Ifá priests memorise a vast body of verses, organised into 256 signs, to advise people on life's decisions. UNESCO recognises it as one of humanity's great oral traditions.
Every February, musicians from across Africa take the stage inside a centuries-old fort in Stone Town. Here is the story of Sauti za Busara, East Africa's best-loved music festival.
In South Africa, a braai is never just a barbecue. It is a social event, a source of national pride — and even a public holiday nickname. Here is how it works.
Jazzy piano chords, a deep "log drum" bass and a slow, rolling groove: amapiano grew in South Africa's townships and became one of the world's hottest dance sounds.
The Agadez cross is the best-known of the Tuareg's silver pendants, each named after a town or oasis in the Sahara. Here is what they are, who makes them, and what they mean.
Africa is home to somewhere between 1,500 and 3,000 languages. On International Mother Language Day, here is a guide to the continent's linguistic riches — and the risks they face.
The world's largest mud-brick building has to be re-plastered every year. In Djenné, Mali, the whole town turns out to do it, in a festival of mud, music and pride.
In Ethiopia it is currently the year 2017, there are 13 months, and the clock starts at dawn. Here is how one of the world's oldest calendars still runs a modern country.
Since 1969, filmmakers from across Africa and its diaspora have gathered in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, for FESPACO. Its 29th edition opens this month.
Bitter, caffeinated and full of meaning, the kola nut is offered to guests, blessed by elders and broken at ceremonies across West Africa. Here is why it matters so much.
Long songs, blazing horns and fearless lyrics: Fela Anikulapo-Kuti built Afrobeat in Lagos and used it to challenge Nigeria's military rulers. Here is his story.
Its tiny geometric prints, crisp feel and distinctive smell are known across South Africa. Here is how shweshwe travelled from European print works to Xhosa wedding dresses.
