Wasafiri Africa Podcast

Wasafiri Africa
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Hamjambo. It is Ruth and Geovany and karibuni to our listeners around the globe. Asanteni sana for joining us. As the name implies, on Wasafiri Africa, we’re travellers of Africa. Here, there is a re-storying of the continent, where we can embolden ourselves with evidence of our resilience, creativity, resourcefulness and love for humanity. It’s time. Time to tell our own stories. Come with us as we celebrate Africa and Things African. Twendeni. Africa is ready! wasafiriafrica.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Third Culture Advantage in Innovative Banking for Africa with JJ Taboola

    FEB 3

    Third Culture Advantage in Innovative Banking for Africa with JJ Taboola

    Under the terms of Separate Racial Development, in 1976, The Transkei in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, was the first Bantu Homeland to achieve a controversial independence from the Apartheid government. At approximately 18000 square miles, this area which borders Lesotho, and home to the isiXhosa people. Under an independent and democratic Republic of South Africa, in 1994, the name changed to the Eastern Cape Province, and Umtata remained as its capital. * The conversation with J. J. Taboola has been a long time coming for Ruth as each time they planned to meet, J. J. was clearly handling urgent and important matters, and Ruth would opt to reschedule. Credit to J. J. for showing up each time. Far from being grey haired or balding, J.J. Taboola reflects on how he surprised his family by leaving a thriving corporate career in finance to set up his own show. The launch of Prime Circle in 2021 was a manifestation of a 15 year old’s dream to running his own firm. Not unlike any dreamer, the movies fuelled his passion but J. J., yet far from being a wolf on Wall Street, J. J. wanted to build innovative banking for Africa, something in his own words “was not there yet”. Ruth is suitably impressed to learn that his idea such an instant hit with family and friends that funding was oversubscribed from this tight circle, to the point where he had to cap what an individual could invest. Talk about leaving the gates charging! And yet the conversation unveils that more than just dreaming, J. J. Taboola has had an a somewhat unique advantage. It becomes clear that what sometimes can appear to be happenstance becomes the core of what spins a dream into reality.  In this case, J.J. credits what her refers to as his Third Culture to have prepared him for the future he now calls his present.  And so from the dream fields of the Transkei to the bustle of Cape Town, J.J. is has created a thriving competitive asset management firm. His eyes on “exotic currencies” and the vast opportunities that lie on the continent, J.J. Taboola is doing what he loves – moving funds at lighting speed at home and abroad, as part of a welcome breath of fresh air in banking in Africa. Twendeni, Africa is Ready!      Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    56 min
  2. Reflections of the Soul in Art and Natural Medicine with Lizette Chirrime

    JAN 27

    Reflections of the Soul in Art and Natural Medicine with Lizette Chirrime

    Nampula is the capital city of Nampula Province in Northern Mozambique. The third largest city in Mozambique, its unique geo location makes it a central point into Mozambique from different parts of Southern Africa. With a pristine coastline only 150 kilometers away from the Nampula City, it remains an attractive holiday destination for locals and visitors, alike. * Lizette Chirrime was cocooned in her creative eco system, when she joined Ruth for a conversation. In Mozambique, settled on her perch by the shores of the gloriously temperate Indian Ocean, her backdrop included frolicking whales and dolphins in the turquoise waters, and foraging chickens guarded by a crowing rooster, on land. Ruth and Lizette flowed into the conversation, prompted by some reminiscing of their first meeting at yet another notable exhibition of Lizette’s, held in Cape Town. Plainly speaking, Lizette Chirrime is a tour de force in herself, her formidable spirit having risen almost literally from ashes, to craft the notable artist she is known to be. In the conversation her love for family is clear, rooted in fondness for her father, and her respect for the unique history of Mozambique, remembered through the late President Samora Machel. It’s clear that Lizette is firmly rooted in Africa. Unafraid to call a spade a spade and not a big spoon, Lizette is candid and thought provoking. Ruth comes away, not only having unearthed a side of Lizette Chirrime that is mostly unknown, but also sufficiently provoked into thinking deeper about what it means to embrace African heritage more fully. Twendeni, Africa is Ready!        Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 2m
  3. The Joy of Story, Language and Photography with Frank Malaba

    JAN 20

    The Joy of Story, Language and Photography with Frank Malaba

    Lupane District is the Capital City of Matebeleland North Province, in Zimbabwe, home to the Ndebele. The name “Lupane” is thought to relate to the Tonga word “Lupale” meaning “Dry Land”. Just 172 km from Bulawayo, Lupane boasts a State University and St Lukes Hospital, known for being a raining hospital for doctors from Europe, South America and elsewhere, seeking experience in rural African communities. * Sometime, things dove tail so nicely, one can almost sense the Invisible Hand that conspires for our good. Such was the opportunity to sit with Frank Malaba, on one of his whistle stop visits to Cape Town. Ruth recounts the pleasure of attending Frank Malaba’s firs photographic exhibition ever, on display at Young Blood Gallery in Cape Town’s Bree Street.  Beyond the enjoyment of celebrating the milestone achievement for Frank, his talent was obvious. The beautiful imagery captured numerous singularly stunning moments in everyday unscripted living, along Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard. The visual storytelling, mirrored the poignancy of Frank’s oral story, which besides being a recognised television and film actor, he is best known for. Frank Malaba is a consummate storyteller of African folklore and of stories that draw from life on the Continent and his personal experiences. His love for the nuances of language creates layered depth to his oratory and breadth, that serve to enrich his material. Using song, dance, and at times his guitar, Frank melds himself with the world of story and carries his enthralled audience along, and they come willingly. Get comfortable and enjoy this window into Frank Malaba’s world of story, language and photography. Twendeni, Africa is Ready!                   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    57 min
  4. Thank you & Happy Holidays

    12/23/2025

    Thank you & Happy Holidays

    Ruth and Geovany take a moment to take stock of the Wasafiri Africa journey three months on. Fourteen conversations in, and eight countries “visited” the mood is buoyant and filled with gratitude for the guests who have shared their remarkable stories and for all the listeners who have tuned in. Ruth and Geovany briefly reflect on the learnings and feedback. A key aspect has been that with the podcast being at discovery stage, feedback revealed the need to take a short publication hiatus to allow listeners to “catch up” with the conversations on offer. The festive season creates the perfect opportunity for down time and as a result, Wasafiri Africa will focus on advertorial material over the four weeks ahead and will return with a new episode on January 20th, 2026. So with a hearty thank you from Ruth, Geovany, ShenFM and Jessica, comes best wishes for a fabulous Holiday Season, while enjoying the magnificence of this continent we call home. Twendeni. Africa is ready. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    15 min
  5. Making Music That Ignites with Zolani Mahola

    12/16/2025

    Making Music That Ignites with Zolani Mahola

    Formerly known as Port Elizabeth, Qberha is a port city located on the southeastern of South Africa, by the Indian Ocean. It is the pot of gold at the end of the stunning Garden Route, that winds its way along the Cape Coast.  Also known as the friendly city, Qberha, boasts blue flag beaches, great weather throughout the year, and ranks high as a magnate for foreign direct investment in Sub-Sharan Africa. * Ruth is immediately enthralled by Zolani Mahola’s music origin story in Freshly Ground. Much like a scripted movie, Zolani started singing with the band after being spotted by one of its original members and her “Yes” resulted in a glorious seventeen years with the beloved and world-renowned band where she was not only the lead singer but also the main lyricist. But far from stroking her ego on her spectacular song writing and singing process, Zolani is almost mystical in reflection of the gift that she holds with care. For this, she credits a dear friend who introduced her to the idea of “Song Catching”. The roots of the thoughts that he in turn had learned from the  San People, an indigenous people of the Western Cape. This creative process underlines Zolani’s humility towards her craft and how it has evolved into her being more than a singer-songwriter. Ruth and Zolani resonate in the vein of celebrating something bigger than an individual in living out their craft. Zolan’s love for her children is evident as is her deep respect for motherhood. With the challenges that accompany modern living not just as a working mum, but one who’s craft demands travel and time alone to be creative, finding balance remains a central focus. This self-same love, and painful experiences in her childhood, have sharpened Zolani’s gaze on the world. From poetically singing the hit song, Doo-Be-Doo, which was a call to action, she has firmly stepped into the social justice arena, fierce in her advocacy for safe childhood and joining the call for an end to the racially driven and extractive engineered wars in Palestine, The Congo and Sudan. When she sings, Zolani’s voice carries through crystal, its unique tones instantly recognisable, needing no accompaniment. Whether storytelling, speaking or singing, Zolani Mahola has an important message to convey. A message that rings musically in our ears and resonates deeply within the listener. Twendeni. Africa is ready.  Connect with Zolani: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSKj8KKjSDX/ Listen to Zolani on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jqv4L-Gk2CU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 3m
  6. Celebrating Culture Through Hospitality with Senait Mekonnen

    12/09/2025

    Celebrating Culture Through Hospitality with Senait Mekonnen

    Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia. Situated on the edge of the Great Rift Valley it is a city on a hill and cannot be hidden. Founded in 1887 by Emperor Menelik the second, this ancient city is sometimes referred to as The Political Capital of Africa being home to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. It is also a well-known travel hub. Addis Ababa means “new flower” in Amharic, the national language of Ethiopia. * The love for one’s country and culture can be so imbued in the person that they are, that it brings them great pleasure to share their heritage at any opportunity. Such was the drive that propelled Senait Mekonnen to launching her own enterprise – an Ethiopian restaurant in Dar es Salaam that proudly proclaimed itself as Addis in Dar. Ruth is fascinated by Senait’s boldness not only launching Addis in with absolutely zero experience, but also to dream of birthing a chain of restaurants under the brand and each of them in a different city on the continent and possibly Asia or Europe. The success of Addis in Dar, had Senait scouting for the next location. Her imagination had also been captured by South Africa, and she inevitably found herself in the southern tip of Africa.  The path to finally choosing a location and launching Addis in Cape in 2007 was peppered with the kind of good fortune that favours the bold. The excitement of being on vibey on Cape Town’s vibey Long Street was the stuff of dreams coming true and Senait remains excited about her enterprises and continues to harbour plans to open another restaurant either in Stellenbosch or Nairobi.  The conversation reveals the playful and yet very determined spirit that Senait embodies. Her creative flair is undisputed and is a key undercurrent to how she perceives life in general and definitely freely applied to her business. Her love for her Ethiopian heritage may have spurred Senait at the outset, but now orbiting between Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam and Cape Town, Senait Mekonnen has fallen in love with Africa. Now she’s on a mission to celebrate Afrocentricity, and what more luxuriating way than dining on delicious and aromatic Ethiopian cuisine and enjoying an ambiance of African hospitality. Twendeni. Africa is ready! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 5m
  7. A Rebel with a Sensitive Soul with Sylvestre Kabassidi

    12/02/2025

    A Rebel with a Sensitive Soul with Sylvestre Kabassidi

    The village of Ntambo is what became Brazzaville in 1880. During WW2, Brazzaville was the de-facto capital of aFree France. In 2013, Unesco designated Brazzaville as a city of Music, adding Brazza to the Creative Cities Network. Flanked by the mighty Congo River, and The Nabemba Tower offering panoramic views, Brazzaville captivates in its earthy vibrancy of art, music and cultural vivacity. * Straight from the outset, Sylvestre takes Ruth on a linguistic and heritage journey into the history of The Congo and Africa in general. Sylvestre’s passion for delving into the Chimuntu embraces the wholesomeness of the ancestry of the Bantu and Nilotic peoples of Africa. Inevitably the conversation touches on The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and its impact in Cuba, Brazil and the Caribbean as most of the slaves would have been taken from western coast of Africa right down to Angola. Naturally dovetailing into the purpose of  Wasafiri Africa in contributing to the authentic storytelling of the Continent. The impact of The Scramble for Africa and the decisions made in Brussels a period that spanned from 1885 -1914. The consequence of colonialism on how the African saw themselves diluted what being Bantu and Sylvestre expounds on his pride in being Bantu and the broader meaning of Chimuntu in “seeing another person”, emphasising the power of the collective in building a strong community.  Moving on to Sylvestre’s time in Namibia, he is quick to concede that African music greats such as Papa Wemba encouraged him to sing before he left home, and by the time he arrived in Namibia. His arrival in Cape Town was intended as a transit stop en-route to Paris, but a glitch with the visas thwarted further travel to their final destination.  A self-proclaimed "Rebel with a Sensitive Soul," Sylvestre explains that he cannot help but tell things as he sees them on the continent, and yet his love for Africa lends his lyrics poetry and gentleness to his melodies. He cajoles the truth to the fore, asks questions that may not be answered and pays homage to all the suffering citizens of the continent. When he sings, his intent comes through clearly. In the end, the request is simple. Apply Chimuntu. Be constructive in telling the reality as it is.  Twendeni, Africa is Ready! Connect with Sylvestre: https://www.instagram.com/kabassidi/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    56 min
  8. Bespoke Shoes from Cape Town to Hollywood with Diomande Mamadou

    11/25/2025

    Bespoke Shoes from Cape Town to Hollywood with Diomande Mamadou

    Situated on the Gulf of Guinea, on the southern coast of Côte d’Ivoire is the bustling hive of economic activity that is Abidjan. From the humble beginnings of a small fishing village, Abidjan grew to be a thriving city not least for being the terminus of the Abidjan-Niger Railway. Once the nation’s capital from Independence in 1960 to 1983, Abidjan, retained the status of both being the economic capital and largest city in Côte d’Ivoire.  * Diomande Mamadou is unapologetically in love with shoes. His vocation in life as a cobbler is one, he wears with pride, aplomb and faith in the possibilities that exist on the continent for creativity. Ruth meets with Diomande at his shop on 71 Roeland Street in Cape Town. In a classic case of the climber going to the mountain, Diomande’s dedication to his craft means that he only steps away from the shop to eat. His vibrant energy is immediately evident and Ruth revels at his retelling of his life story from when he discovered he loved shoe making. Diomande Mamadou’s journey to Cape Town was not a direct route and that only makes it more intriguing. His street-smart nature in Lagos and Johannesburg, safely landed him in Cape Town. Having grown up in his beloved Abidjan, close to the ocean and bustling streets, he knew he wanted to be close to the ocean and in the CBD. The passionate dedication to growing his own shoe label initially took Diomande to the outskirts of Cape Town, to Langa. As the fates would have it, his mentor was already planning to leave South Africa and was willing to sell both his premises and the stock to Diomande.  Through trial and error and research to establish where the best sources of leather and exotic skins such as crocodile, ostrich and snake could be found, Diomande not only refined his craftsmanship, but he also built a clientele. When he finally found a shop on Long Street, Cape Town’s famous longstanding vibey street, Diomande was ready to make his mark. Lady Luck was smiling broadly on Diomande Mamadou, and his Gladiator Sandal went from the shop window and onto the Silver Screen with hundreds of pairs in 10,000 BC. Now known to the film industry, requests for Bespoke Shoes from Hollywood notables Morgan Freeman and Leonardo Di Caprio and others opened the door to local celebrities, locally based discerning clients with word-of-mouth recommendations drawing in tourists and foreign based clients. Now in 2025, Diomande Mamadou is as driven as he was when he first fell in love with leather as a teenager. Comfortable measuring feet and stitching together beautiful skins, his vision to have a world-renowned shoe shop is not only undimmed, but also in play. His faith in Africa as a creative juggernaut in the near future is palpable in his conviction. Ruth comes away energised from the conversation, delighted to have captured this unique story on Wasafiri Africa. Once again, another conversation is enlivened with the possibilities that exist in Africa, and adds to the urgency to believe and take hold of the future. Twendeni. Africa is ready.  About Diomande | Diomande Shoes https://diomandeshoes.com/about-diomande/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    56 min
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About

Hamjambo. It is Ruth and Geovany and karibuni to our listeners around the globe. Asanteni sana for joining us. As the name implies, on Wasafiri Africa, we’re travellers of Africa. Here, there is a re-storying of the continent, where we can embolden ourselves with evidence of our resilience, creativity, resourcefulness and love for humanity. It’s time. Time to tell our own stories. Come with us as we celebrate Africa and Things African. Twendeni. Africa is ready! wasafiriafrica.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Wasafiri Africa
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Wasafiri Africa
  • Show Website
    Wasafiri Africa Podcast