish you all happy holidays and a wonderful start into the new year.
What to look for in the Quartz Africa Member Brief
through the digits
75%: How much transport costs add to the price of goods in Africa
100 billion dollars: Annual infrastructure funding gap in Africa
35%: The portion of the export value in Central Africa represented by transportation costs
45%: How much transport costs weigh on the total value of imports in Central Africa
Find out more about Lori Systems, an African logistics startup with offices in Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria, in last week’s Quartz Africa Member Brief.
stories this week
Meta believes the metaverse will be mobile in Africa…Unable to bring down the cost of virtual reality headsets for its target African users, a senior Meta official told Faustine Ngila that the company will be spreading its Metaverse obsession through cellphones.
…but first the company needs to get the content moderation under control. Two Ethiopian researchers and a Kenyan human rights group filed a lawsuit against Meta in Nairobi, alleging Facebook’s algorithm fanned the flames of violence during the Tigray War. Ananya Bhattacharya explains why the plaintiffs are seeking $2 billion in damages.
US wants more trade with Africa…Faustine Ngila lists the various plans announced at the US-Africa Business Summit to unlock opportunities in what the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) estimates is growing into a $3.4 trillion economy will be.
… while Kenya looks to the US to save the country’s airline. Kenya Airways has been in a losing streak for the past decade. Faustine Ngila describes President William Ruto’s efforts to find new investors to save the airline.
Nigerian artists are forging their own NFT path
Photo: Adewale Mayowa
Most Nigerians are aware of NFTs due to the fame of Prince Jacon Osinachi Igwei, who is credited as the first artist to popularize crypto art or art on the blockchain in Nigeria.
In 2018 Osinachi joined Rare Art Lab, a platform that taught him how to navigate art on the blockchain, and then began using Microsoft Word as his medium. He is the first African to be featured at a Christie’s NFT auction. In March 2021, he sold $75,000 worth of art in 10 days, followed by his work Becoming Sochukwuma for $80,000 on SuperRare. Its success has brought visibility to the Nigerian NFT scene.
This is the success most Nigerian NFT artists are hoping to repeat despite a crypto ban in Nigeria and a small collector base. Ugonna-Ora Owoh examines the achievements of Africa’s largest NFT community.
dealmaker
sun king (formerly Green Light Planet), a Chicago-based provider of off-grid solar energy products in Africa, has secured a $70 million equity investment led by LeapFrog Investments. It’s an extension of the $260 million Series D round that the solar company announced in April and was led by Beyond NetZero. That means it closed its Series D round with $330 million and raised over $550 million in debt and equity since inception.
MyHealth Africaa Nairobi-based healthcare startup that connects patients with local and international healthcare specialists and hospitals has secured $1 million in seed funding in a round led by GIIG Africa Fundwith the participation of Japanese Samurai VC. The total amount raised by the startup is now $1.3 million.
Quartz gemstones
Is the Indian Adani Group too big to fail?
The value of shares in Indian companies owned by Gautam Adani, one of the richest men in the world, has risen by more than 1,000% over the past five years.
Graphics: Niharika Sharma
In a relatively short period of time, Adani has embedded its energy companies deeply into India’s infrastructure, thanks in part to a close relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and coveted government contracts. Adani’s rise has also been fueled by huge amounts of taxpayers’ money, both as debt and investment – so much so that people are wondering if the Adani Group has grown too big to fail.
A collapse of the conglomerate would send shockwaves through the economy at large. Rating agencies and financial experts have already identified risk factors, including how the group could fall into a debt trap. A massive default by one or more of Adani’s companies would not only shake the stock markets but India’s economy as a whole.
Other things we liked
Kenyans are angry about the president’s daughter. Nation’s Winnie Mabel describes Kenya’s disbelief and outrage after Charlene Ruto presented members of her team as holders of an unconstitutional “office of first daughter”.
Sudan jailed woman for kissing man…The BBC’s Zeinab Mohammed Salih notes that imprisonment was a relief for the 20-year-old woman as she was originally scheduled to be stoned to death.
…while Nigeria sentenced a sheikh to death for blasphemy. Bashir Bello of The Vanguard reports that a Sharia court sentenced Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara to death by hanging for his revisionist preaching and blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad.
International court upheld the verdict of a Ugandan rebel. Mike Corder writes for the AP that the lawyers for former Lord’s Resistance Army commander Dominic Ongwen failed to reduce his 25-year sentence.
The bodies of 27 Ethiopians were discovered in Zambia. Ethiopia is investigating the circumstances of the deaths, which Al-Jazeera said have “worried” the United Nations Migration Agency.
ICYMI
Apply for the Japan-Africa Investment Drive. The initiative seeks to match African startups with Japanese venture capitalists who are looking for 20 high-potential African startups and plan to invest at least $500,000 in each. (Dec 19)
The Nieman-Berkman Fellowship in Journalism is open to applications. Applicants are eligible for a $75,000 annual stipend and an additional $10,000 stipend that can be used for living, travel, and research expenses.
🎵 This briefing was created while listening to “Katapilla” by Bruce Melodie (Rwanda).
This week’s briefing led you to 🇳🇬, 🇰🇪, 🇺🇬, 🇪🇹, 🇸🇩, 🇿🇲, and 🇷🇼
Our best wishes for a productive and idea-filled week ahead. Please send all messages, comments, suggestions, ideas, book recommendations and artistic NFTs to [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter at @qzafrica for updates throughout the day.
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