South African artist Tyla has been one of Africa’s most prominent figures over the past year, closing 2024 as she began it—with global accolades.
In February, she won a Grammy Award in the United States, followed by two BET Awards, and later made history as the first African artist to be honored in three categories at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
Adding to South Africa’s triumphs, comedian and host Trevor Noah received the Emmy Award for Best Entertainment Program for his show during the 75th Emmy Awards ceremony in the U.S.
African Cinema and Cultural Restitution
The Berlinale Film Festival in 2024 showcased powerful social narratives. Franco-Senegalese filmmaker Mati Diop earned the festival’s top honor, the Golden Bear, for her documentary Dahomey. The film highlights the restitution of 26 royal treasures to Benin, looted by French colonial forces in 1892.
This sparked broader discussions on restitution. Ghana succeeded in recovering royal artifacts from the former Asante kingdom, stolen 150 years ago by British colonial forces. Meanwhile, Uganda remains in negotiations, as Cambridge University has only loaned—not returned—items that the country hoped to recover permanently.
Architectural Marvels and Literary Achievements
Africa’s largest mosque was inaugurated in Algeria after years of construction. Costing nearly $900 million, it can host 120,000 worshippers.
In the literary world, Morocco’s capital, Rabat, was named UNESCO’s World Book Capital for 2026, recognizing the city’s efforts in promoting knowledge accessibility. Hosting 54 publishing houses and one of Africa’s largest international book fairs, Rabat has become the 26th city to hold this title since 2001.
Celebrating African Art and Beauty
Dakar’s streets came alive during the Biennale of Contemporary African Art, Dak’Art, shining a spotlight on the continent’s creative spirit and attracting global art enthusiasts.
In the realm of beauty, Miss Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, triumphed as the first runner-up at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico. Born in Soweto, she withdrew from Miss South Africa due to xenophobic backlash online and instead represented her father’s homeland, Nigeria, making her the only African to place in the top five.
Farewells to Icons
Africa and the world bid farewell to several luminaries in 2024:
- Toumani Diabaté, the Malian kora maestro, passed away at 58.
- Breyten Breytenbach, South African writer and anti-apartheid activist.
- Quincy Jones, the American music legend behind We Are the World.
- John Amos, is renowned for his role as Kunta Kinte in the iconic miniseries Roots.
2024 was a year of remarkable achievements, profound cultural contributions, and poignant goodbyes, reaffirming Africa’s enduring impact on the global stage.
