Trace’s KEEP WALKING: AFRICA TOP 30 List to Recognise Creators
ADDIS ABABA – A new initiative, KEEP WALKING: AFRICA TOP 30 List, is set to recognise the next generation cultural shapeshifters from across the continent.
Trace, a multimedia platform dedicated to Hip Hop and Afro-centric cultures, has partnered Johnnie Walker to launch the initiative.
The List will identify and celebrate 30 next gen African pioneers making impact on the continent’s creative economy across music, film, media, fashion, and art.
The list of nominees will be revealed in October while members of the public are also encouraged to vote for cultural shapeshifters who they believe have given impetus to and moved culture forward, both across Africa and abroad.
Valentine Gaudin-Muteba, Trace Managing Director in Southern Africa, says the culture is shifting across the continent “in the most amazing ways”.
“We want this list to be a true reflection of the best next generation of cultural innovators from across the continent,” Gaudin-Muteba said. “We want creators to know that we see them, we hear them, and we celebrate them for their excellence”
Diageo’s Johnnie Walker™ and Trace say they have worked with top talent managers and industry leaders across the continent to identify a definitive list of pan-African cultural shape shifters.
KEEP WALKING: AFRICA TOP 30 comes at a time when trends for Africa’s creative economy are overwhelmingly positive.
UNESCO reports indicate that Africa’s still largely untapped film industry could quadruple revenue to $20 billion, and create an additional 20 million jobs, while digital music streaming revenue in Africa is expected to reach US$500 million by 2025.
“These figures all indicate that now is the moment for African creatives to showcase their talents and be acknowledged both on the continent and globally,” said Adrian De Wet, Category Brand Manager at Diageo.
“Our intention for the KEEP WALKING: AFRICA TOP 30 list is to not only recognize them but to be an inspiration to all African creators to take bold steps in shifting the continent’s culture, especially as the world re-opens after lockdown,” the brand manager added.
