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All Protocol Observed

Welcome to Issue 224 of The Continent

We celebrate people whose purpose and passion shine through a tumultuous 2025, embodying Khalil Gibran’s words that “work is love made visible.” Meet our Africans of the Year: bit.ly/224_TC

This is the cover of issue 224 of The Continent. It is illustrated by Nzilani Simu. The background is a deep purple with subtle patterns. On the cover is a collage of portraits of the Africans of the Year as selected by the team at The Continent.

December 12, 2025 at 9:11 PM

The Continent

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Bigger fish to fry: A porter carries fish from a beachside market in Mogadishu. Somalia’s capital is bootstrapping itself out of the ashes after decades of war, terrorism and disjointed cycles of US military deployment and withdrawal.

Photo: Tony Karumba/AFP

A fish porter carries fish from an open-air beachside market where local fishermen land their catch at dawn in Mogadishu. Mogadishu is rising, literally, from the ashes of decades of war. Pavements remain scarred by bullet holes and ruined buildings still line many streets, but the city's cacophony is now one of construction, not destruction.
The east African nation saw civil war in the 1990s mutate into an Islamist insurgency in the 2000s that still threatens much of the country.
Almost 70 percent of Somalia's population is defined as "multidimensionally poor" by the United Nations -- tracking education, health, living standards, services and inclusion.
But for the first time in decades, the three million inhabitants of capital Mogadishu -- relatively well-protected from the conflict still raging just a couple of hours outside the city -- are witnessing a building boom. (Photo by Tony KARUMBA / AFP)

December 12, 2025 at 10:45 AM

The Continent

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All Protocol Observed

Welcome to Issue 223 of The Continent

In this dumpster fire of a year, we’re still finding what’s worth saving — sport, art, community, and joy across Africa.

Read it here: bit.ly/223_TC

This is the cover of The Continent, dated 6 December 2025, illustrated by Wynona Mutisi.
In the foreground, we see the back of a woman sitting comfortably on a couch. Her hair is styled in two neat braids. Draped over her lap is a mustard-yellow blanket, and she is quietly knitting a pastel-coloured garment. Several balls of yarn in pale shades of blue, lilac, and cream — rest on the coffee table in front of her.
The coffee table is wide and wooden, and on it sits a teapot, a cup of tea, a plate with two biscuits, and an open book.
The headline reads: “Crafting beauty and calm in a year of chaos.”

December 5, 2025 at 7:35 PM

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Lifeline: A sponge farmer in Zanzibar tends to her crops near Jambiani. Each day women enter the tide to tend their allotments after climate change and overfishing upended their former work at sea.

Photo: Marco Longari/AFP

A sponge farmer from Zanzibar's Sponge Farmers' Cooperative, a women-led organization, tends to her crops at a farm off the coast of Jambiani on October 25, 2025. Each day, women wade through the shallow tides off Zanzibar's Jambiani village to tend their coral sponge farms -- a new lifeline after climate change upended their former work at sea. Rising ocean temperatures, overfishing and pollution have steadily degraded marine ecosystems, eroding the main source of livelihood for many on the island, where 26 percent of its 1.9 million people live below the poverty line. From the shore, black sticks jut out of the turquoise Indian Ocean, but as you move closer, rows of hanging lines attached to them come into view -- each strung with coral sponges and marked by farmers who identify their plots by columns. (Photo by MARCO LONGARI / AFP)

December 4, 2025 at 5:50 PM

The Continent

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All Protocol Observed

Welcome to Issue 222 of The Continent

Lesotho’s arrest of a former South African navy officer has reignited a long-simmering border dispute, as the Basotho Covenant Movement pushes historic territorial claims — echoing similar struggles across Africa.

bit.ly/222_TC

This is the cover of Issue 222 of The Continent. It is designed to look like an old, weathered colonial map printed on yellowed paper. At the very top, on a bright gold banner, it says: “AFRICAN JOURNALISM | 29 NOVEMBER 2025 | ISSUE 222.”
Below that, the title appears in large, bold black letters: “The Continent.”
Under it, in slightly smaller type: “Ghosts of empire.”
The entire background is a hand-drawn map focused on Lesotho and the surrounding South African provinces. The map shows Lesotho as a landlocked shape in the centre, with its border illustrated as a dramatic, jagged cliff line—almost like a raised wall—emphasising its separation from the surrounding territory. Around Lesotho, the names of South Africa’s provinces are labelled. Free State to the west and north, KwaZulu-Natal to the east, Eastern Cape to the south, Northern Cape and North West further out. Gauteng and Mpumalanga are towards the top right.
In the upper left corner is a small inset map of South Africa.

November 28, 2025 at 7:35 PM

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Drip or drown: Models get ready backstage during Gambia International Fashion Week in Banjul last week. The annual creative showcase was established in 2023 by acclaimed Gambian designer Ismaila Jallow.

Photo: Muhamadou Bittaye/AFP

Models get ready backstage during The Gambia International Fashion Week at Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Banjul on November 15, 2025. (Photo by Muhamadou BITTAYE / AFP)

November 28, 2025 at 11:00 AM

The Continent

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All Protocol Observed

Welcome to Issue 221 of The Continent

Nigeria’s security crisis deepens: 26 girls abducted in Kebbi State, more kidnappings elsewhere, and a top general killed — symptoms of a long-running, underfunded, corruption-riddled breakdown.

More inside: bit.ly/221_TC

The cover of The Continent features a powerful, unsettling political cartoon. It shows a giant, damaged statue of a Nigerian military general. The statue is cracked, stained with blood, and full of bullet holes, symbolising the collapse of state security. The general’s head is missing, and someone has placed a bright purple-and-yellow traditional cap on top of the neck stump.
The statue’s right arm is raised in a salute. Hanging from that arm is the body of a person who has been lynched. On the statue’s shoulder sits a small man — his posture slumped, arms around his knees, head bowed. The base of the statue carries an inscription:
“ARMED FORCES OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.”
All around the monument is violent chaos. The ground is littered with broken stone pieces from the statue, bones, papers, and bodies. Blood splatters cover the ground and parts of the monument.
To the left, a masked man swings a bloodied machete at people who are cowering on the ground. On the right, armed men point rifles at terrified civilians; one person is shown attempting to flee.
Near the bottom-right corner, two well-dressed men — one in ceremonial military dress, the other in a suit — exchange a briefcase, suggesting corruption even amid widespread violence. The statue’s broken head lies beside them, cracked and discarded.
The headline reads:
“Nigeria’s security is in shambles.”
The illustration is by Gado.

November 21, 2025 at 6:27 PM

The Continent

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All Protocol Observed

Welcome to Issue 220 of The Continent

With insurgencies on the rise, Mali’s military rulers can’t secure a stable supply of fuel. Amid a growing crackdown on media, tankers are under attack, pumps are dry, and Bamako is grinding to a halt.

bit.ly/220_TC

This is the illustrated cover of The Continent (dated 15 November 2025, Issue 220).
At the top, the headline reads: “Mali’s junta is running out of gas.”
The scene is set in a dry, dusty desert landscape. In the centre-left is an abandoned petrol station. Its roof is sagging, the windows are cracked, and thick cobwebs cover the fuel pumps. Two vultures perch on the roof, panting with their tongues hanging out.
Near the petrol station lies a set of bleached animal bones — a full ribcage and skull.
On the right side of the image is a donkey struggling under an impossible burden. On its back is a mountain of luggage: pots, suitcases, buckets, sacks, and rolled-up bedding. Five people cling to the donkey as passengers — men, women and a child — all looking worried, tired, or anxious. The donkey itself is sweating heavily, its eyes wide with strain.
At the top of the luggage pile is a battered “TAXI” sign.

November 14, 2025 at 7:38 PM

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Just us: A dog and his companion share a moment of almost sacred stillness and solitude on the shores of Lake Abaya, Ethiopia, in an image that was recognised at the recent Uganda Press Photo Awards.

Photo: Lucas Oyugi

The 14th edition of the Uganda Press Photo Award (UPPA), the 8th edition of East African Photography Award (EAPA) have just completed. Lucas Oyugi was one of the photographers recognised for this photograph.
At the shores of Lake Abaya in southern Ethiopia, a young boy and his dog stand silently—wrapped in warmth, surrounded by stillness. In this quiet moment, their presence becomes one with the land and water. This image speaks to a deep, unspoken bond between human, animal, and environment—where companionship becomes guardianship, and solitude feels sacred. It's a story of belonging, of being rooted without words.

November 14, 2025 at 11:01 AM

The Continent

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All Protocol Observed

Welcome to Issue 219 of The Continent

Protests, an internet blackout, and deadly force marked Tanzania’s Election Day. Once online again, 37 readers shared what they witnessed.

Read their stories: bit.ly/219_TC

The cover of The Continent, dated 8 November 2025 (Issue 219), bears the headline “Tanzania’s darkest week” and features a striking political cartoon by Gado that echoes Honoré Daumier’s 1831 caricature Gargantua.
At the top, the masthead appears in bold black letters on a beige background. Below it, the illustration dominates the page. It shows a woman seated on a throne-like chair, drawn to resemble Tanzania’s leader. Her mouth is open wide, and a long wooden ramp extends from her mouth, down which small, faceless figures carry large sacks labeled “Corruption,” “Incompetence,” “Fear,” and “Election Fraud.” They march upward to feed these vices into her mouth, while behind them, a long line of weary people stretches toward the horizon, waiting their turn.
To the left stands a sign reading “Abductions”, beside a huge pile of skulls — a chilling symbol of death and repression. Below, masked soldiers with rifles shoot civilians on a blood-spattered ground, surrounded by the bodies of the fallen. The entire scene conveys chaos, violence, and fear.
The image is a nod to Daumier’s Gargantua, which depicted France’s King Louis-Philippe as a grotesque giant devouring the people’s wealth while rewarding his cronies. Here, that 19th-century metaphor of gluttonous tyranny is adapted to Tanzania’s present moment — portraying a leader who consumes corruption, fear, and human lives themselves.

November 7, 2025 at 6:57 PM

The Continent

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Model behaviour: A private show of the Spring/Summer 2026 collection of Nigerian designer Kanyinsola Onalaja for her Onalaja brand during Lagos Fashion Week. She describes the collection as ‘daring’ and ‘unique’.

Photo: Olympia de Maismont/AFP

November 7, 2025 at 2:01 PM

The Continent

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All Protocol Observed

Welcome to Issue 218 of The Continent

El Fasher has fallen — the last Darfuri city to resist the Rapid Support Forces. After a 500-day siege, the Sudanese army withdrew, leaving 250,000 civilians at the mercy of genocidal militias.

bit.ly/218_TC

This is the cover of The Continent, dated 1 November 2025, Issue 218. It’s illustrated by Wynona Mutisi. The headline reads: “Genocide resumes in Darfur as Sudan tears apart.”
The artwork shows a map of Sudan and parts of surrounding countries. Within the map’s borders, two distinct regions are coloured differently — the western side (Darfur) in warm orange-brown tones, and the eastern side in soft purplish-pink.
Both regions are filled with drawn faces of people, suggesting large populations. The faces in the orange-brown area look somber and weary, evoking suffering and displacement. The faces in the pink area appear calmer, though still serious.

October 31, 2025 at 6:17 PM

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Renewal: Nanan Awoulae Désiré Amon Tanoé, king of the N’Zima people of Grand-Bassam and president of the Chamber of Kings and Traditional Chiefs of Côte d’Ivoire, arrives for the celebration of the annual Abissa festival.

Photo: Sia Kambou/AFP

Nanan Awoulae Desire Amon Tanoe, king of the N'Zima people of Grand Bassam and president of the chamber of kings and traditional chiefs of Cote d'Ivoire (CR) carried by porters in a pirogue with a girls dancing in traditional clothes, greets supporters as he arrives for the celebration of Abissa festival in Grand-Bassam on October 18, 2025. Abissa is an annual festival celebrated by the NíZima Kotoko people in Grand-Bassam, a UNESCO World Heritage site. (Photo by Sia KAMBOU / AFP)

October 31, 2025 at 11:00 AM

The Continent

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All Protocol Observed

Welcome to Issue 217 of The Continent

Three years after the guns fell silent, Tigray is breaking. Its youth are fleeing, its hope fading. One writer retraces his path from citizen to fighter to exile — and the ghosts that follow.

bit.ly/217_TC

This is the cover of The Continent (Issue 217) dated 25 October 2025. It is illustrated by Gado.
At the top, under a bright orange and yellow sky, a small wooden boat floats empty on calm water. The sun hangs low, casting warm light on the surface.
Below the surface, the scene turns dark blue and heavy. Beneath the water, there are people sinking or swimming desperately — arms outstretched, bubbles rising from their mouths. Some are fully submerged, others are half-visible. Their clothes, bags, and papers drift around them, mixed with scattered objects.
The headline at the bottom reads: “Exodus: Why we leave Tigray.”

October 24, 2025 at 6:08 PM

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Building up: The annual replastering of the Djinguereber Mosque, also known as Djingareyber, in Timbuktu. It was erected in the 14th century during the reign of Mansa Kankou Moussa and is 700 years old.

Photo: Hameye Capii/AFP

Residents climb up the wall with ladders during the annual replaster of the Djinguereber Mosque, also known as Djingareyber or Djingarey Ber, in Timbuktu on October 12, 2025. The 2025 replaster marks the 700th anniversary of the construction of this mosque, erected in the 14th century during the reign of Emperor Kankou Moussa. (Photo by Hameye Capii/AFP)

October 24, 2025 at 12:02 PM

The Continent

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All Protocol Observed

Welcome to Issue 216 of The Continent

Raila Odinga was nicknamed Agwambo, the “mystery man”. Over and over, through crisis after crisis – and handshake after handshake – Odinga would live up to that moniker. Now Kenya must reckon with life without him.

👉 bit.ly/216_TC

The image is the cover of The Continent, dated 18 October 2025, issue 216. At the top, there’s a yellow strip with the words “African Journalism.”
The main image is an illustration of a Raila Odinga from the chest up. He has a serious, calm expression, dark brown skin, short black hair, and a mustache. He’s wearing a dark blue pinstripe suit, a white shirt, and a blue patterned tie.
The headline on the left reads:
“Kenya’s man of mystery bows out.”
The background is a gradient of deep blue, fading from darker at the top to lighter in the middle. In small text at the bottom right, it credits the illustrators: CAPU Toons/Debunk.

October 17, 2025 at 6:34 PM

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Deep and dapper: An Isicathamiya group performs at a competition in Durban, South Africa. Isicathamiya – isiZulu for ‘to walk on tiptoes’ – is an acapella soulful, choral style developed by Zulu migrant workers.

Photo: Rajesh Jantilal

A group of sharply dressed men in matching royal blue suits stride in unison down a corridor, their movements precise and graceful. They wear pink polka-dot ties, red lapel flowers, and white gloves, exuding both confidence and elegance as they prepare to perform.

October 6, 2025 at 9:25 AM

The Continent

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All Protocol Observed.

Welcome to Issue 215 of The Continent.

Egypt’s bid to stamp out dissent has created a screen-to-prison pipeline. Children lured through gaming are jailed without trial — on terror charges.

Read it here: bit.ly/TC_215

This is the cover for The Continent, dated 27 September 2025, Issue 215.
At the bottom, in the center, there is a young man standing inside a cage made of iron bars, symbolizing imprisonment. He faces forward, holding onto the bars, with a barren desert landscape stretching behind him. Oil rigs and a windmill are scattered in the background.
Above his head, glowing in pink and purple tones, are two giant screens resembling video game interfaces. They show cartoonish avatars, guns, and reward icons like coins and badges, with the word “REWARDS” prominently displayed. One line of text on the screens reads: “Complete missions to get rewards!”
The overall effect links video gaming and digital rewards with imprisonment, echoing the cover story’s title printed at the bottom:
“Egypt’s screen to prison pipeline.” It is illustrated by Wynona Mutisi.

September 26, 2025 at 9:58 PM

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Keep the faith: Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon crosses the finish line to win the women’s 1,500m – the event in which she holds the world record – during the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on 16 September.

Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP

Kenya's Faith Kipyegon crosses the finish line to win the women's 1500m final during the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on September 16, 2025. (Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP)

September 26, 2025 at 11:01 AM

The Continent

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“We go to the square to discover that we love life outside it. And we walk into prison because we love freedom,” Alaa Abd el-Fattah, in a 2011 ode to his son. The Egyptian-British human rights defender has been released from prison after a pardon by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

This is an illustration of Alaa Abd el-Fattah by Nzilani Simu. El-Fattah is wearing a red t-shirt against a backdrop of yellow and orange.

September 23, 2025 at 11:16 AM

The Continent

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All Protocol Observed

Welcome to Issue 214 of The Continent

The shoes and handbags cost thousands. The workers earn just enough to eat. Inside Kano’s leather pits — and the quiet fight for change.

Read it here: bit.ly/214_TC

This is the cover of issue 214 of The Continent. It’s a picture by Temiloluwa Johnson.
The headline reads: “Genuine Italian leather - straight outta Nigeria”.
It features a man standing in front of a small workshop. The shop has a corrugated metal roof and a wooden beam holding up the front. A painted sign above him reads “ABDULLAHI HARUNA LITTAHAFIZUL” in faded blue and red letters.
The barefoot man is wearing a cap and a dark striped shirt. He is holding up a large, bright red animal hide in front of him. Around him, several other hides in shades of red, yellow, and brown are draped over a low cement wall..
The overall scene gives the impression of a traditional leather workshop, with the man working on dyed hides for sale or processing.

September 19, 2025 at 6:55 PM

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The beat goes on: Orthodox clerics lead Enkutatash or new year celebrations in Addis Ababa, on 11 September, marking the end of the rainy season and the start of the Ethiopian calendar year 2018.

Photo: Luis Tato/AFP

Ethiopian Orthodox deacons and a priest sing religious songs, play drums, and hold flags during a New Year church celebration at Entoto St. Raguel Church in Addis Ababa, on September 11, 2025. Ethiopia marks the New Year, Enkutatash in Amharic, on September 11, celebrating the end of the rainy season and the start of the Ethiopian calendar year 2018, which runs about seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar. (Photo by Luis TATO / AFP)

September 19, 2025 at 11:00 AM

The Continent

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All Protocol Observed

Welcome to Issue 213 of The Continent.

Botswana bet big on diamonds — and won. But lab-grown stones are rewriting the rules. Is this a slump, or the end of the road?

Read more 👉 bit.ly/213_TC

This is the illustrated cover of The Continent, dated 12 September 2025, Issue 213.
The illustration shows the inside of a dark, rocky mine tunnel. A miner in an orange jumpsuit and yellow helmet is riding in a small blue mine cart along a set of tracks. He is looking over his shoulder, holding a pickaxe, with a worried expression.
In the distance, at the end of the tunnel, a large wooden barrier blocks the way. A sign nailed to the rocks reads “The END”, suggesting that the mine has run out or reached a dead end.
The headline reads:
“Hold ’em or fold ’em: Botswana’s diamond gambit.”
The overall mood is one of uncertainty and exhaustion, hinting at Botswana facing difficult choices about the future of its diamond industry. It is illustrated by Gado.

September 12, 2025 at 7:14 PM

The Continent

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Fantastic Volksie: A Sue Storm cosplayer eschews invisibility at Comic Con Africa last weekend. The Jo’burg event drew 70,000 fans of comics, games, pop culture, clobbering time and looking hella boss.

Photo: Phill Magakoe/AFP

A cosplayer poses for a portrait during the Comic Con Africa at Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on August 30, 2025. With the 6th Year anniversary, Comic Con Africa is the ultimate pop culture and gaming festival taking place from 28 to 31 August 2025 and offers fans a four-day experience of cosplay, international celebrities, autograph opportunities, gaming specials, eSports tournaments, fandom-focused merch, tabletop gaming, trading card games, anime, manga, screenings, interactive experiences, and more. At this year's festival -- held at the same venue set to host G20 leaders in November -- the stars weren't on stage. They were the fans. Thousands of self-professed nerds, comic book lovers, superhero superfans and anime obsessives descended on the Johannesburg venue. Around 70,000 people were expected to attend the convention, which runs from Thursday through Sunday. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP)

September 12, 2025 at 11:01 AM

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Is Sierra Leone a modern-day “kingdom of kush”? According to respondents to this @afrobarometer.bsky.social survey, the synthetic drug is wreaking havoc across the country.

Sierra Leone is in the grip of a kush epidemic. Thousands of users of the lab-made drug, predominantly young men, have died or been admitted for psychiatric care since 2022.

In June 2024, President Julius Maada Bio declared a national emergency on substance abuse.

Unlike its namesake – a strain of organic cannabis – lab-produced kush comprises synthetic cannabinoids and opioids, making it much more addictive. The drug is manufactured locally, but supply chains for key ingredients stretch to China, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The drug is increasingly popular in Liberia and other parts of West Africa.

In Afrobarometer’s survey sample, 96% of Sierra Leoneans have heard of kush. Among them, an astonishing 99% identify its abuse as a severe problem in the country.

A majority (61%) personally know of a neighbour who uses kush, while almost half can identify a relative (49%) or friend (44%). Younger respondents are more likely to know a user.

Large majorities say imposing harsher penalties (70%) and enforcing strict border-control measures (69%) are the best way to tackle the crisis. Experts also emphasise the importance of harm reduction, such as providing medication to reverse opioid overdoses.

September 11, 2025 at 10:21 AM

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