Africans on Trend: The Unforgettable Headlines of 2016 (#AOT2016)

For many, 2016 was the year that had people asking, “do I even exist”? It upended life as we know it by literally turning global politics inside-out; crafting the meteoric rise of unassuming Africans on the wave of social media and the turning of tables on the continent’s many narratives. Africa had its fair share of terror in 2016 and African leaders gave the continent a lot to think (or cringe) about. As always, Africans drew on humor to simultaneously make a point while keeping sane.

In 2015, we brought you Africans on Twitter; the hashtags which defined the year. We consider 2016 to be a turning point of sorts for Africa; a coming into ourselves on the digital narrative front. Whether through tweets, blogs, videos or memes, 2016 proved to be a historic and unforgettable intersection of politics, technology, media, and culture. It also highlighted just how much of a global village Africa and the world is becoming. In no particular order, here are the unforgettable headlines that kept Africans on Trend in 2016.

Jollof Wars

As the saying goes, jollof is life, the raison d’être of West African lifestyle. Without it, taste buds are paralysed and stomachs go hungry. No one knows this better than Nigeria which experienced a dearth of tomatoes and prices as high as $2 for a single tomato during its “tomato armageddon” or “tomato Ebola”. In the other corner of the ring: Ghana. Nigeria’s jollof nemesis wasted no time in taking advantage and in July 2016 Sister Deborah released a three-minute assault on Naija jollof; complete with tomato water bombs, a dress-wearing Wanlov who famously praised the gods for not being Nigerian, and an admonition to “learn how to cook”. The final blow to Naija jollof was dealt by its own country(wo)men who unknowingly admitted to Ghana jollof being the best during OkayAfrica’s “Official Taste Test”. Google seems to agree: Ghana Jollof is the fourth highest jollof search query related to jollof. Meanwhile, the Senegalese are nowhere to be found.

“Food is bae and a lot of history is embedded in it. Jollof in particular is a sensitive subject but I believe we maintain the competition because we enjoy the romance it offers between our countries. The love and hate tug back and forth. It keeps us connected and immediately offers an icebreaker between Ghanaians, Nigerians and Senegalese perhaps meeting for the first time. The love overwhelmed the “hate”, I dig it.” — Jojo Abot, singer-songwriter (left)

Netflix Africa

When Netflix launched in Africa, the reactions were mixed. The “Netflix and Chill” crew hoped for a new era in dating across the continent. Friday night = grab some Ghanaian Jollof (yes capital J!), dim your lights, put your phone into “do not disturb” mode, curl up next to your partner and binge-watch the latest season of your favourite series. The “Netflix is the new DSTV” crowd were ready to ditch local players and welcome an end to what they see as extortionate subscription fees and boring programmes — repeated many times over. Team “Netflix and Buffer”, saw sluggish internet connectivity and pricey data plans as major challenges to the success of Netflix on the continent. A year later, the big question is: has Netflix succeeded in taking The Crown or has it fallen like the House of Cards?

Deadly Voyage — Africa’s Migrants

African leaders are like the fathers who care more about the neighbour’s children more than their own. Always quick to issue messages of condolence following disasters elsewhere, but anything closer to home is met with muted response. The African media’s silence over this tragedy was equally shocking. Last year alone, thousands of desperate young Africans drowned in the Mediterranean trying to reach Europe, and the African Union (AU) leaders responded by burying their heads deeper and deeper in the sands of inaction. The AU declared a day of mourning after the Lampedusa tragedy in October 2013. In its commemorative declaration, they said the incident should serve as a wake-up call for all Africans. Did someone hit the snooze button right after that declaration?!

Elections & Voting

2016 was the year of the political underdog. While the jury is still out on how Brexit will affect Africa (positively or negatively), many were clear on how David Cameron’s resignation would have turned out if he were African. Across the pond, Donald Trump suffered a similar fate as Daily Show host Trevor Noah compared “America’s African president” to Iddi Amin, Robert Mugabe and Jacob Zuma. Hillary Clinton’s 65,844,610 supporters may find it comforting that she not only won the popular vote by almost 3 million but actually swept the day in a mock election held in Kogelo, President Obama’s Kenyan hometown.

Drama-wise, Africa deserves the oscar. Ghanaians finally spoke up by handing opposition leader Nana Akufo Addo a 53.8% win, but the real race was in media. Ghana Decides put up another stellar performance, data analytics shone with the Multimedia Group, and both the Electoral Commission and Ghana Police made their social media debut. Amidst a press conference battle, President Mahama put nail to coffin by conceding before official results. The biggest upset? Gambia’s 22-year ruler Yahya Jammeh who backtracked on his promise to step down after losing the country’s December presidential election. That telenovela is still unraveling.

Fast Track to Stardom

2016 saw the triumphant rise of the unlikely celebrity, and they were mostly Ghanaians. Good Jollof, they say, brings good fortune. Abraham Attah’s fairy-tale rise continued in 2016, bagging more awards and a role in Spider Man. Teen Vogue celebrated 15 Ghanaian designers. Ghanaian nurse Mzznaki Tetteh shot to the top of Instagram’s trending content when her engagement photos drew fat-shaming trolls from their closet. The haters were shamed and now, the Mzznaki Legion on Instagram is 54.1K strong!

The Jake meme! If you didn’t create one, you either shared, liked, retweeted or LOLed at one. The adorable Jake Amo from Asempanaye, Ghana became an unlikely internet sensation after his photo made him the subject of thousands of memes. And when a GoFundMe page was set up to raise money to support Jake and other pupils at the school, the online community did not disappoint. Before long, people were putting their money where their likes were. Another classic right-place-right-time anecdote: 27-year old Nigerian bread seller, Olajumoke Orisaguna, landed a modelling contract after walking, by chance, into shot during a photoshoot for pop star Tinie Tempah. Moral of the story? Always photobomb!

Staying “Woke” — A Wave of Protests

There was a surge of protests across the continent in 2016, with protesters using social media to speed up mobilisation and spread information without media bias. #FeesMustFall was reignited and the revolution was tweeted — bigly. Protests broke out at the prestigious Pretoria High School for Girls. Black students demonstrated against a school rule that banned afros. Images of the demonstrations went viral, forcing the school to drop the restrictions. Who’s having a bad hair day now?

Zimbabwe caught the protest bug too. Evan Mawarire unwittingly started a wave of online activism when he posted a video of himself venting frustrations about the country’s economic malaise. The video was watched by thousands and the anti-Mugabe protests that followed were met with arrests and internet blackouts. What do they say about age and wisdom?…

Ethiopia also experienced its share of protests. In November, anti-government protests broke out after at least 55 people were killed in a stampede during the Oromo holy festival, Irreechaa. Activists accused the government of stifling free speech and clamping down on demonstrations. The EPRDF government, a former rebel movement which seized power in 1991, seems uncomfortable with the new wave of democratization. Can a leopard change its spots?

Malawi’s Hyena Man

A BBC documentary in July 2016 uncovered a special breed of hyena in the Nsanje district of Malawi. In an interview, Eric Aniva known in Malawi as a “hyena” man — someone hired by families to have sex with girls and widows as part of an archaic tradition in some remote southern regions of the country — bragged about having sex with underage girls to initiate them into womanhood despite being HIV-positive. Aniva was subsequently prosecuted and convicted after publicly speaking about his role as a ‘hyena’ in the BBC documentary. Sadly, he is only one of many ‘hyenas’ preying on innocent girls in remote parts of Malawi. Let’s hope Blantyre Zoo has enough room for all these savages!

#TheOtherRoom

Till elections do we part? President Obama never misses a chance to fuss over his wife, and President Buhari didn’t waste a moment in setting the record straight about Nigeria’s first lady Aisha Buhari:

“I don’t know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen, and my living room and the other room.”

Pronounced in full glare of cameras and a visibly aghast German Chancellor Angela Merkel, his comments reignited debates about the role of the contemporary African woman. Enter #TheOtherRoom. While some thought Mrs. Buhari misspoke during her BBC interview, others described her warning to her husband as a last ditch effort to reach her husband whose public appeal has tanked since his election. Our question on this matter is quite simple: must being a first lady necessarily restrict your right to freedom of expression and association? Y’know, being a citizen?

ICC Exits — Going, Going, Gone!

2016 was a banner year for anti-internationalism, and Africa seems to have had its fair share of this wave. First came South Africout, then Buruexit, which was swiftly followed by Gamboff. The three nations declared their departure from the International Criminal Court, sparking concerns of an African exodus from the court. For years, many African nations have claimed that the ICC, which was established in 2002, is biased against the continent’s leaders. Human rights advocates on the continent are however worried that the court, which acts as a last resort for victims let down by governments meant to protect them, may lose its legitimacy across Africa. There are murmurs about an eventual Kenyout, Namibye and Uganleave. The way things are going, every African country may need its own exit-name — Congoes, Sierra Leave, Naijout and Angonow.

Bring Back Our Girls — The Return of 21

After more than two years in captivity, 21 of the school girls whose abduction triggered the #BringBackOurGirls campaign were released in October. The #BringBackOurGirls campaign, quickly gained the support of the likes of Michelle Obama and Malala Yousafzai, and also became a defining test case for social media activism. Oby Ezekwesili, the creator of the #BringBackOurGirls hashtag and one of the leaders of the campaign group in Nigeria has continued the fight with marches and vigils long after the tweets and retweets stopped. 197 girls are believed to remain in the hands of Boko Haram; the government says negotiations for their freedom are continuing. While the release of 21 girls is a success, it’s important to remember that it is not over until all of the girls are free. #BringBackOurGirls. All our girls!

“Présidents d’Afrique”

The struggle to break free from the grip of bad leadership continues. 92-year old Zimbabwean leader, Robert Mugabe, became the butt of yet another round internet jokes — the #MugabeQuotes. Tanzania’s John Magufuli offered hope, riding into 2016 on a wave of praises following his anti-corruption crusade. He has however dented his reputation after charging five men with insulting him in WhatsApp chats and banning all opposition rallies. #WhatWouldMagufuliDo quickly turns into #WTFhasMagufuliDone?!

The 2016 Anti-Corruption Summit in the UK produced a string of hilarious gaffes. Then UK Prime Minister David Cameron was caught on camera describing Nigeria as “fantastically corrupt”. President Buhari hit back, demanding the return of looted funds hidden in Britain by corrupt Nigerians. This was before Buhari lost his marbles — in the kitchen. Then Ghanaian president John Mahama added to the gaffes list. In an interview with the BBC, Mahama — who once likened himself to a “dead goat” — was asked if he had “been offered a bribe before?”. He stuttered and asked if the question referred to him as “a human being” or “the President”. Well, the unholy trinity of John the President, John the human being and John the dead goat, are one and the same.

“Même Pas Peur”

There were over 1700 terror attacks in 2016 with the highest casualties in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Many of the attacks in Africa were aimed at countries, cities and venues with diverse populations, with the attacks on Hotel Splendid residents in the Burkina Faso capital Ouagadougou; UN peacekeepers in Mali’s Gao; and beach-goers in Grand Bassam, Côte d’Ivoire making headlines. Which countries had the most (fatal) attacks? That would be Somalia, Nigeria, Egypt, Libya, and Mali, based on crowdsourced data. Somalia alone recorded over 860 fatalities in almost weekly assaults by Al-Shabaab, while Boko Haram killed over 620 in Nigeria and Cameroon. The data also points to land-related conflicts between Fulani herdsmen and other groups in countries like Nigeria and the Central African Republic. It goes without saying that 2016 was one hell of a year for many Africans. Taking a page from the Ivorian response to terror might help us stand in solidarity and above the fray in the face of fear.

In Awkward News…

The White-Saviour-In-Africa story made a double appearance in 2016. First on stage was the “angel haired” Scottish actress Louise Linton, whose factually dubious memoir about her volunteering trip to Zambia in 1999 provoked a huge online backlash. Next on was the ‘Dancing Missionaries’. The group took time off the busy and risky business of dealing high grade white saviour complex on the mean streets of Jinja, to shoot the music video for their debut single, “Bring Missions Back”. The video, which features five members of the Luket Ministries, an Oklahoma-based missionary group working in eastern Uganda, was widely condemned for its simplistic and disparaging representation of life in African countries by foreign aid workers and Western media. This debut single was no chartbuster.

Need a holiday but can’t afford it? Just do a Seve Gat. This Kenyan woman could not afford to pay for her dream holiday, so she had friends edit her onto popular tourist sites in China. The hilariously bad photo-edits, which went viral, also attracted the attention of a generous businessman who provided the money to make Seve’s holiday dream a reality. We better start photoshopping ourselves into someone’s Mauritius holiday photos!

Zuckerberg in Africa

Where do you go after meeting the Pope? Nigeria of course. Lagos’ Co-Creation Hub was the first stop for Mark Zuckerberg on his initial visit to the country where 12 million use Facebook monthly. A nod for Africa’s growing tech space, Zuckerberg announced a $24 million investment in local company Andela, while sampling Nollywood and Naija jollof. But what is a high profile visit without a little controversy? Forbes’ description of Andela as a subsidiary of a NYC startup had folks like blogger Oo Nwoye on edge for “a diminishing of Lagos, Nigeria” with co-founder Iyin Aboyeji chiming in on how Andela started. In the East, Zuckerberg indulged in a safari of mobile money innovations with a visit to Nairobi. He then circled back to Abuja for a private meeting with President Buhari, after a hearty meal of ugali and tilapia with Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary of Information and Communications — complete with the customary selfie.

“In 2017, I expect to see tech entrepreneurship go mainstream in Nigeria. Tech founders and their products would be known by more than the niche techies. Early players in the industry would have to sit up and ensure we don’t get distracted by the new attention and secondly, we set a higher standard than seen in other industries. I’m very excited about the promise of 2017.”

— Blogger @ooTheNigerian

Special Mention — The Humorists

2016 has been one depressing chapter, but we also had some LOL paragraphs along the way. We all came across one of those hilarious skits that made us lose our composure and burst out laughing in public. And we still laugh just as hard when we watch them again. And again. Ellen Baby (Instagram: @ellenbaby89), Yaa Baby (Instagram: @iamyaababy) and Gracie (Twitter account: @gwaceybaby), take a bow! Thank you for giving us such a good laugh, we needed this medicine!

There you have it. 2016 was a mixed bag of emotions. From politics, to entertainment, to race issues, we saw dramatic, and in some cases, sobering events. Once again, we witnessed the combined use of smartphones and the internet to galvanise forces around common causes. From Accra to Cape Town, African netizens seized control of the ability to shape their narrative, and orchestrated the triumphant rise of unlikely internet celebrities.

Looking ahead to 2017, the rapid growth in the use of smartphones and the expected improvements in internet access across the continent, should see a more profound transformation of how we interact, share information and mobilise support for causes we care about. So here’s to a fabulous 2017!

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Produced by Circumspecte and YesiYesiGhana. Illustration by Bright Ackwerh.

#AOT2016 is a collaborative project by Circumspecte and YesiYesi Ghana which explores and documents Africa’s defining stories in 2016 through analysis and satire. Our goal: to give a comprehensive snapshot beyond 140 characters. Check out the first edition Africans on Twitter 2015.