- 2 weeks ago
How are Africans redefining culture, design and community? From Lagos cyclists to Ivorian luxury furniture and South African music, Afrimaxx meets the people driving change.
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00:07Today, we're coming to you from Accra, from a place where authentic Ghanian food is celebrated
00:12with the intentions of using traditional methods such as ramping bangku in fresh plant leaves
00:20and offering a taste of heritage.
00:23But first, here is what is coming up on the show.
00:26Paul Lidron returned to CĂ´te d'Ivoire with an European design degree, but his biggest discovery
00:31was waiting back home.
00:34Think Mauritius is just a paradise island.
00:37Mellon Ballou reviews why it is the ultimate unexpected living gallery.
00:42In Cape Town, to celebrate the World Cup, we meet the new voice behind Freshly Ground.
00:48I am KMJ, and you're watching AfriMax.
01:05Lagos really never sleeps, but before the traffic gets busy, one community is already
01:10on the move.
01:11For these two sisters, cycling is more than just fitness.
01:15It changed their lives.
01:24Lagos at 5 a.m. is wild, quiet, but full of pressure.
01:28And while most of us are hitting snooze, these two sisters are already outside, choosing discipline
01:34over comfort again.
01:37The hardest part is waking up in the morning.
01:40Oh my God, it's, you know, I had to snooze.
01:42My alarm typically wakes me up at 5.20 a.m.
01:46At the beginning, I wasn't sure I could do it.
01:48I didn't think that I was strong enough.
01:50I didn't think I was fit enough.
01:52I didn't think it was for me.
01:53And those fears are fears that, you know, sometimes you take for granted and you don't understand
01:57how it translates to what you do.
02:00So what does it take for these two sisters to turn cycling into a source of health, discipline
02:06and belonging in a city as demanding as Lagos?
02:11I started cycling 10 years ago, and the biggest inspiration was actually to get feet.
02:18We keep doing it, we keep pushing, we keep trying, and here we are.
02:23The psychology tribe is a fantastic tribe.
02:26After the ride, we gather around, we have a cup of coffee, we chat, you know, and it's
02:31always been a community of like minds.
02:35Let's be real.
02:37Cycling in Lagos is no joke.
02:39The traffic alone can humble you.
02:42As a new rider 10 years ago, the roads were scary, you know.
02:47It was tough.
02:48New riders freak out.
02:50Some quits after one ride and stepping into a big, fast group.
02:55It's intimidating.
02:57But, you know, over time and the fact that we ride in groups, it made it all safe and
03:03made me more comfortable in riding, but then it's still challenging.
03:07Now imagine doing all that after having a health scare.
03:11That's Buki's story.
03:12She's not a pro, not a fitness girl, just a woman rebuilding her strength and taking it
03:19to the next level.
03:21Unfortunately, unfortunately, I fell ill.
03:24So when I fell ill and I, you know, I went to see the doctor, I was an enemy, quite
03:28a lot
03:29of health issues.
03:30So when I got better, the doctor said, well, so what can also help is exercising.
03:34And I thought to myself, okay, why don't I take up this cycling idea?
03:38So at least I have people that are cycling already, so I just need to join the bandwagon.
03:42So that's how I started riding.
03:44Yeji Day's breakthrough wasn't cinematic.
03:47It was consistency.
03:49The boring kind.
03:50The wake up and do it even when nobody sees you kind.
03:54Cycling, showing up, has given me that discipline.
03:58To be able to say I can achieve anything.
04:02For Buki, the breakthrough was even softer.
04:06One tiny ride, then another.
04:08Cycling, it's a jealous sport, right?
04:10So if you say you don't cycle for two weeks, you're going to struggle in the third week.
04:14Because at the end of the day, you're so jealous that the minute you stop, it's an effort
04:17to catch up again.
04:19Now it's not even about the bike anymore.
04:22It's about showing up.
04:24For yourself, for your people, for your health, for your mind, and for a community
04:29that actually makes Lagos feel lighter.
04:33First of all, they inspire other ladies, and we have other ladies in the group.
04:38So people like Yeji Day, people like Buki, I mean, they show up all the time.
04:42And if they keep showing up, they will build the capacity, they will get strong and all that.
04:49My cycling journey has made me meet amazing people all around the world.
04:55Having started here in Lagos and cycled in London, in South Africa, Cape Town, in Johannesburg,
05:02in New York, in France, Cannes, Mallorca, I've met various people.
05:08I've made networks.
05:09I've met people professionally, personally.
05:12And, you know, those relationships have kept me going.
05:15If I look at what cycling has done to me overall, it's pushed me past what I believe I could
05:21do.
05:21It's pushed me to think that if you get your fitness level up, there's advantages all around,
05:27not just on the bike, but even at work, even in relationships,
05:30because you have time to spend with friends as well.
05:32At the end of the ride, when Lagos starts waking up,
05:36the sisters look like they've already lived the whole day, grounded, reset, better.
05:41And maybe this could be your start too.
05:45I'm still young, I would say.
05:46The oldest member of psychology is about 71 plus years old.
05:50So, and here I am in my 40s.
05:52So, hey, I still have a long way to go.
05:53So, I'm not quitting any time soon.
05:55In Lagos, cycling isn't an escape.
05:59It's connection.
06:00A way to rebuild health, keep discipline alive,
06:03and belong to something bigger than yourself.
06:07These days, I go to a race, and I see someone 60, 70 years old cycling.
06:11I look, I say, that's me when I'm that age.
06:14I want to be somebody still on my bike at that age, for sure.
06:22You can tell a lot about the city by what people eat at lunchtime.
06:26Here in Accra, it often means bangkong.
06:29Today, we are here at the Vine restaurant,
06:31where Chef Salong is taking a dish most Ghanaians grew up with
06:34and finding ways to keep it relevant.
06:37What exactly is bangkong, and why do people love it?
06:39The bangkong is a smooth, slightly fermented corn and cassava dough,
06:43cooked until they can't stay for human consumption.
06:47It is delicious and satisfying.
06:50What are you doing to sustain this traditional food?
06:53You always make sure there's a consistency.
06:56The food tastes the same.
06:58Serve with the bangkong in a leaf,
07:00and then different varieties of stew and a sauce.
07:06Our bangkong is ready, so we're going to go to seven right now,
07:10and you can see I've got this one here, over here.
07:13This one over here, so technically, this will have our bangkong.
07:15This will have our stew, all right?
07:17Great.
07:18All right, so this is how our first ball of bangkong is looking.
07:22You know, this is very healthy.
07:23A new generation of designers is redefining what largely looks like
07:27across the African continent.
07:29In Abidjan, Paul LeJar is doing this by drawing from his own context
07:34rather than importing someone else's.
07:38Most people in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire think this is trash,
07:43while Paul Edron believes it's the future of African luxury.
07:49Paul is betting that soon Ivorians will furnish their dream homes
07:54with pieces that feel like art.
07:57So, he turns rejected wood and scrap metals into museum-worthy musterpieces.
08:04I'm trying to design objects in which people can recognize themselves.
08:10Objects that fit our culture, that represent our culture.
08:14Objects that is a reflection of who we are.
08:18Paul came back to Abidjan with a degree in design from Europe.
08:22Like many young Africans returning from a brood,
08:26Paul wasn't certain about what lay ahead of him.
08:30But in the midst of all this confusion, he had a lingering thought.
08:35What legacy should I build?
08:39I decided to come back to Cote d'Ivoire and let's say to the continent,
08:43generally speaking, because I felt like I could actually make a difference.
08:47To me, being just another creative in Europe felt like
08:52living a bit of a selfish life,
08:54meaning that, you know, I would work in a company,
08:56get a salary and just enjoy a nice life.
08:59But at the end of the day, what am I giving back to the community?
09:01What change am I making?
09:03And this is something that was in the back of my mind.
09:08With no money and a new market used to cheap imports,
09:13Paul had to consider a couple of things
09:15if he was going to be successful.
09:18Everyone told him,
09:19if you want quality, import wood.
09:22But Paul didn't want to build a career copying Europe.
09:27So he chose to go deep in his roots
09:29to find the most unique pieces of wood to work with.
09:33The one you have here is called Sejan,
09:35which means long legs in Bambara, Malian,
09:39the most spoken language in Mali.
09:41It's made out of amazakwe wood,
09:44which is one of the local essence we have in Cote d'Ivoire
09:47and in the West Coast, generally speaking.
09:50Realistically, the wood I've used here is not well known,
09:54and I like to work with those sort of materials.
09:57So it's a question that comes a lot.
09:58Like, oh, I love this wood.
09:59What is it?
10:00So it's called amazakwe.
10:01It's a wood that's really interesting
10:04because the range of colours you can get out of it
10:08is really wide.
10:10And most of my pieces are made out of wood.
10:13I think there is something that can be said
10:15about the richness by working with wood essence,
10:18which are less known, let's say.
10:21A residency in Saudi Arabia pushed him harder.
10:26Metal, fire, brass,
10:28new ideas.
10:30He came back a different designer.
10:34And in this workshop,
10:36Paul discovered palm leaf,
10:38material that was overlooked,
10:40affordable and full of character.
10:43Last year, I took part in a design residency
10:45in Saudi Arabia,
10:47which we had the exhibition for
10:50in January and February this year.
10:53I felt very drawn to that
10:55and I want to explore
10:56and really like,
10:58yeah, really just explore those materials.
11:00So these are the main two things
11:01I have going on at the moment.
11:03Natural fibres.
11:05I have this composite material
11:07I created in Saudi Arabia
11:09with palm wood,
11:12palm leaf, sorry.
11:13So basically what I did
11:14is use the Japanese washi paper technique
11:16and I adapted it to palm leaves
11:20and I used this paper to make lamps.
11:22He also found a mentor
11:24who saw potential in what he was doing.
11:27There is something a bit more
11:29down to earth,
11:30a bit more human,
11:33which tends to be lost in Europe.
11:35He really played a big role
11:37in helping me adapt
11:41my ways of thinking
11:43to the actual realities of the continent.
11:47I'm going to be very honest,
11:48it's challenging,
11:49but it's so rewarding
11:50because you feel like
11:51your job has an actual impact
11:53on people's lives,
11:55on the way people see their culture
11:57and see themselves.
11:59And yeah, what I'll say is that
12:01despite the challenges,
12:02it's really, really gratifying.
12:04Now his pieces live in real homes,
12:09not galleries,
12:10but living rooms,
12:12proving that luxury
12:14doesn't have to be important.
12:17This is Paul's 2026 collection,
12:21built for Africa by Africa.
12:26A lot of African chefs
12:28are redefining local cuisine.
12:30Do you think that the Ghanaian food
12:31is having its moments globally?
12:33Yes, the Ghanaian food
12:34is experiencing
12:35a major breakthrough.
12:38A lot of people come from outside
12:40to taste our food.
12:41The modern way of serving bangku
12:43is in transparent plastic bags
12:45called rubber,
12:46but health experts warn
12:48that it could be helpful to the body
12:50because of the heat
12:51and toxic chemicals
12:52from the plastic.
12:54Chef, where does tradition
12:55draw the line,
12:56convenience or culture?
12:57Culture.
12:58Rubber is convenient all the way,
13:00it's easy,
13:01but it's dangerous to our health.
13:03By wrapping bangku
13:05in a banana or a plate leaves,
13:07give more rubber aroma
13:10to our food
13:11and it's good for our health.
13:14I just love the aroma
13:15from the food.
13:16It tastes delicious.
13:18Nothing beats the taste
13:19of bangku rubbed in leaves.
13:21It's definitely a better option
13:22as compared to bangku in Araba.
13:25On any given day with friends,
13:27it's a bangku thingy
13:29and it feels like home.
13:32Mauritius is African.
13:34The know-how you expect it.
13:36Every street, rhythm and flavor
13:38tells a surprising story about art.
13:41Here is Malin Baloo
13:43with three reasons why
13:44it's the region's
13:45most unexpected art island.
13:49This is the most unexpected
13:52art island in the African region.
13:56My Mauritius.
13:58She's cool.
13:59A cultural canvas
14:01where every street,
14:03every rhythm,
14:07every flavor
14:09and all its natural beauty
14:11tells a surprising story
14:13about art.
14:15And then,
14:16during World Art Day,
14:18the island transforms,
14:19becoming a living gallery.
14:21The 2026 theme,
14:24Spice,
14:24pays homage
14:25to the island's roots.
14:27Just like Spice,
14:29Mauritius' African identity
14:31isn't a single thread.
14:33It's layered,
14:35complex,
14:36evolving.
14:37An artist,
14:38Gaël Frouger,
14:39explains that beautifully.
14:42It's something very unique
14:44because when you put Mauritius
14:45in the pool of African art,
14:48it feels totally different.
14:51It sounds different.
14:52It looks different
14:53because we have influence
14:55from France,
14:56from England,
14:59from India,
15:00from China,
15:01and it doesn't sound like
15:03what we expect
15:04from usually from Africa.
15:06and it doesn't look like it.
15:08But yet,
15:09it is strongly African,
15:11but it's mixed.
15:12It's Creole.
15:13It's this fusion
15:14that gives Mauritian art
15:16its unmistakable voice.
15:18For others,
15:24Spice is memory,
15:25trade,
15:26migration,
15:27identity.
15:28So different cultures
15:30mixed together
15:31give our own
15:33different kind
15:34of unique pieces.
15:36You have black,
15:38you have Chinese,
15:39Indian,
15:40Muslim,
15:40and white.
15:41And I'm a mixture
15:42of these four.
15:45And in such a multicultural setting,
15:48it's very difficult
15:49to negotiate identity.
15:51But through collaboration,
15:55interaction,
15:56and creativity,
15:57we strive to build
15:59a strong island nation
16:02where diversity
16:04would be a force
16:05and where people
16:07of different cultures
16:08would be living together,
16:10not only among themselves,
16:12but also with nature.
16:13And in all that endeavor,
16:15art is a very essential ingredient.
16:20Mauritius isn't just beautiful,
16:23it's relevant.
16:25It expands what
16:26African creativity
16:27can look like,
16:29beyond expectations,
16:31beyond categories.
16:33It shows that
16:34cultural power
16:34doesn't always
16:36enhance itself.
16:37Sometimes it's layered,
16:40subtle,
16:41unexpected.
16:43And just like Spice,
16:45the island's creative identity
16:47collaborates
16:48blends
16:48and reinvents itself.
16:52But first,
16:53a blessing.
16:54So that we get
16:55all the whole team is blessed,
16:57we're going to do a group prayer,
16:58okay?
16:59Come on, come on.
17:01We'll take them
17:02all together,
17:03we'll take them
17:04to the party.
17:11Artists from across the globe
17:12visit Mauritius
17:13not just to participate
17:15in art events,
17:16but to be captivated
17:18by it,
17:19interpreting its stories
17:21through their own lens.
17:23For me,
17:24that's what makes
17:25the islands
17:26art events
17:26so meaningful.
17:28Each country
17:29had the theme
17:30already prepared,
17:31you know,
17:31they had to imagine
17:33Spice in their own way
17:35and they brought their spice
17:36that they used
17:37in their country.
17:38It was an exploration.
17:40Spice starts with heritage.
17:42It lives in the everyday.
17:46Spice is integrated
17:48in our daily life.
17:50It is part of our history.
17:51For some,
17:53spice is emotion.
17:55I opted for cinnamon
17:57and getting that sense of smell,
18:01that good smell of the cinnamon
18:03while working,
18:04the reaction that our body has
18:06when we sense something good.
18:08And for Jessie Gurria,
18:10spiciness is a way
18:11of talking about identity.
18:14From Beth Offersers,
18:17we are one of the most
18:18spiciest features
18:20on earth.
18:23By bringing their spice
18:25to Mauritius,
18:26it's another way
18:27of sharing the culture.
18:29An opportunity for them
18:30to discover Mauritius,
18:32our culture.
18:33And once you've felt it,
18:35you will never see the island
18:36the same way again.
18:39You don't come to Mauritius
18:41to see art.
18:41You come here
18:43to experience
18:44what it means
18:46when a place lives creatively.
18:52This stands for Africa.
18:57If you remember 2010,
18:59remember this song
19:00had the whole world spinning.
19:02Now,
19:03South African band
19:04Freshly Ground
19:05has a new voice.
19:06We meet Mbali Makoba,
19:08the singer,
19:09stepping into the spotlight
19:10and helping the band
19:11write its next chapter.
19:192010 World Cup,
19:21proudly hosted in Africa,
19:23had a distinct anthem.
19:27Waka Waka introduced millions
19:29around the world
19:30to Freshly Ground.
19:34But this is them now.
19:41It's a lot of pressure
19:42because I feel like
19:43we must come with
19:44a mega hit song, you know?
19:46Everyone must be talking
19:47about Freshly Ground
19:48the way they were talking
19:49about the four.
19:51For more than two decades,
19:53they were one of Africa's
19:54most iconic bands.
19:55But after their lead singer
19:57stepped away
19:57to pursue her solo career,
19:59one question remained.
20:01Can the band
20:02still sound like Freshly Ground?
20:10Their answer?
20:17Well, I'd like to think
20:19I brought in
20:20a little bit of spice,
20:21you know,
20:22and a little bit of Gen Z
20:23in there,
20:24you know,
20:25playful.
20:26I just bring in
20:26some new life in there,
20:28like a new vibe, man,
20:29you know?
20:30I am vibey, so...
20:39Long before the rehearsals
20:41and new releases,
20:42there was Imi Zamaietu.
20:44This is where Mbali grew up
20:45and where music
20:46first took shape.
20:51Imi Zamaietu played
20:53a very huge role
20:54in my music taste
20:56because I take
20:57little bits of my...
20:58like little bits
20:59of everyone.
20:59I feed off
21:01of everyone.
21:01It influenced my music
21:03in a lot of ways.
21:04Just the diversity.
21:06Now I'm versatile
21:07enough to do anything.
21:08I can sing jazz for you.
21:10I can sing hip-hop for you.
21:12I can sing contemporary
21:13African music
21:14like Emilia Mkebas
21:15because of the place
21:16that I grew up
21:17and its diversity.
21:20But it was also
21:21a place she needed
21:21to escape
21:22and lead guitarist
21:23Josh Hawkes
21:24helped her do that.
21:27Yeah, I was in
21:28a really tough time
21:29of my life back then.
21:30It was really difficult.
21:31I think at some point
21:32I was homeless.
21:33It was just really horrible
21:35to the point where
21:35he was just like,
21:37you know what,
21:37just come over
21:37to my house,
21:38chill, watch a movie.
21:40Just, it was cool
21:41because he helped me
21:42escape a very traumatic
21:45reality of my life.
21:47It was cool.
21:47We have a really
21:48special bond.
21:54music became both
21:55an escape
21:56and a way
21:57to imagine
21:57something bigger.
21:58Josh was desperate
21:59to find a new lead singer
22:01so he could get
22:01the band back together.
22:05She was still at school.
22:06She was in the trick
22:07and we had a few months
22:08where we'd write
22:10a couple of songs together
22:11to hang out
22:12and then I mentioned
22:13Freshly Ground to her.
22:14She actually didn't know
22:15who we were
22:15when I first mentioned
22:16Freshly,
22:17she's like,
22:17who's that?
22:18But once she heard
22:19some of the songs,
22:19she'd go,
22:20oh, I know you guys.
22:24Josh introduced
22:24Mbali to the band
22:25and it was an instant hit.
22:28I said to the guys,
22:29I think I might have found
22:29someone who can really
22:30do the job.
22:31You know,
22:31within three minutes
22:32of being in the room
22:33of her singing,
22:34the guys were like,
22:35cheap as I care.
22:38Mbali's incredibly musical.
22:40She can pick up anything
22:40and play something
22:41and she's got huge ears.
22:43She hears a lot of stuff.
22:45She writes.
22:48I'm still pinching myself.
22:50Am I really in this band?
22:51Like the Waka Waka
22:52and my AA guys?
22:53Do we do?
22:54Because they have done
22:55so much iconic things.
22:57I still cannot believe it
22:59to this day.
22:59But the vibe is amazing.
23:01They're cool guys.
23:05She has brought
23:06younger sound.
23:08She has made
23:09freshly fresher.
23:11We are kind of
23:13freshly fresh now.
23:16It captures so much
23:17the attention
23:18of the younger crowd.
23:21Joining Freshly Ground
23:23meant stepping into a role
23:24many South Africans
23:25associate with one person.
23:27For almost 20 years,
23:28the band's front woman
23:29was Solani Mahola.
23:32Filling in the shoes
23:33of this iconic
23:34former lead singer
23:36is a lot.
23:37And I'm just 20 years old.
23:38It's difficult,
23:39but I'm having fun with it.
23:42That mindset
23:43is exactly what the band
23:45was looking for.
23:46Mbali brings her own energy
23:49and her own story to tell.
23:52And she's a fantastic performer.
23:54She moves beautifully on stage.
23:55The sound has changed.
23:58We're still us,
23:59but Mbali's brought
24:01a whole other aspect
24:03to the writing.
24:04Not only can she sing,
24:05she's also very gifted
24:07at lyrics, melody, emotion.
24:14The response to Freshly Ground's
24:16return has been immediate.
24:18Now comes the next test,
24:19a European tour
24:20that will introduce audiences
24:22to this new era of the band.
24:25You know,
24:26we started touring Europe
24:27in 2006,
24:28and now this is 20 years later.
24:30This is the biggest tour
24:32we've ever done.
24:33Mbali's just kept
24:35everyone on their toes.
24:36Everyone's quite excited
24:37about where we're at
24:39and that we're playing music again.
24:46Our set list is 50-50
24:48old and new,
24:49so we've still got songs
24:50that people want to hear.
24:51We interspersed the sets.
24:5420 years ago,
24:56Freshly Ground
24:56introduced millions of listeners
24:58to a distinctly African sound.
25:00Today they're doing
25:01something equally important,
25:03creating space
25:04for a new voice to be heard.
25:10And as Mbali Makorba
25:12steps onto the world's stages,
25:14she's not just carrying
25:15the weight of the band's past,
25:17she's helping shape its future.
25:21Oh my God,
25:23I just...
25:24Peter, what do you think?
25:26Whether it's on a bicycle,
25:28in a workshop,
25:29through arts,
25:30or in a studio,
25:32today's stories reminds us
25:33that innovation
25:34can take many forms.
25:35Don't forget to go to
25:36dw.com forward slash
25:38AfriMax for more.
25:39We will see you next time.
25:55We will see you next time.
25:55We will see you next time.
25:56We will see you next time.
25:57We will see you next time.
25:59We will see you next time.
25:59We will see you next time.
26:00We will see you next time.
26:00We will see you next time.
26:00We will see you next time.
26:01We will see you next time.
26:01We will see you next time.
26:01We will see you next time.
26:01We will see you next time.
26:01We will see you next time.
26:02We will see you next time.
26:02We will see you next time.
26:06We will see you next time.
26:08We will see you next time.
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