simphani:

A few weeks ago I received a barrage of emails from my friends in the afrosphere. Black women from the Caribbean, UK, Africa and North America were distributing emails encouraging people of black African descent to go out and buy this issue. Social networks like myspace, facebook, black planet. Digg, twitter and other social media promoted this idea of getting people to buy this copy. Many people in the afrosphere including myself treated this with much skepticism and saw it as nothing more than gimmick.

Eighteen models were photographed for the issue they included Naomi Campbell, Iman, Tyra Banks, Liya Kebede, Jourdan Dunn, Alek Wek and Pat Cleveland. The Guardian reported that the Fashion World is stunned by Vogue for black. Crediting the concept of the issue to editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani and the reputable photographer Steven Meisel. The elusive photographer was previously quoted in the Telegraph

“I thought, it’s ridiculous, this discrimination. It’s so crazy to live in such a narrow, narrow place. Age, weight, sexuality, race - every kind of prejudice. I have asked my advertising clients so many times, ‘Can we use a black girl?’ They say no.” Continue reading ‘Black Vogue | Is this really a Change?’

Regardless of what happens next this is a powerful image.

Was looking at Rocketboom the other day and came across this video.

Enjoy African Innovation.

Source: KillerStartups.com

ZebraJobs is a joint venture between Ethiopia-based Info Mind Solutions and US-based Danya International Inc. The aim behind ZebraJobs is to make searching for a good job in Africa as easy and relevant as possible and thereby help to enhance the capacity of Africa’s most important asset, its people.

ZebraJobs is a search engine that scours the internet looking for current availabilities in all of Africa’s countries and then makes them searchable by keyword or by country. The goal of the site is to have more than 1 million job seekers registered by next year which is to include Africans in the Diaspora who wish to return to their home country thru the finding of a good job. Apart from allowing you to search for jobs, ZebraJobs also allows users to post a CV online and also to make an online profile that allows you to better manage your job opportunities.

Am sure the likes of Monster would be looking at a model like this but sometimes being first to market can make the difference. This site could be a great opportunity for both enterprise and non profits to make their presence felt on the continent. Maybe even governmental but I don’t hold out much hope for this. My only concern is that Africa as a continent is so vast how effective can this be, but hey it is a start isn’t it?

Africa Beyond is the place to find out about African arts and culture in the UK and beyond. The website, launched in March 2007, incorporates the BBC’s existing site Africa on your Street, already a favourite destination for lovers of African music. The Africa Beyond website highlights African film, theatre, dance, literature, and visual arts; while Africa on your Street will bring you gig listings, CD reviews, interviews and music news, from Afrobeat to Hiplife to Mbalax.

Whilst this is quite UK centric the site does look at the whole spectrum of African media. Highly recommended.

Investing in Africa is a great site focusing on profitable opportunities in African stock markets.
The site promises that you can

• Dicsover Investing in Africa
• Track African Stock Markets
• Browse Annual Reports

There is a great quote on the front page by the editor that both inspired me and also challenged me.

“I suspect the majority of investors would find the words ‘profitable’ and ‘African’ oxymoronic. And who can blame them? The news media is saturated with images of famine, war, and disease on the continent.

But there is another side of Africa that gets a lot less press. It is a place full of hopeful and enterprising people who are confident of a better future. This is the Africa that I believe is home to some of the most attractive potential investments in the world today.”

Love it. Check it out, there are some true gems in here.

Some links and stories from around the afrosphere

• Black Perspective looks at a rather disturbing (apparently satirical) look at Barack and Michelle Obama. Check it out here.
• Jesse Jackson wants to cut of Obama’s nuts!
• Al Jazeera was fined after a report on Moroccan riots.
• Timbuktu Chronicles focus the African Titans 50 Index

How I would love to be in South Africa this October. The Tech for Africa conference looks like it is going to be a real treat for those who are attending unfortunately for me my own speaking diary doesn’t allow for me to go. According to the official website

The Focus areas are:
* Emerging tech in Africa
* Web / web 2.0
* Mobile / wireless innovation and trends
* Startups / technology business opportunities in Africa
* Telecoms / infrastructure growth and trends

I am particulary keen in the whole startups and telecom possibilities on the continent and the minds that will be meeting there, some of them whom I know, am sure will produce some great results. It seems that the whole technology conference thing is kicking off on the continent as of late, even though most of it seems to be centered in east and south africa. That said have a look of some of the treats that White African has listed as coming up.

Vusi Mahlasela. “The Voice”. South African music at its best.

Fred Swaniker is definitely one of the most charismatic young leaders and social entrepreneurs on the continent. Establishing the African Leadership Academy(ALA) with business partner Chris Bradford.

The ALA is all about 16- to 18-year-olds from every country in Africa training in leadership, entrepreneurship, and African studies. The goal is to prepare future African leaders to tackle the challenges they will inherit, while providing them a long-term support system of mentors, partners, and other leaders. Admission is based on academic merit and leadership potential, with financial aid available for those who need it.

The Academy intends to launch in Sept 2008 and one of the incoming students is a young man I think we both met (well me anyway) this time last year at the TED Global conference in Tanzania. William Kwamkamba is a young man through textbooks and limited resources built a windmill to provide electricity for his family.

I hope to have the opportunity to visit the academy some time in the not too distant future and see the next generation of young african leaders learning and being the change they want to see in the world.