Africa’s influence on the world isn’t just political or economic; it’s cultural. From music and fashion to film and festivals, soft power is becoming the new diplomacy.

In this nineteenth episode of Panel 54, Ted Kwaka, cultural envoy and former Consul General for Kenya in Los Angeles, joins Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh to explore how Africa can use its creative industries to shape global perception, strengthen identity, and build influence abroad.The conversation unpacks the power of cultural diplomacy, the lessons Africa can draw from the US and UK, and why storytelling, art, and entertainment may be just as strategic as foreign policy.

From Hollywood to Riverwood, from Afrobeats to diplomacy, they examine how Africa can turn culture into capital and soft power into real global leverage.

Lagos to Lamu. Cape Town to Cairo, a global perspective through an African lens.

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🎧 Produced by Commex Africa and E & C Talent