Afrika Design: Creative Tour of Africa

Creativity changes the world! Join us this week as we dive into the mind of Lulu Kitololo—an artist, illustrator, and designer extraordinaire behind the captivating murals of Nairobi Street Kitchen. Discover how she is reshaping the narrative from "starving artist" to one of prosperity and fulfillment. As the visionary founder of Shine, Lulu is dedicated to empowering creatives to build thriving,...

Mass Timber! Let’s talk. We speak with Wekesa, an architect at BuildX, a firm dedicated to human-centered design solutions that prioritize environmental performance and local resources. In this episode, he sheds light on the environmental impact of traditional construction materials like concrete and steel, which contribute significantly to carbon emissions. He proposes a game-changing solution: i...

What is the meaning or reason behind your name? Join us as we embark on a journey exploring the power of names. At the 2023 Nairobi Design Festival's Afrika Design booth, we invited our community to share the stories and meanings behind their names. We extend our sincere gratitude to all who took part. In this episode, expect a diverse array of names from various communities and continents, along...

Nazquiat gives Nigerian artifacts new life through his brilliant use of photography and digital art. Inatimi ‘Nazquiat’ Nathus is a digital artist and a prominent figure in the NFT space with his collections such as Afrotroves. Through his unique blend of photography and digital art, Nazquiat takes listeners on a thought-provoking journey, exploring the significance of Nigerian artifacts and their...

Her Mantra: Learn, learn, learn, and LEARN! In this episode, we meet Marynciana Adema, a multi-talented individual who defies stereotypes as a model, graphic designer, data analyst, and trained chef. Discover the unexpected steps she took to achieve success and her unique perspective on becoming a model. Marynciana also highlights the significance of empathy in our daily lives, enabling us to bett...

Why is it important to export Africa to the world? Hicham Lahlou is a brilliant Moroccan designer and artist who effortlessly combines tradition, modernity, and aesthetics in his mesmerizing works. He is the founder of Africa Design Award, Africa Design Days and Special Envoy & Regional Advisor for Mena Regions & Africa of the World Design Organization. Hicham’s work transcends boundaries, captiva...

How does design affect our perceptions in daily life? In this captivating episode, we welcome Leanne, a service designer at MarathonXP. Leanne shares her insights on the powerful influence of design on our daily perceptions. Join us as we explore how even the smallest design choices shape our emotions, behaviors, and well-being. Leanne's background in psychology adds depth to the discussion, empha...

Discover what it takes to be successful in the fashion industry! Neema takes us into the world of fashion and her journey to the point where she launched her own company, Walove by Design. Her clothing line aims to empower women by assisting in the formation of a sisterhood centered on appreciation for women and their contributions. She draws attention to the difficulties faced in Kenyan and other...

Sylvia walks us through the customs of the Luhya and explains how subtle rituals like naming are important for maintaining community harmony. She talks about her upbringing in the Marachi culture and her background. She emphasizes the necessity to return to earlier ways of doing things because they were sustainable by bringing up raw materials like papyrus as examples. She goes into great detail a...

The future is ancient, says Kenneth, emphasizing the significance of combining historical knowledge into contemporary design processes. He contends that ideas like sustainability are nothing new and have existed for a very long time. In this episode, Kenneth discusses his creative process, which began with his father making many of the items the young boy wanted. From an early age, he had practica...

This is the third episode under the ‘Shifting Narratives’ program supported by the British Council SSA Arts. In this episode, we speak with Mathews Wakhungu, a researcher from the Bukusu community. He explains how cultural anthropology impacts our thoughts, actions, and design choices. We also learn about Kungu Labs, a research and design lab that uses ethnographic research for human-centered desi...

We hope you’re onboard as we continue our creative tour of Afrika! This will be the second episode under the ‘Shifting Narratives’ program supported by the British Council SSA Arts. In this episode, Tsedaniya Delnessa discusses the history of Manakristo Designs, a company devoted to using salvaged and recycled wood along with tried-and-true wood finishes to create beauty over time. She emphasizes...

We are back on the tour of Afrika! This will be the first episode under the ‘Shifting Narratives’ program supported by the British Council SSA Arts. In this episode, Sharon Zarita takes us through her journey of becoming an Arts & Culture consultant. We talk about the exchange of cultural knowledge and ideas. Sharon elaborates about how her company, Sekoya East Africa, is an arts organization that...

This is a bonus episode of Afrika Design about circular design. It's in partnership with What Design Can Do and their 'make it circular' challenge. We discuss examples of design from all over the world and some specific ones from Kenya and Africa. There are examples of culture, nature, materials, storytelling, and even water preservation. We also discussed that sometimes the best design thinking c...

In this episode, we're off to Uganda. We have a conversation with the co-founder of Kafunda Kreative, which is a platform that connects creatives with markets to further their creative career. We discuss the challenges that creatives in Africa face and the possible solutions/steps that can be taken to elevate freelancers and those in the creative industry. He shares his life experiences and how th...

Welcome back to Afrika Design! We begin the next leg of our journey in Zimbabwe. This will be our first episode under the Shifting Narratives program supported by the British Council and in partnership with Kampala Design Week. In this episode, we talk with Dillion who is a social sculptor and the founder of Creative Nestlings; a design community comprised of Afrikans from across the continent. We...

Our next stop: Kenya. This episode took us in a nice full circle, with Prof. Mugendi K. M’Rithaa, who has been mentioned by several guests on the podcast. Prof. Mugendi K. M’Rithaa is a transdisciplinary industrial designer, consultant, educator, and researcher currently teaching at Machakos University, Kenya. He’s also the President Emeritus and Convenor of the Senate of the World Design Organiza...

Choo chooooo, all aboard! Next stop is Nigeria with Ifeoma Dike, an art advisor and curator as well as the founder and CEO of IDDUK. Ifeoma intensively travels across Africa and the world to identify new talents, underrepresented artists, and spot collecting and investment opportunities. In this episode, we talk about pricing art for artists on different levels, digitization of art and emerging ar...

Welcome to Episode 25 of Afrika Design: a creative tour of Afrika. Our next stop: Madagascar. Fenoson Zafimahova, a Lead Concept Designer, led the design of JBL portable speakers such as JBL Xtreme, Flip3 and Pulse 2. We discuss the creative process, AI in design, Malagasy culture, and the knowledge locals have about design. We also discuss the future of design and the biggest challenge facing des...

Welcome to Episode 24 of Afrika Design: a creative tour of Afrika. Our next stop: Zimbabwe. Osmond Tshuma takes us on a journey into language and how it can influence art within a culture. We also explore the 'Afrika - Love letters' project that celebrates African independence and uniqueness through typography. We dive deep into Zimbabwean languages and their connection with art and technology, an...

Welcome to Episode 23 of Afrika Design: a creative tour of Afrika. Our next stop: Tanzania. Juliet Kavishe brings with her a wealth of experience as a professional Interior Architect born in Tanzania and raised in four countries on two continents. Her personal Design Motto is that impactful design is achieved once you consider the complexities and interrelationships of human beings and their surro...

In this episode, we head off to Namibia to dive deep into its culture and indigenous knowledge. We examine how different communities approach life, done through a series of boot camps in the informal sector facilitated by UNDP and the Namibian Government. Omagano talks about the UNDP accelerator lab and how they work with market vendors to connect them to buyers through a digitized system during t...

In this episode, our creative tour takes us to Eswatini through the lens of Senetisiwe's poem "Casted Silhouettes". A story of love expressed through poetry and performance art. Along the way, we'll discover the beauty of Eswatini and its culture, and uncover what it's like to be queer. We'll battle challenges associated with LGBTQ+ and queer love. Join us on this journey of expression. *For the b...

Welcome to Season 2 of the Afrika Design Podcast. In this episode, Richie Moalosi, a professor in the Department of Industrial Design and Technology at the University of Botswana, takes us through the connection between culture and ergonomics in the design of products and services. We look at the impact that indigenous communities have in the creation process. Furthermore, we look at how cultural...

Mutana Gakuru is a Kenyan creative based between Paris and Nairobi, and is the founder and creative producer of the African Fiction Academy; a hub for artistic innovation inspired by African cultural heritage. In this podcast he talks about the 'Sounds of Freedom', an audio film series that captures the lives and personal experiences of the young men and women who chose to fight for Kenya's indepe...