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. 

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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/

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Straddling seven hills, and situated on the northern shores of Lake Victoria, is Kampala, the capital city of Uganda.

Kampala is also Uganda’s commercial capital, having blossomed from its earliest days as a major stop on the East African Railway line, aka The Lunatic Express. 

As one of the safest cities in East Africa today, and complimented by its equatorial weather, Kampala has flourished for affordable living and boasts breathtaking views. The Kasubi Tombs are a key attraction and were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.

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Serendipity generously weaves a new memory for Ruth as she sits with Philippa Namutebi Kabali-Kagwa. The conversation begins with a brief reminiscing about when they first met almost two decades ago in Kenyatta University in Kenya. Graduation led to different paths and the two met again in Cape Town, in another ether orchestrated move just outside iKhaya Lodge.

Philippa’s entrée into Storytelling came to her as naturally as breathing, as the youngest child of Faye and Henry Barlow who loved to craft words. Starting with a poem for a dear friend, whilst in high school, Philippa was fortunate when whilst in university, the beautifully scripted poem was included in the publication of A.D Amateshe’s Anthology of East African Song & Poetry. Even at seventeen, Philippa’s depth of feeling that she so fluidly infuses into her storytelling and facilitating, was evident as she tackled the perennial question of sorrow and joy as the constant intertwining themes of life.

Philippa emerged from Kenyatta University having successfully held on to her desire to study both music and literature. The former she had been drawn into by a love affair that turned into her marriage as she joined her then boyfriend’s band. The two disciplines continued to flow seamlessly in her life. Through them she explores the various questions of life, how to give and to receive, how to hold joy and pain as well as how to hold space for others.

In typical fashion, in the year that Philippa published her first three children’s books with the Cambridge Rainbow Readers, she also welcomed her youngest child. With the fourth children’s book, Katiti’s Song, Philippa drew on Baganda folklore in choosing her daughter’s favourite childhood story. Here began the dappling with the immortal world of story as she drew on heritage and brought a story imbued with metaphor that applies to the present day. That it has been translated into other languages, only demonstrates how the story evolves and slips into life and culture, where it is told.

The memoir, Flame and Song, published by Modjaji Books in South Africa and Sooo Many Stories in Uganda, began as a journal in response to an urge to capture the story of her family and the turbulent period in Uganda in which Philippa grew. The storytelling brings to vibrant life the family home, yet the reader is suddenly juxtaposed against the ratatatat of machine gun fire and lost lives, followed by the upheaval of exile to Ethiopia and then to Kenya.

The flow in the re-telling is exquisite. Gentle, honest, sad and happy too. A life of a family and a nation in that time is immortalised. Relatives visited, songs, re-sung, the harshness of war and civil strife not unlike what is still sadly prevalent in parts of Africa and the world.

Flame and Song is a celebration of life, and what can be more defiant against demise as life surely is.

Connect with Philippa: Philippa Namutebi Kabali-Kagwa | LinkedIn

Twendeni. Africa is ready. 

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Southwestern Township, better known as SOWETO, is located within the City of Johannesburg Metro, and owns an undeniable place in the political history of South Africa. Soweto is where the 1976 Soweto Rebellion began its juggernaut push against Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in Soweto’s High Schools, to Zulu and Xhosa children. Haunting images of Zolile Hector Peterson, remain engraved and venerated in our minds.

Yet in SOWETO, an undimmable joie de vivre pulsates in the historic pain and triumph, including a celebration of music and culture, beautifully chronicled in the song Soweto Blues by Hugh Masekela, and sung by Miriam Makeba. 

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Off to a roaring start with belly laughs, Ruth and Wazana plunge into the conversation with zest, by celebrating Pan Africanism as well as the passion and resilience of being an African, that she is quick to state is embodied in her parents. 

That Wazana values collaborative effort to keep the balance between people and the environment is immediately evident and is clear that it’s up to humans to take hold of this responsibility. As an inductee into the Institute of Afrikology, which is focused on informing young children and the youth on African cultural approaches to living, giving dignity to indigenous food choices, and sustainable land use, Wazana believes in 

Born of South African and Jamaican heritage, Wazana is clear about the importance of healthy curiosity about people and places. With wisdom beyond her years, she eloquently refers to the aspect of being “a stranger to oneself, when in a new environment” and so the importance of being open to learning. This may require learning new languages or at the very least, to enquire how one can contribute to their new community. This is why Wazana celebrates having been coached on Adaptive Capacity.

Wazana outlines that the calibration that takes place within the unique skill set of Adaptive Capacity strongly mitigates the impact of any vulnerability one may experience. Taking stock of the positives that one may encounter or innately have is the surest path to Adaptive Capacity. This in turn creates mental and emotional resilience. As a young person, Wazana emphasises how vital this skill is to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

With this thinking in mind, after graduating from the University of Cape Town, Wazana was certain of the value in going back to her home community in KwaZulu-Natal and applying what she had learned. The result has been her leveraged status amongst the youth in her community, who look up to her and apply her ideas. In return, for Wazana, the rewards have been a sense of deep rooting to her community. This has amplified her desire to actively engage and build processes that support sustainable approaches ranging from farming, supporting entrepreneurship and advocating for inclusion of green solutions to constant development in the area.

Twendeni, Africa is Ready!

Connect with Wazana on LinkedIn: Wazana Moncho-Ngidi | LinkedIn

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Belgravia Road is in Athlone, a suburb within the Municipality of Cape Town. Athlone is in the Cape Flats which the Apartheid zoning laws designated a Coloured Area.

Athlone is mostly residential; Belgravia Road is a busy main road with bustling businesses ranging from car dealerships to bakeries and everything in between. Belgravia High School, an English medium school, was where in 1985, as part of the student uprising, 5000 pupils gathered to protest the repressive Apartheid regime.

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Marc Eugene Lottering has made Belgravia Road in Athlone famous for all the right reasons. His stories bring belly laughs to packed houses year after year, with songs that get your feet tapping and leave audiences swept into a whirlwind of exuberant storytelling.

Born into a close-knit family where his father pastored a Pentecostal church, Marc discovered his love for singing early, belting out praise and worship with true Pentecostal gusto. Though his career began in advertising—where selling stories to sell products prepared him for the stage—Marc's destiny was always performance.

In this conversation with Ruth Kamau, Marc's easy manner shines through immediately. From childhood memories at drive-through hatches to his father's mantra "Let's have a good day!", Marc traces the origins of his comedic perspective.

Ruth delights in discovering Marc's connection to iKhaya Lodge's conference room, where he once fumbled through spreadsheets as a tense project manager—far from the relaxed performer we know today. That transformation began on his birthday at the Coffee Lounge, where Aunty Merle was born and Marc Lottering the comedian emerged.

Within eighteen months, Marc swept from local productions into big league shows like Jesus Christ Superstar and Grease, winning the Cape Town Theatre Award. Yet he felt most alive telling African stories that reflected life as he lived it. His "fun storytelling" approach spawned three original Aunty Merle musicals, earning a Naledi Award along the way.

Marc's latest one-man show, Marc Eugene Lottering, reveals his most vulnerable and authentic self—partly inspired by an ancestry test. He readily claims it as his favourite work.

Catch Marc's fourth musical, Colleen The Musical, running 27 November 2025 – 7 February 2026 at the Baxter Theatre, Cape Town.

Notable Awards:

• Multiple Fleur du Cap Awards
• Cape Town Theatre Award
• Naledi Award

Listen now for:

• The birth of beloved Aunty Merle
• Marc's journey from advertising to African storytelling
• Why authentic stories matter on South African stages
• Behind-the-scenes tales from Cape Town's theatre scene

Follow Marc's work: https://marclottering.com/

Twendeni, Africa is ready!

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Rylands is a sub-area in Athlone, a suburb in Cape Town. Located in the Cape Flats, the infamous Group Area Act wielded by the Apartheid Government, designated Rylands an Indian enclave surrounded by a vast Coloured majority and smattering of Black Africans.

But where the racist government intended to dehumanize and cast aside, a thriving community evolved with a common purpose of dismantling Apartheid. Flanked by Belgravia, Gatesville and Langa, Rylands residents were part of the heated fray that lost their lives in the despicable Trojan Horse massacre. Their sacrifice lives on in the many remarkable Anti-Apartheid stalwarts that are part of South African history.

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With an unexpected trip down memory lane for Ruth, this episode gets off with some Gugurati and shared love of chevda. With a promise of an entire podcast on chevda agreed upon for the future, the conversation with Professor Premesh Lalu gets off on a delicious start.

Riding on this wave, Premesh reflects on his childhood in Rylands, Athlone, and how he saw his family life changed drastically when Apartheid laws brought into force the Group Areas Act. However, the resilience of the families, including his own, in maintaining not only a livelihood but close family relations, resulted in a form of education that has shaped who he is today.

That Premesh became an advocate for The Humanities is not surprising. A self-professed rebel from an early age, he recalls how everything from reading George Orwell’s Animal Farm, to being in the company of jazz legends and watching bootlegged films, funnelled into the vibrant approach he employs in academia, the creative field, and in advocating for social justice. 

Prior to enrolling into university, his passionate drive to dismantle Apartheid took him to KwaZulu-Natal where he became a youth leader and amongst other things, formed The Black Students Labour Committee. 

Premesh confesses to live for a concept of freedom that is in relation to others and not merely an individual thing. That it is about friendship. Values that were severely harmed by the pernicious impact of Apartheid; a system he considers to have been a dispersed form of despotism.

However, by the time he joined UWC, Premesh had become aware that he had to employ a different approach to dismantle the ravages of apartheid. He needed to educate himself and others and also expose communities to the arts. From student, to Director of The Centre for Humanities Research in 2008, a position he held for a decade, Professor Premesh Lalu was making the gains he had sought to achieve from the start. Thankfully, he hasn’t stopped.

Most recently, the triumphant march of The Herds from Kinshasa, DRC to Noordkaap in the Arctic Circle, is the latest manifestation of a unique approach that Professor Lalu has spearheaded. The life-size puppets, travelling 20,000 kilometres to stimulate conversation and activism around Climate Change across the continent and beyond, have not only been an exciting spectacle but unforgettably engaging.

And there’s more in store. So much more, and Professor Lalu is as wonderfully energised as ever. This conversation is merely a glimpse of the activist, creative, fiercely imaginative and amiable human, that is Professor Premesh Lalu.

For more information on The Herds, visit https://www.theherds.org

Connect on LinkedIn: Premesh Lalu

Twendeni Africa is Ready.

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Situated on the southern coast of the Gulf of Guinea is Accra, the Capital of Ghana. At one point known as The Gold Coast, Accra is inextricably linked to the devastating Trans-Atlantic Slave trade that saw one million people trafficked from its shores. 

Yet, testament to the resilience of her people, covering almost 226 square kilometers, Accra today is a bustling city famous for Kente cloth, vibrant markets and smart stores, juxtaposed against luxury hotels, historical sites and museums. A visit to Accra is fragrant with Africanity.

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Saeed Salahudeen is a Ghanian based in Accra, the capital of Ghana, where he’s a senior manager at Afrobarometer and also manages the Africa Judicial Independence Fund.

Saeed is lawyer, member of the Ghana Bar, a practicing Chartered Account and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana.

Afrobarometer has partners spread all over Africa and as a senior manager, Saeed travels broadly on the continent, including to South Africa and so Cape Town, where he recently attended the International Association of Women Judges, 17th Bi-annual Conference in Cape Town.

Saeed is motivated by the enormous potential of the African continent, flagshipped by the exuberance and early adoptive Youth, who form the bulk of the population, along with the natural resources and geo location of Africa in relation to the rest of the world.

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In this episode, Ruth has the opportunity to sit with Saeed, on one of his business trips to Cape Town. The conversation is revelatory not just because it unveils the reasons behind Saeed’s frequent travels on the continent, but also because it informs Ruth about Afrobarometer, the organisation that he is proud to represent as a Senior Executive, and the important mission it has taken on. In a nutshell, Saeed is playing his part in keeping a watchful eye on Africa.

Founded in 1999, Afrobarometer is an independent think- tank, based in Accra, Ghana. This non-partisan organisation’s signature task is to monitor democracy and governance using data routinely collected from 44 nations in Africa. Besides delving into how citizens experience democracy on the continent, Afrobarometer also rates other key issues such as access to technology, cultural and climate concerns, unemployment and other macro-economic indicators. The meticulously collected data weaves an intricate and colourful tapestry of information, which when held up to scrutiny, sends an unambiguous signal on the heartbeat of the continent. Signals that are interpreted by local governments and international organisations in forming policy frameworks. 

Saeed is eloquent and passionate in discussing his work. Ruth is taken aback to learn that authoritarian rule may be becoming a lesser evil to failed democracy in parts of Africa, while boosted to learn of the advancements of justice in general, as citizens become better acquainted with their rights and as Social Justice becomes more mainstream.

By the time food is percolates into the conversation and Ghanaian Highlife music is celebrated, it’s been another opportunity to recognise important work being done in this marvellous continent of contrasts. A clear indication that in Afrobarometer, African leaders and citizenry have a reliable beacon. It is up to us as a collective on the Continent, to not only equip ourselves with the freely available feedback from the non-partisan surveys, but also to act on it, so as to keep Africa on a steady course to prosperity.

Twendeni, Africa is Ready!

Connect with Saeed: LinkedIn

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In this episode, Ruth is joined by Geovany Dias to debrief and reflect on Wasafiri Africa and to celebrate the podcast’s one month birthday. Hurray! Geovany, normally in the background publishing and monitoring the podcast, brings his vibrant enthusiasm for Wasafiri Africa and the shared joy is palpable. 

Running for roughly half the length of a regular episode, at only thirty-seven minutes, the pair briefly touch on when Ruth first mentioned to Geovany of her intention to launch Wasafiri Africa, back in 2023. In the banter, it becomes clear that his enthusiasm was a catalyst to getting her to take the plunge and run with the idea she had mused about for some time.

Leaning into the format of the Circle Back episode, their conversation explores some touch points from each of the four preceding episodes and their key take-outs, while referencing the feedback from listeners and reflecting on the pleasure of having fire-side conversations with the guests hosted on the podcast.

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Episode 5 marks the first Circle Back that Ruth and Geovany plan to do over time. The next one is scheduled at the three-month mark.

Twendeni, Africa is Ready!

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Worcester, a town in the Western Cape, South Africa, began life as a hunting ground teeming with game and was originally home to the Khoi and San peoples. 

Folk driving to or from Johannesburg and Cape Town will breeze through this quaint town, now renowned for the fine wine grown in the region. Like many towns in South Africa, remnants of the country’s torrid history, such as slave bell in the market square, can be

found. 

Yet embraced by spectacular mountains on all four points of a compass, a pit stop in Worcester, begs an overnight stay.

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In this episode, David Kramer takes Ruth along on a trailblazing colourful journey where music, song and theatre take centre stage. The storytelling safari begins in Worcester, uncovering the man behind the formerly banned musical artist during the Apartheid years in South Africa, to the celebrated genius composer that he is today, both at home and abroad. Ruth’s delight is palpable as she celebrates the dazzling career of a thespian she holds in high regard.

David is a prolific librettist who started his life on Devos Street, in a quiet suburb in Worcester, Western Cape, South Africa. 

Born to a father who was a furniture salesman and a stay-at-home Mum, David Kramer was a good student in maths and sciences, even though he’s quick to add that he was never really keen on those subjects.

Work life began in the Hextex Textile Factory where he floated in the different departments learning the ins and outs of the textile manufacturing world. David chuckles as he tells this story claiming he didn’t contribute much, but guess what? The little he did, earned him a bursary to Leeds University in the United Kingdom and a whole new world awaited.

Student Life in Leeds was a kaleidoscope of colour, where in between the studying, concerts by legends such as Paul Mccartney, Elton John and Rod Stewart performed in the Refectory for 50p!

Fast forward to 1987 and David Kramer with his good friend Taliep Petersen started a twenty-year collaboration with their first musical: District Six.

Wonderfully unstoppable, David Kramer is reprising an updated version of Orpheus McAdoo, at the Artscape, Cape Town, from 21st – 31st October 2025.

Twendeni, Africa is Ready!

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Learn more about David's work:

https://www.davidkramer.co.za/history.html

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With a population of over 9 million people, Luanda is the thriving oil-fed capital of Angola. Home to the Kimbundu ethnic group, the city which was once called the Paris of Africa has Portuguese as the official language.

Founded in 1576, Luanda became the administrative center of the Portuguese colony in 1627 and bears the torrid distinction of being a major outlet for slave traffic to Brazil. Now home to an elite wealthy, despite a high cost of living, Luanda has a flourishing harbor and business trade on a backdrop of beautiful architecture.

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At 33, Richard Reis is already a serial entrepreneur. At the dewy-eyed age of 19, he began life in business in the high profile, deal-making world of Hollywood, before calling it a wrap and hoping into the hyper-paced universe of software engineering. 

In both instances, he knew nothing, but equipped with a knack for identifying trends, laser sharp focus and tenacity, he continues to evolve to suit the ecosystem he operates in.

But let’s backtrack to age zero, and put a pin location on Luanda, Angola; a bustling metropolis that Richard Reis fondly refers to as his “hub”. Born of an Angolan father and a Brazilian mother, Richard grew up in Angola, attended school in South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Let’s get the bytes going, and zap into a conversation with the man himself.

Twendeni, Africa is ready!

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Connect with Richard: richardreis.me

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wasafiriafrica.substack.com

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Kirinyaga County, is located at the foothills of Mount Kenya. A scared focal point for the Agikuyu people the mountain was known as Kirinyaga and the name change happened when the word was lost in translation. 

When from a far off, the first Europeans saw the snowy peaks straddling the Equator, the mountain was introduced to them as KayEnyA, by the Akamba. They pronounced it differently from the Agikuyu, to whom it is home. Fast Forward to British Colonial Rule and standing at 3,835m high, the easily identifiable landmark, gave rise to the name of the land now known as Kenya. 

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Dr Joan Nyanuyki is an alumni of Moi University Eldoret, Kenya, where she graduated with a Bachelors in Medicine and Surgery. She also has a Masters in Human Rights, from the London School of Economics, where, she says, she was privileged to attend as a Chevening Scholar courtesy of the British Government. Joanne is currently based in Addis Ababa, where she’s the Executive Director of African Child Policy Forum, an independent, non-profit organisation.

Ruth serendipitously meets Dr Joan Nyanyuki in Johannesburg at the second African Child Summit. What follows as discussion around human rights and the rights of the African child and their place in Africa’s future.

Dr Joan Nyanyuki’s desire to be “a good doctor doing good work” has taken her from a trajectory of merely practicing medicine to combining that expertise with the urgent need for reform and agency for all embodied in Human Rights.

The conversation reveals a difficult, but what proved to be an insightful tenure involved in the criminal-Justice system in Kenya, whilst working with Amnesty International and the Independent Medical Unit. Though distressing as surgeon and medical doctor dealing with deliberately harmed patients, the experiences only emphasised the importance of medical evidence in proving acts of torture.

As executive Director of African Child Policy Forum, Joan has embraced the opportunity to champion the letter and spirit of the African Charter for Children, a convention that has been signed and ratified by the vast majority of African governments thirty years ago.

From the position that doctors identify and solve problems, Dr Nyanyuki finds her career allows her to tap into the broader world and where she can apply understanding, compassion and comfort. Always working towards people’s well-being, her nurturing instinct as a mother of four forms a firm foundation to leverage from.

The idea of a continent in motion, harnessing and protecting the best of what Africa’s children have to offer, propels and animates Joan.

Twendeni. Africa is ready!

Connect with Dr. Joan Nyanyuki:

- LinkedIn: Profile

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