Johannesburg, November XX, 2022: Five of Africa’s cultural giants – including Afrobeats star, D’Banj and artist-producer, Tresor – star in Keep Walking Africa Top 30: The Round Table show to broadcast on Trace channels across Africa on December 9.
On Keep Walking Africa Top 30: The Round Table show, the panel engages in a compelling discussion on the future of African culture and the creative industry, while also featuring the creatives identified on the Keep Walking: Africa Top 30 list, a joint vision from Johnnie Walker™ and Trace, to identify the next generation of African creatives across music, film, media, fashion, and art.
Joining D’Banj and Tresor on the panel are media & fashion expert, and former editor-in-chief of Elle Magazine Cote D’Ivoire, Frederique Leininger; film aficionado and head of sales & distribution company AAA Films, Mayenzeke Baza, and Brand Lead House of Walker, Adrian De Wet along with; music industry expert and show moderator, Munya Chanetsa.
“I’ve always said that when hope is made visible in Africa, our culture will receive the global attention it deserves. For me culture is our gold and I am constantly amazed by the depth of talent we have in Africa, personified by those on the Top 30 list,” says D’banj, whose hit “Oliver Twist” was the first Afrobeats record to hit number one on charts across Europe.
The inaugural Keep Walking: Africa Top 30 list includes creatives (some of whom have made global impact) from across the continent, from Angola to Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Gabon, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia.
“While it’s impossible to project the future, African culture is without doubt on a phenomenal growth trajectory, driven by not only local consumption but long-awaited global appeal. The show is a deep but fun dive into exactly this as well as giving viewers insight into some really unique, next gen African creatives,” said moderator, Munya Chanetsa, founder of Masters of The Industry (an online music industry skills transfer platform) and MD: Africa for Empire Publishing.
Topics on Keep Walking Africa Top 30: The Round Table range from the future of African music identity, emerging trends in the African fashion aesthetic, how technology is impacting art, the evolution of media and how African stories are making waves in a more diverse global film market.
“From around the continent, the Keep Walking: Africa Top 30 list reflects the best, next generation of African cultural innovators and Keep Walking Africa Top 30: The Round Table reveals just how culture can bring the continent together. We couldn’t be more thrilled,” says Valentine Gaudin-Muteba, Trace Managing Director, Southern Africa.
Adds Adrian De Wet, Brand Lead House of Walker: “The depth of talent amongst the finalists on the Top 30 gave us real inspiration and it’s clear that African creatives walk their own path boldly and with confidence. Keep Walking Africa Top 30: The Round Table also reveals just how dynamic African culture is while retaining such a strong sense of shared identity.”
Keep Walking Africa Top 30: The Round Table broadcasts on Trace Africa, Trace Toca, Trace Mutzika and Trace Africa Anglophone on December 9.
