ABOUT AFRICA LIVING
Africa is not a destination.
It is a living story.
Africa Living is a cultural concierge connecting the Diaspora to Contemporary Africa through stories, people, places and possibilities.
We explore the Africa that is happening now: the artists creating new sounds, the chefs redefining familiar flavors, the places worth discovering, the histories that still shape us, and the people imagining what comes next.
Through original storytelling, film, travel, culture, commerce and curated experiences, Africa Living creates meaningful ways to discover the continent beyond the expected.
We don't simply tell you where to go. We help you understand what you're walking into.
OUR STORY
It Started With Curiosity.
Africa Living grew from years of traveling, working and building relationships between the United States and Ghana.
What began through cultural research and storytelling became something larger: a desire to create a bridge between the Diaspora and the people, ideas and creative energy shaping Africa today.
We realized that many people want a deeper relationship with Africa but don't always know where to begin.
A place to discover.
A place to learn.
A place to experience.
A place to stay connected.
WHAT WE DO
STORIES
Original journalism, profiles, interviews and cultural storytelling exploring contemporary African life.
WATCH
Original films, short documentaries, artist conversations and visual stories created across Africa and the Diaspora.
EXPERIENCE
Curated travel, cultural experiences, city guides and recommendations designed to help travelers experience Africa with greater context.
DISCOVER
Fashion, music, food, design, books, events and objects connecting audiences with African creativity.
WHY AFRICA LIVING
Beyond the Return.
For generations, the Diaspora has imagined Africa through history, heritage and homecoming. Africa Living expands that conversation.
We are interested in ancestry, but also what's happening Friday night in Accra.
History, but also the young filmmaker making her first feature.
Tradition, but also the designer transforming traditional textiles.
The places our ancestors knew, and the cities their descendants are building.
Africa Living looks backward when the story requires it, but our eyes are firmly on what Africa is becoming.
OUR APPROACH
Curiosity Before Assumption.
We don't believe there is one Africa. There are countries, cities, neighborhoods, languages, traditions, contradictions, innovations and millions of individual stories.
Africa Living approaches those stories with curiosity, respect and context.
We collaborate with people who live the stories we tell: artists, historians, entrepreneurs, filmmakers, musicians, chefs, designers, cultural institutions and everyday people.
We let Africa speak for itself.
FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Janelle Vaughn Dowell
Janelle Vaughn Dowell is an interdisciplinary artist/storyteller, educator and cultural curator who also serves as an adjunct professor with the City Colleges of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.
Her work includes research into historic African American resort communities and the ways Black communities have created spaces for rest, leisure and belonging. In Ghana, her cultural work has included collaboration with the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre in Accra and curating experiences that connect Diaspora travelers with Ghanaian history, culture and contemporary life.
She founded Africa Living Media Group to bring these interests together through storytelling, cultural experiences and creative exchange.
“Africa is more than a destination. It is a relationship to reclaim.”
OUR TEAM
Abena Owusu
Director of Ghana Operations
Accra, Ghana
Amari Msale, Tech
Rest & Play Collective
Nicode’mus Drummond, Intern
Come Curious.
You don't have to know everything about Africa to begin.
You don't need the perfect itinerary.
You don't need to understand every tradition, know every history or have been before.
You only need curiosity.
We'll help with the rest.
Stay Connected to Africa.
Stories, films, artists, journeys and ideas from across the continent — delivered thoughtfully.