African culture news summarised in English: music, film, literature, heritage, religion and society, from the local press of 54 countries. 237 articles published.
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The Jeunesse engagée et responsable de Saint-Louis association handed over 200 school kits, bringing the number of beneficiaries this year to 350. The 16th solidarity campaign covers vulnerable pupils from introductory classes to the final year and also includes holiday classes, according to its president Adama Kane Diallo, cited by APS.
Source: APS
The Mauritanian film Anima, directed by Abou Bakr Ibrahim Mami, won the best director award at the Ifrane festival, while Femmes suspendues received the special jury prize. An agreement signed on 8 October between the Ifrane and Boghé festivals provides for exchanges and training, according to Cridem.
Source: Kassataya
The Cairo International Film Festival has announced that it will present the Golden Pyramid Award to Mauritanian director Abdel Rahman Sissako at its 47th edition. The festival will run from 11 to 20 November, according to Saharamedias.
Source: Kassataya
The Vodacom Lesotho Foundation has handed over five renovated classrooms at Matelile Primary School in Mafeteng district after repairing badly deteriorated roofs, walls and floors. Education Minister Ntoi Rapapa welcomed the investment in safer learning conditions, according to TheReporter.
Source: Thereporter
Ongwediva Town Council’s community garden has helped 38 vulnerable households since it was established in March, including six households that received vegetables at the sixth harvest. The project also aims to teach farming skills and strengthen residents’ food self-sufficiency, according to the council, cited by New Era.
Source: New Era
Former São Tomé and Príncipe president Manuel Pinto da Costa was honoured for his political career at the Gala of Lusophony Awards. Represented by his daughter, he recalled taking part in the first meeting of Portuguese-speaking leaders in 1989, according to Telanon.
Source: Telanon
Ilza Amado Vaz received the 2026 Lusophony Special Award, a distinction she dedicates to São Tomé and Príncipe and the defence of public service. The award comes during the year marking the 30th anniversary of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, according to the award winner’s speech published by Telanon.
Source: Telanon
Adama Nyama Bah, a specialist nurse in the British health service, supports women and campaigns for better access to healthcare for marginalised communities. Born in Kabala, Sierra Leone, she also leads the Women’s Health Advocacy Network from London, reports the Sierra Leone Telegraph.
Source: Sierra Leone Telegraph
The 36th teachers’ awards ceremony recognised school staff for their length of service and work in the Seychelles. Linda Marie, who taught for 47 years at Baie Sainte-Anne school on Praslin, was among those honoured, the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation reports.
Source: Sbc
Dauda Ali Biu, former director-general of Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps, has died at 62, prompting tributes from the road safety agency. He led the institution from July 2022 to May 2024, according to a condolence message published by the FRSC and reported by Punch.
Source: Punch
Malawi’s Minister of Sports, Youth and Culture, Alfred Gangata, called on traditional leaders to preserve Yao customs and heritage at the Chiwanja cha Yao Festival in Salima, Malawi. He praised an initiative supporting girls’ education and warned that perpetrators of abuse would be prosecuted, according to Mwnation.
Source: Mwnation
The Eswatini Farmers Market festival brought several local and international artists together in Mbabane, including Gifted Kosie, Uncle Waffles and Oscar Mbo. The two stages hosted concerts and electronic music performances into the early hours, according to the Times of Eswatini.
Source: Times of Eswatini
The final day of the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ “Eternal Happiness” convention brought together 3,031 people at the Mavuso Centre in Manzini, including 2,946 in person and 85 online. The three-day gathering, devoted to Bible teachings on happiness and spiritual life, ended on Sunday, according to the Times of Eswatini.
Source: Times of Eswatini
Nigerian historian Toyin Falola says social media creates an illusion of closeness without offering the trust or solidarity of genuine human relationships. He made the case at a conference organised in Ibadan by the Ibadan Social Group to mark its 50th anniversary, according to Punch.
Source: Punch
More than 386,000 candidates are due to sit Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examinations in Zimbabwe in 2026, around 30,578 more than in 2025, an increase of 8.6%. The examinations begin on 12 October at more than 3,500 centres, according to figures presented by Zimeye from national examination data.
Source: Zimeye
The profile of Eritrean musician Teklenkiel Gebru highlights his courage in criticising the organisations, communities and state to which he was connected. This third and final instalment contrasts nationalism, based on devotion, with patriotism, which demands responsibility and loyalty to principles, according to Awate.
Source: Awate
Teenage girls gathered in Kabala, Koinadugu District, called for stronger action against child marriage. The symposium organised by the United Nations Population Fund in Sierra Leone also highlighted the impact of these practices on girls’ education and economic independence, according to Sierraloaded.
Source: Sierraloaded
Brazilian footballer Vinícius Júnior and influencer Virginia Fonseca split on 11 October, four months after reconciling. Virginia Fonseca’s team confirmed the separation to CNN Brasil, specifying that it was not the result of conflict or an argument between them.
Source: La Nouvelle Tribune
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