African culture news summarised in English: music, film, literature, heritage, religion and society, from the local press of 54 countries. 307 articles published.
Updated around the clock from 400+ African and international news outlets in 54 countries. Every article names its source. Our method
South Sudanese wrestler Alijou Nhial, nicknamed “Coronavirus”, has died in Juba from complications linked to hepatitis B and meningitis, according to relatives and fans quoted by Radio Tamazuj. A well-known figure in the Bahr el Ghazal region, he had been transferred to the capital several times to receive specialised treatment.
Source: Radio Tamazuj
Three Tunisian secondary-school students won two bronze medals and an honourable mention at the 67th International Mathematical Olympiad, held in Shanghai, China. Mohamed Karim Bouallegue, Yassine Boumiza and Youssef Halim Ajmi were among the students honoured, according to the Tunisian Association of Mathematics Competitions and Culture-Education.
Source: Lapresse
Judith Nafula, known in Kenya as Mama Maria after presenting herself as Mary, the mother of Jesus, has died at Busia Referral Hospital. The Kenya Charismatic Renewal Church announced her death in a statement signed by Archbishop Felix Barasa, Tuko reports.
Source: Tuko
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
Marie-May Madeleine, a teacher at the Seychelles Exceptional School, celebrates twenty-five years of service in education. She is among the staff honoured, alongside another secondary school teacher from Pointe Larue, in an interview broadcast by the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation.
Source: Sbc
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
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