HIV/AIDS remains a global concern. International star and Zimbabwean playwright Danai Gurira is using her celebrity to battle for its elimination.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



A superhero on the big screen and now a possible superhero
in real life, actor and playwright, Danai Gurira, is making it her mission to
join the fight against HIV/AIDS.



She is known for playing General Okoye in one of last year’s
biggest films, Black Panther, which grossed over a billion dollars worldwide.



The famous Zimbabwean says the fight against the epidemic
has been evident in her life ever since she was a little girl.



Recently appointed a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, she chats to FORBES AFRICA about her work.



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2019/02/18/danai-gurira-fully-feminine-and-fully-fierce%EF%BB%BF/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Danai Gurira: ‘Fully Feminine And Fully Fierce’ (opens in a new tab)">Danai Gurira: ‘Fully Feminine And Fully Fierce’</a>﻿



On December 3, 2018, a day after the Global Citizen Festival
where Gurira made an appearance as a co-host to rapturous applause from an
audience of 75,000 in Johannesburg, we meet her at an HIV clinic on the
outskirts of the city in a township called Tembisa. It’s a trial clinic called
Imbokodo for testing a combination of two experimental vaccines to prevent HIV.




At the clinic, Gurira meets with a group of women heading
it, to discuss and learn how the trials work. 



One of the women, dressed in a pink blouse, responsible for
creating the trial vaccine, talks to Gurira about their work. Maria Grazia Pau
is the Senior Director, Compound Development Team Leader, for the HIV vaccine
programs at Janssen.



&nbsp;Pau has over 18 years
of experience in the field of viral vectors.



“We have seen responses in the body systemically when we
check the blood but also we have checked other studies, and we do see responses
there,” she tells Gurira.



Everyone in the room pays attention.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“The composition is complex, we want to protect from many different types of HIV because there are so many traits everywhere,” Pau says.</blockquote>



“Right,” Gurira nods attentively.



“It is the answer to elimination,” Gurira says.



The group of women join in the conversation.



They may just be on a breakthrough to finding an HIV
vaccine.



The study is being conducted by the HIV Vaccine Trials
Network, Janssen Vaccines &amp; Prevention B.V., part of the Janssen
Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson &amp; Johnson, and all the participating
study clinics. 



These partners are working in collaboration with community
stakeholders to ensure this research is acceptable to the local community and
respectful of local cultures.



With 27 sites on the continent alone, they have clinics in
countries including Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. 



Gurira has recently collaborated with them to help further
their research and spread awareness about the disease.



Gurira was born in the United States (US) and later moved to
Zimbabwe, when she was a young girl.



Growing up in Harare, she saw and heard a number of stories
relating to HIV that touched her deeply. 



The 1980s were a time when the disease had started spreading
globally.



“I can’t really extricate my upbringing from understanding
how this epidemic hit southern Africa and how it changed the tapestry of life,”
she says.



The stigma around the disease and how women were treated
were some of the issues that concerned her.



“Growing up, I witnessed how it was affecting, not only
cultural dynamics, but also exacerbating issues around gender dynamics and
various things that filled me with great passion,” she says.



“How women were dealing with a great amount of stigma in the
family; if HIV was in the homestead, the involvement of even in-laws and how
that was being interpreted –&nbsp; about faulting
a woman. [As well as] blame imposed upon women and the loss of a spouse and how
that would affect how a woman was treated post that time. So there were a lot
of things affecting me as I grew up and as I watched these things happen.”



&nbsp;It was those personal
experiences that shaped how she viewed HIV and the importance of eradicating
it.



It was later that she moved back to the US and pursued a
career in psychology and then a masters in Fine Arts.



How people perceived HIV there, was not what she expected.



“Coming to the US and seeing how the African was viewed as a statistic; I was seeing real people with real stories and experiences who were truly people who had aspirations and careers and had many things going for them that they were working towards.”



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/arts/2019/02/11/2010-all-over-again-a-musical-extravaganza-to-honor-nelson-mandela/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="2010 all over again: a musical extravaganza to honor Nelson Mandela (opens in a new tab)">2010 all over again: a musical extravaganza to honor Nelson Mandela</a>



At the time, antiretroviral (ARV) therapy had not yet been
introduced and there was no way to manage it.



“It was such a death sentence at the time,” she says.



“And to come to the US to find that what we were dealing
with in southern Africa was statistical, that also gave a great amount of need
to bridge that very unfortunate disconnect between the actual human experience
of it and the value of people who were being affected by this… and how they
were being viewed.”



While there, she connected with some of her friends who did
field work around the issue while she was more focused on her advocacy in the
field of arts.



She married her advocacy for HIV with her passion for the
arts.



Gurira began writing plays in an effort to use her strengths
as an actor, and tell stories about issues she felt strongly about.



She co-wrote and co-starred in In the Continuum, a play
about HIV/AIDS from the perspective of a married Zimbabwean woman.



With this play, her aim was to break away from the
“statistical component of how the African is viewed often”.



In December 2011, In the Continuum commemorated World AIDS
Day. 



Little did she know that was the beginning of her activism
against HIV/AIDS.



The ‘golden age’ of HIV science



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="411" height="603" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Danai4.png" alt="" class="wp-image-39618" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Danai4.png 411w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Danai4-300x440.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Danai4-204x300.png 204w" sizes="(max-width: 411px) 100vw, 411px" /><figcaption> Glenda Gray, a National Research Foundation A-rated scientist, CEO and President of the South African Medical Research Council. Picture: Motlabana Monnakgotla</figcaption></figure></div>



The same year, a woman in South Africa by the name of Dr
Glenda Gray, was elected into the US Institute of Medicine, National Academies,
as a foreign associate for her research on preventing HIV-infected mothers from
passing the virus to their newborns.



She is a National Research Foundation A-rated scientist, CEO
and President of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC).



She is a qualified paediatrician and clinician and
co-founder of the internationally recognized Perinatal HIV Research Unit in
Soweto, South Africa.







In December 2018 on the same day of the interview, Gray and
Gurira meet at the Imbokodo clinic.



Gray is one of the leaders of the trials at the clinic. 



“We are in a golden age in terms of HIV science and hopeful about making huge advancements in HIV vaccine developments,” she says.



Much like Gurira, Gray was also confronted with the epidemic
at a young age. 



“As a young doctor, I saw HIV explode in my face and imagine
if we can, in my medical career, go from the beginning of an epidemic to the
end of an epidemic; that would be an amazing feat to be part of the team that
finds an HIV vaccine.” 



What Gray has endeavored to do is to find an HIV vaccine
that protects women and in the future, children and adolescents as well.



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/health/2019/02/18/what-does-it-mean-to-be-hiv-undetectable-or-to-have-a-suppressed-viral-load/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="What does it mean to be HIV-undetectable or to have a suppressed viral load? (opens in a new tab)">What does it mean to be HIV-undetectable or to have a suppressed viral load?</a>



“We definitely are not going to be able to treat ourselves
out of this epidemic if we don’t find potent biomedical interventions, we are
not going to be able to turn off the tap,” she says.



Gray has dealt with innumerable women affected by HIV.



“I am sick and tired of HIV and I am sick and tired of how
it devastates lives and I am sick and tired of how it impacts women in Africa,”
Glenda says.



Gray, together with Dr Paul Stoffels, who is the head of
research and development for Johnson &amp; Johnson, have been trying to prove
HIV vaccines work.



Stoffels and his team have been working with HIV for more
than 25 years, developing ARV medication.



The medication has evolved from many pills a day to one a
day, he says.



“We are working on new medicines to bring it to an injectable to once every day to once every month. But we can treat HIV patients but they need to be treated for the rest of their lives,” he says.



“People can have normal life expectancy and live normal
lives with medicine but we won’t be able to stop the epidemic if we don’t get
to a vaccine.”



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="418" height="536" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Danai3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-39619" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Danai3.png 418w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Danai3-300x385.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Danai3-234x300.png 234w" sizes="(max-width: 418px) 100vw, 418px" /><figcaption> Dr Paul Stoffels, who is the head of research and development for Johnson &amp; Johnson. Picture: Motlabana Monnakgotla</figcaption></figure></div>



He says that the vaccine they have been working on has been
very active in animal models and they have now shifted to clinical trials in
humans to prove that it works.



“We are at a stage that we do the first efficacy study and
at the same time first we prove that it is safe and that it can be used by
people and then we prove that it is efficacious,” he says.



The people who become part of the vaccine study will be part
of the trial for years.



However, one of the challenges, he says they face is finding
people who are at risk to commit to being part of the long-term study.



Therefore, it is important to bring awareness to the public
about such studies being done.



“HIV prevention needs important people such as global stars
to step in and with Global Citizen, we had a perfect platform to be on the
global stage. And Danai is one of the people well known in Africa and she is
very committed to this objective and so we started collaborating with her to
bring the message of prevention, and also the message of importance of research
in getting to the HIV vaccines, in getting people to participate as well as to
stay on,” he says.



Other celebrities also known for the advocacy of HIV include
musician and actor Lady Gaga, musician Bono, television host Ellen DeGeneres
and musician Alicia Keys.



“What’s very important, I think, for a person like her
[Gurira] is to give the message of hope that one day we will be able to combat
the disease but at the same time, it is a message of ‘at this moment we need to
prevent’,” says Stoffels.



Gray agrees.



“She [Gurira] understands what it’s like to be a young
woman, she understands what it’s like to be a black young woman and how
difficult it is to navigate safe sex, masculinity, patriarchy and so she comes
with a lot of soul and insight.”



Eliminating the epidemic



After the release of In the Continuum, Gurira toured her play in South Africa and Zimbabwe.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“I met some courageous people on the ground at the front line of this epidemic.”</blockquote>



Through that, she was able to connect to a number of
organizations which she then got involved in.



“It not only allowed me to learn more but become more of a
vessel for advocacy and awareness,” Gurira says.



“It is really powerful to me that these women are here [at
the clinic] helming this study that could really eliminate this epidemic.



“There have been epidemics that have existed in past human
history that have been eliminated through vaccination and we could actually see
that come to pass. I am sitting on a site where this could come to pass for
HIV/AIDS, which is the epidemic of our time,” she says, hopeful.



“I’d like to see it eliminated.



“There are times when we tend to think that ‘oh HIV it is
being managed, and ARVs exist,’ and we forget that it is still a very active
fight.”



According to AVERT, an international HIV and AIDS charity,
in 2017, there were roughly 1.8 million new HIV infections, the same as in 2016
–&nbsp; about 5,000 new infections per day.



Therefore, Gurira says awareness is very important to avoid
the “issue fading in the background”.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="928" height="616" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Danai5.png" alt="" class="wp-image-39620" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Danai5.png 928w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Danai5-300x199.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Danai5-600x398.png 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Danai5-768x510.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 928px) 100vw, 928px" /><figcaption>From left to right, Dr Paul Stoffels, Danai Gurira and Dr Glenda Gray. Picture: Supplied by Global Citizen</figcaption></figure>



Having been born in the US and being Zimbabwean, her fight
for HIV has become global.



&nbsp;Since her appointment
by the UN, she aims for a larger reach.



Gurira says despite women being the focus of her advocacy,
everyone, including men and boys, need to be a part of this fight.



“As Canadian Prime Minister [Justin] Trudeau recently said,
which I really appreciated, he called himself a feminist. He said, ‘I am a
feminist and to be feminist you believe in the equality of men and women and
you believe there is a lot of work to do to get to that place’.”



The fight against HIV continues to be a global phenomenon, but with more awareness raised and efforts from everyone, we could be one vaccine away from eliminating it.

Danai1

Danai Gurira: The Celluloid Warrior Fighting Against HIV

In January, Africa lost Oliver Mtukudzi. His friend and
fellow musician Yvonne Chaka Chaka fondly remembers the global icon.&nbsp; 



In October 2012, Zimbabwe’s Oliver Mtukudzi, South Africa’s
Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Kenya’s Suzanna Owíyo produced Because I Am Girl with
musicians from around the world.



It was released to promote the global launch of Plan
International’s ‘Because I am A Girl’ campaign, marking the first UN
International Day of the Girl Child, on October 11.



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/arts/2019/01/25/tribute-to-oliver-mtukudzi-zimbabwes-man-with-the-talking-guitar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Tribute To Oliver Mtukudzi – Zimbabwe’s ‘Man With The Talking Guitar’ (opens in a new tab)">Tribute To Oliver Mtukudzi – Zimbabwe’s ‘Man With The Talking Guitar’</a>



Dressed in African prints, they sang together, spreading the
word about the empowerment of the girl child. 



Mtukudzi’s bass and Chaka Chaka’s soulful voice in harmony,
they became more than co-artists; they become brother and sister. It was the first
performance of many for the two.



Seven years on, Chaka Chaka is teary-eyed about Mtukudzi’s death 23 days into 2019, when not just she, but Africa lost a music legend.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">In a strange coincidence, Mtukudzi died the same day the continent lost the father of South African jazz, Hugh Masekela, last year.</blockquote>



On the phone for this interview, Chaka Chaka describes
Mtukudzi as a soldier at work. 



“When he was on stage, he was a totally different man. When
he had his guitar, it was like a soldier. Like a soldier who has a gun at
work,” she tells us.



“I think there were two different people. Offstage, he was
just an ordinary man, and on stage, people ate out of the palm of his hand.



“I’ve never known Oliver to never be fit. He has been a
skinny man and he would just twist that body with a guitar and that gravel
voice of his. A big voice in a small body,” she says.



“He has never called me Yvonne, he has always called me
Fifi… Fifi means sister.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“The man was always humble, he never raised his voice, I have never seen him angry and all he has ever wanted is just to see Africa thriving. He wanted to see Africa beautiful. He wanted to see Africa with less disease, less hunger, less corruption, a happy Africa – that was his wish.”</blockquote>



One anecdote Chaka Chaka shares is when Mtukudzi was made a
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in Zimbabwe in 2011.



“You know he sat there with me and asked, ‘so, what does
this entail, my sister? You have been a goodwill ambassador for a long time.
You will tell me what needs to be done. How should I act? How should I react?
How should I do things?’



“And I’m like, ‘no, but you know, you are more of a star
than me and you have been in this industry long before I’. He was just so
down-to-earth and had no chip on his shoulder.”&nbsp;




The last performance the two did together was in October
last year in Harare during the Jacaranda Festival, attended by more than 2,000
people and other artists around the continent.



“Oliver was not in his changing room or at home. He stayed
there and watched other artists perform, which was so great,” says Chaka Chaka.



“This year, he promised that we would do it [the Jacaranda
Festival] in Bulawayo,” she said. They had planned to make it a big show and
use their status as goodwill ambassadors to encourage and inspire more youth.



&nbsp;But sadly, that
promise will never be fulfilled.



“The legacy he will leave behind is a legacy of love, the
legacy of pro-African and I think for me he was a pan-Africanist. That’s what
he was,” she says.



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/arts/2019/01/23/zimbabwes-oliver-mtukudzi-dies-at-66/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Zimbabwe’s Oliver Mtukudzi Dies At 66 (opens in a new tab)">Zimbabwe’s Oliver Mtukudzi Dies At 66</a>



To this day, Neria is still one of Chaka Chaka’s favorite
songs by him.



&nbsp;Mtukudzi, who died
aged 66 of diabetes, was laid to rest on January 27 in his home village of&nbsp; Madziwa.



Thousands sang and danced to the melodies of his songs.



President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared him a national hero,
posthumously, a status that has previously been reserved for ruling party elite
and independence veterans.



He may be gone but his music will live forever in the hearts of the fans that loved this legend who soldiered on until the end.

Music Midtown 2002

Oliver Mtukudzi The Soldier With A Big Voice – Yvonne Chaka Chaka

NWC8

Businesses Of The Future: 20 New Wealth Creators On The African Continent

Naomi Campbell makes her first appearance at the Forbes Woman Africa Leading Woman Summit saying that she is passionate about promoting the continent. 



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



In the coastal city in Eastern South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province, it is all hands on deck at the International Convention Centre (ICC), in Durban.



There’s a buzz in the air, and it is not the sound of the warm summer waves hitting the coast line, it is the chatter of Forbes Woman Africa’s most anticipated event, the annual Leading Woman Summit.



It takes place on March 8, in celebration of International Women’s Day.



It is expected
to host over 500 people and on the agenda, women are in the forefront.



The headlining
speaker is supermodel, philanthropist and cultural innovator, Naomi Campbell.



She has just traveled in straight from Paris and told media at the ICC that she couldn’t wait to be part of the Summit.



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LWS2019KZN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LWS2019KZN</a>: Tune in on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CNBCAfrica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CNBCAfrica</a> DStv 410 for the live broadcast of the Forbes Africa Leading Women Summit or watch it here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://t.co/wDaq0mdIYk">https://t.co/wDaq0mdIYk</a> <a href="https://t.co/y6VWYpe53s">pic.twitter.com/y6VWYpe53s</a>&mdash; Forbes Woman Africa (@ForbesWomanAfri) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForbesWomanAfri/status/1103912297674682368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



“This is my second time at a Forbes Woman Summit, but I am especially happy to be here,” she said.



Campbell who is
very passionate about the African continent said that she is all for supporting
Africa.



“Africa means a lot to me, and right now I feel that it is a time where in my industry that this continent is recognized by the fashion industry in having their footprint here,” she said.



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Earlier, the mayor Zandile Gumede suggested that <a href="https://twitter.com/NaomiCampbell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NaomiCampbell</a> takes a Sho&#39;t Left &amp; visit the Inanda Heritage Route, just outside Durban. Gumede added that Campbell&#39;s visit to the city would not be complete if she did not visit the route. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LWS2019KZN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LWS2019KZN</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DoKZN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DoKZN</a> <a href="https://t.co/9zK1WgcCEp">pic.twitter.com/9zK1WgcCEp</a>&mdash; Tourism KZN (@TourismKZN) <a href="https://twitter.com/TourismKZN/status/1103711720051277825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Campbell said
she is particularity interested in the tech, fashion, business, music, culture,
architecture industries.



“[I’m] not
afraid to approach anyone on these subjects in trying to open their minds to
see that they need to recognize that this continent is one of the leading
continents in the world,” she added.



When asked what makes the Summit different, Methil Renuka, FORBES WOMAN AFRICA and FORBES AFRICA editor said the event is much bigger this year.



“In terms of scale and magnitude it is big, and also in terms of both the panelists, the speakers of the day, and also the audience. So we have the best people coming, the CEO’s and all the top women from the industry,” she said.



The event, which is hosted in Durban for the first time, also has a lot to offer the coastal city. 



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Welcoming <a href="https://twitter.com/NaomiCampbell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NaomiCampbell</a> at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lws2019kzn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#lws2019kzn</a> press briefing with that radiant smile. It&#39;s her second time in Durban she says.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dokzn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dokzn</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LWSummit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LWSummit</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/dbntourism?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dbntourism</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ForbesWomanAfri?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ForbesWomanAfri</a> <a href="https://t.co/fe60E3KP0g">pic.twitter.com/fe60E3KP0g</a>&mdash; X (@its_karenM) <a href="https://twitter.com/its_karenM/status/1103718421139722240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



MEC for the
Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Sihle
Zikalala said that he welcomes Campbell with open arms and noted her as the
honorary granddaughter of Nelson Mandela.



EThekwini Mayor
Zanele Gumede said “the agenda is clear, this summit is a platform to celebrate
female excellence while we inspire, empower and unite as women.” 



Gumede also told
Campbell to visit more tourist attractions around the province.



One notable site would be the Mandela Capture site, where he was captured 56 years ago.



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">My experience visiting the Mandela capture site where he was captured 56 years ago<a href="https://twitter.com/LWSummit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LWSummit</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TourismKZN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TourismKZN</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LWS2019KZN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LWS2019KZN</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dokzn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dokzn</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ForbesWomanAfri?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ForbesWomanAfri</a> <a href="https://t.co/ui2ApHsIn0">pic.twitter.com/ui2ApHsIn0</a>&mdash; X (@its_karenM) <a href="https://twitter.com/its_karenM/status/1103617773077520385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Coincidentally, KZN
also happened to be the province where Mandela first cast his vote.



There for it is
only fitting that Campbell, the honorary granddaughter is to speak at the
Summit for the first time hosted in the province.



For many, it is
one of the most anticipated part of the Summit.

Naomi2

Naomi Campbell: Africa Is One Of The Leading Continents In The World

Professor Sally Smith, Dean of School of Computing at Edinburgh Napier University, was in South Africa to share how tech can revolutionize education and what Africa can learn.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



With the Fourth&nbsp;
Industrial Revolution gaining speed, the nature of work and economic
activity is set to dramatically change. One woman is on a mission to prepare
the education system for such changes.



Professor Sally Smith, the Dean of School of Computing at Edinburgh Napier University, traveled from Scotland to South Africa to share her know-how, as one of the speakers at the Future of the Education Summit in Johannesburg.



Hosted by Africa Business News, the summit brought together thought-leaders and professors from all over the world. Smith met FORBES AFRICA a day before the summit to speak about her experiences in the education industry for 26 years:



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/technology/2019/02/26/technology-is-useful-but-drones-alone-wont-save-africas-elephants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="OPINION | Technology Is Useful, But Drones Alone Won’t Save Africa’s Elephants (opens in a new tab)">OPINION | Technology Is Useful, But Drones Alone Won’t Save Africa’s Elephants</a>



1.What trends have you picked up in the sector over the years?



In terms of technology, it has been very fast-moving so the big challenge for universities is conducting research and translating that into useful programs for students when they graduate. 



In terms of the kind of trends and developments, we have seen huge growth in areas such as creative computing. There have been developments around designing meaningful interactions with computers, and that’s no longer just [limited to] a desktop computer; that will be your mobile phone, it’ll be augmented reality systems, virtual reality systems and other recent trends like cyber security. 



READ MORE |<a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/focus/2019/03/06/4-ways-to-develop-employment-ready-graduates/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="4 Ways To Develop Employment-Ready Graduates (opens in a new tab)">4 Ways To Develop Employment-Ready Graduates</a>



With more of our lives being conducted online, there’s a need to make sure we secure our data security, our identity is secure and businesses as well need to protect themselves. Those have been really interesting ways in which I have seen a big change in recent years.



 And the other thing that has changed is there has been a lot of growth in AI. Some of those kinds of machine learning tools are now being put to wider use than ever before by things like self-driving cars. So that’s an area of great interest now to our students and when they graduate to apply these algorithms.



2.What do you think are the challenges in this sector?



One of the things we’ve been disappointed with in much of
the western world is how few women are interested in studying computer science
and it has been fairly constant at sub-20% of our undergraduate program since I
have been in academia. And we have really been unable to make any great inroads
into changing that.



3.What differences have you picked up between education in Scotland and South Africa?



Making sure graduates have the right skills to go to work,
and part of that is getting work experience and it’s a challenge for all of us
to make the case for businesses to take on a student so they can take on
relevant work experience before they graduate. Some of the challenges I have
seen around are about trying to get those partnerships. 



4.How do you see collaborations of universities around the world with the 4th Industrial Revolution? 



Yes, I think there are fantastic ways we collaborate over research and a lot of the big funds now are only interested in collaborations where we can draw on the strengths of universities from different countries and I think that the same will be true about teaching. 



READ MORE |<a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2018/12/21/the-use-of-this-technology-could-ensure-every-single-person-is-fed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Is This Technology the Answer to World Hunger? (opens in a new tab)">Is This Technology the Answer to World Hunger?</a>



At the moment, we are competing with each other but if we can put great programs together that draw on the strength of different universities, there’s a future for more collaborative work.



5.How can the private sector help upskill young people?



We’ve introduced a new way in which people can get degree level qualifications in the UK and degree level apprenticeships. Industry will employ someone and they attend university 20% of the time and work towards their degree while they are in work. 



So that is a new way to make sure the degree is appropriate for employers and these programs are employer-led so employers are part of designing the program. The other project we have is a digital skills partnership which is where we try and get industry and lecturers to work more closely together on things like developing curriculum.

RC1D8A621010

5 Ways Tech Can Revolutionize Education

Some of the life-changing tech trends the world will see in 2019.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



From automated transportation, to digital pills&nbsp; and social credit algorithms, technological
advancements are growing at the speed of light.



The big question is, can we keep up with the pace?



The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Computer Society, based in New York City, predicts some of the future tech
trends for 2019. 



Deep learning accelerators, assisted transportation, and the
Internet of Bodies (IoB) lead their 2019 technology outlook.



Some local experts weigh in on this from an African perspective and contribute and identify some of the tech trends we can look out for.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Assisted automated transportation</h4>



Assisted transportation is already in use in some countries.




The phenomena of self-driving cars has been growing. 



Although many critics fear that it still needs more time to
test and trial, IEEE experts predict that there will be a wide recognition for
fully autonomous vehicles this year. 



“I don’t think self-driving cars would solve a major social
need in Africa at the moment,” says Aatish Ramkaran, who is a Digital Architect
at Nedbank and Co-Founder of Blockchain Entrepreneurs Club South Africa.



“What we really need are better, more affordable mass
passenger transport systems, as the majority of the South African workforce
live significant distances from their workplaces,” 



Ramkaran adds.



This technology in autonomous vehicles is highly dependent
on deep learning accelerators.



Early last month, a robot was struck down by a self-driving
Tesla Model S. 



Electrical engineer Darryn Cornish predicts that it may take
a while before self-driving cars become a trend in Africa, “mainly because we
don’t have a law around it”. 



He currently serves as the chair for the IEEE in South Africa and is pursuing his PhD in high voltage physics at the University of the Witwatersrand.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Your social media could reveal your credit score</h4>



The IEEE report states that these are algorithms that use
facial recognition and other advanced biometrics to identify a person and
retrieve data about that person from social media and other digital profiles
for the purpose of approval or denial of access to consumer products or social
services. 



“In our increasingly networked world, the combination of
biometrics and blended social data streams can turn a brief observation into a
judgment of whether a person is a good or bad risk or worthy of public social
sanction,” says the report.



“Using social media to check credit scores could work for
someone who doesn’t have the transaction history that’s built with a bank
account,” Ramkaran says.



He says this method attempts to build a psychological
profile using your social media behavior, rather than your banking history, to
indicate whether you would honor your loan repayment.



“Discovery Bank, which claims to be the first behavioural
bank, is taking this a step further by not only observing, but actually
influencing your behavior,” he says.



At the moment, China has been popular for planning to
incorporate a nationwide social credit system. 



It is due to be fully operational nationwide by 2020.



However, a report by Business Insider critiques this method
of checking credit scores as people with low credit scores in China have been
banned from flying, as well as banning students from certain universities as
they have been considered bad students. 



“Li Xiaolin, a lawyer who was placed on the list in 2015, found himself unable to purchase plane tickets home while on a work trip, Human Rights Watch reported. He also couldn’t apply for credit cards,” says Business Insider.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Internet implants?</h4>



We’ve heard of Internet of Things, a buzz phrase that came
with the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 



Internet of Bodies (IoB), on the other hand, is exactly
that; internet activity found within the human body. 



There have already been external self-monitoring
technologies such as fitness trackers and smart glasses. 



IEEE now predicts that “digital pills are entering
mainstream medicine, and body-attached, implantable, and embedded IoB devices
are also beginning to interact with sensors in the environment”.



“These devices yield richer data that enable more
interesting and useful applications, but also raise concerns about security,
privacy, physical harm, and abuse,” the report says. 



Critics, however, are concerned that they could be setting
dangerous precedents and courts and regulatory bodies may not be ready for them
yet. 



“The biggest concern for a while now has been around the
transparency and protection of personal data being collected by devices and
their service providers on consumers that wear or have ingested Internet of
Bodies type devices,” says Lee Naik, CEO, TransUnion 



Africa and a digital and technology transformation expert.



Examples of these are smart contact lenses that are being
developed to monitor glucose levels and could eliminate the daily blood sugar
pinprick for people with diabetes. 



Other devices are the Bluetooth-equipped electronic pills
being developed to monitor the inner workings of the&nbsp; body. 



They could eventually broadcast what you’ve eaten or whether
you’ve taken drugs.



Another emerging piece of technology related to the IoB is
the radio-frequency identification chip that can contain details of a person’s
bank details and identification in a chip implanted in the body.



In a report by The Independent, a company by the name of
Biohax has implanted chips in more than 4,000 people.



“Further regulation will be required to protect consumer
interests in relation to the Internet of Bodies, specifically to deal with the
security of consumer personal data which needs to be effectively protected in
balance with consumers receiving further benefits from innovation in this
space,” Naik says.



Despite some of the concerns around IoB, a recent study
published by Market Research Future reveals that the global smart contact
lenses market is set to thrive at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 10.4% during
the forecast period 2017 to 2023.



This could potentially change the way personal health is monitored and personal data is kept, connecting the body to the internet forever.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Cyber security pre-installed </h4>



IEEE experts suggest that a new generation of security
mechanism is merging.



The traditional method of protecting computer systems looked
at software such as anti-virus.



But now, new software uses an active approach such as hooks
that can be activated when new types of attacks are exposed and
machine-learning mechanisms to identify sophisticated attacks.



Already, cyber security solutions company McAfee announced
at the Consumer Electronics Show 2019 that it would extend its collaboration
with PC hardware giant Dell to provide pre-installed security software for its
PCs and laptops.



According to Techradar, Dell Consumer and small business customers who purchase a new PC or laptop will also have the option to protect all of their devices with McAfee by installing the company’s cross-device software on their smartphones and tablets.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Selling your electricity to your neighbor</h4>



According to Cornish, this year, we may see the move from a
concentrated power producer such as Eskom to a micro grid system.



The concentrated power is usually produced in a certain
location and then distributed via transmission lines where it is used by the
consumer.



With a micro grid system, it uses a distributed power
system.



“Little communities have their own little power grids and
can generate power where they use it,” Cornish says.



“In other words, your house would have solar power and
whatever energy you have extra you would sell onto a grid and your whole
community is a micro grid and a system controls who gets power and when.”



Ramkaran says this trend would really work well in Africa.



“The major issue holding back these ‘micro-grids’ are not
technological. We are perfectly capable of building these systems, just look at
Australia and Germany, but regulatory hurdles prevent their implementation
locally,” he says.



Another trend is the emergence of a worldwide power grid. 



According to a Reuters report, the world’s first ±1100-kV
ultra-high voltage direct current transmission line was put into operation last
month in China, marking the project with the highest voltage, the biggest
transmission capacity, the longest transmission distance and the most advanced
in technology in the world, running 3,293 kilometers long and having a
transmission capacity of 12 million kW.



“There are many talks with China, Europe and Asia, to create
a huge high voltage transmission line along the entire continent and possibly
down to Africa. And it would be a worldwide grid that everyone could connect
to.



“If we are suffering with power problems, we could buy power from China or Russia or whoever has spare capacity, so we get rid of that capacity issue,” says Cornish, who predicts this could happen in South Africa in the next five years. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Consumers the new producers</h4>



With the rise of blockchain data, crowdsourcing has become a
growing trend, according to Cornish.



Using a blockchain platform for crowdsourcing helps solve a
variety of tasks through a collective approach.



“We are moving towards a crowdsourced idea instead of having
monolithic entities who create and consumers who consume. We are now going into
the phase where consumers are now producers,” says Cornish.



According to Markets Insider, one of the world’s first
blockchain-based e-commerce verification platform launched a platform by
integrating blockchain, AI and crowdsourcing.



The platform SimplyBrand aims to end online counterfeiting
through a safe and trustworthy digital commerce ecosystem in conjunction with
strategic partner Cobinhood, a leading cryptocurrency service platform
featuring zero-trading-fee exchange as well as an end-to-end ICO service
provider.&nbsp; 



They launched their token pre-sale early last month. 



Within this ecosystem, crowdsourced participants who report
fake products through the SimplyBrand App can “earn token rewards to purchase
brand privileged items or sell them on exchange, while brands can buy tokens
from exchange and purchase brand-protection services,” according to Reuters.



“It would be interesting to see how we will be leveraging
from that but we will be seeing much more of that,” Cornish says. 



Ramkaran says that this trend of peer-to-peer exchange is intensifying.



“With established platforms like Airbnb and Uber, people have become comfortable with buying goods and services from others, however, they’ve also become aware of the high transaction fees they’re charged,” he says.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Personal data becomes personal advertising</h4>



Cornish predicts the rise of big data analytics.



Big data is known as extremely large data sets that may be
analysed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations,
especially relating to human behaviour and interactions.



“If you go into big data, you can start telling a lot about
how a person lives. For example, if someone goes every Friday to buy a specific
item, you could tell whether they get wages as opposed to salaries just from
that load.”



“If you had their health data like Discovery does, you could
collect that data and start targeting ads like Google.”



However, Cornish suggests that it would be interesting to
see if Google would go ahead and collect consumer data as well.&nbsp; 



Naik says that businesses will start to invest in data
science and AI to drive insights from their large and growing big data.



“Big Data will be central to helping businesses understand
consumers better and develop products that best address consumer needs. Ultimately,
big data and artificial intelligence will be a big driver of business strategy
in future,” he says.



Ramkaran says that focus has shifted from ‘Big Data’ to
‘Machine and Deep Learning’, as companies have found more value in how
specially trained algorithms interpret and make decisions on data.



“Tech giants like Facebook and Google have mastered the art
of collecting your personal data, for free, which they leverage for massive
advertising revenues.



“People are beginning to realize how they’re being exploited
and manipulated, but based on the sheer numbers of connected users and power
that these platforms have, it won’t be an easy fight,” adds Ramkaran. 



&nbsp;But with big data
analytics as such, the ethics of tapping into personal information may be of concern.




Cornish predicts that it may take two years or more before
big data analytics will trend.

Internet

Internet In Our Bodies?

The film Black Panther  received critical acclaim worldwide.
Zimbabwean actor Danai Gurira from the film chats about the impact it has had
on her life.



January 29 marked the first anniversary since the release of the Black Panther movie.



Worldwide, it grossed more than $1.2 billion ranking as the
tenth top-grossing film of all time.



At the 2019 Golden Globes, which took place on January 6,
the movie was nominated for three awards and was rumoured to be nominated for
an Oscar, which will be hosted on February 25.



Danai Gurira, who plays the part of General Okoye,
represented a fierce and strong woman.



One of the most notable scenes in the movie was when she
took off her wig and used it as a weapon.



She chats to FORBES AFRICA about the impact the movie has
had on her life.



What did being part of a movie like Black Panther mean to you?



It was a really amazing experience to be a part of and, of
course, in my own work as a playwright and an actor, I’ve always been seeking
to give the voice of the African more of a global resonance and response
because I always wondered why we didn’t have that. 



So, the beauty of being a part of a project that did do that
and being able to play a character who was fully feminine and fully fierce and
unapologetic about it allowed me to really be a part of something I wanted to
see growing up. 



I had always yearned to see stories like that, with such
amazing characters I got to work with in that world, in an Africa un-colonized
and excellent and thriving. And it was really an amazing feeling to be a part
of that. 



Did you expect such a huge response from the global audience?



The response, I mean, we couldn’t have predicted that, but I think we were all excited. Peter, Chadwick [Boseman] and the people I got to work with were excited to see this pass; even if we weren’t part of it, we would have supported it. 



It has been a great experience to have and to know that people have had the response they had and we are just thankful.

danai

Danai Gurira: ‘Fully Feminine And Fully Fierce’﻿

HIV1

What does it mean to be HIV-undetectable or to have a suppressed viral load?

Nelson Mandela’s centenary brought together headline-grabbing A-listers and pledges of over $7 billion towards pressing global issues. Though for some, it didn’t end well.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



It was exactly 10 years ago when Australian humanitarian
Hugh Evans, along with his friend Simon Moss, launched the Global Poverty
Project, committing to end extreme poverty by 2030.



That dream launched Global Citizen, and with that, an
eponymous festival in 2012.



“Over 5.65 million actions led to 58 commitments and
announcements worth $7,096,996,725, set to affect the lives of 137,368,628
people,” summed up the Global Citizen Festival, held in December 2018 for the
first time in South Africa, hosted at the FNB Stadium, in the historic township
of Soweto, in celebration of Nelson Mandela’s centenary.



On a hot Sunday afternoon that also saw looming rain clouds,
thousands wearing straw hats and shades, trooped into the stadium, some
arriving as early as 5AM for what was billed a mega concert. 



Presidents, delegates, CEOs, activists, musicians and more
gathered for the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100.



Among them, a galaxy of international and local celebrities
such as Beyoncé, Trevor Noah, Oprah Winfrey, Naomi Campbell, Usher, Danai
Gurira, Bonang Matheba, Nomzamo Mbatha, Tyler Perry, Pharrell Williams, Bob
Geldof, Ed Sheeran, and dignitaries such as South African President Cyril
Ramaphosa, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Amina J. Mohammed,
Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway, President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana,
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, former South African First Lady Graca Machel
and many more were all gathered for the one-day spectacle. 



The Daily Show anchor and host of the event, Noah said:
“This is 2010 all over again,” referring to the euphoria in South Africa when
the country hosted the FIFA World Cup that year.



“Everybody is here in Mzansi to celebrate the work of Nelson
Mandela,” he added.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="407" height="544" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global6.png" alt="" class="wp-image-39091" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global6.png 407w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global6-300x401.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global6-224x300.png 224w" sizes="(max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" /><figcaption>Trevor Noah at the Neslon Mandela Global Citizen Festival. Picture: Supplied</figcaption></figure></div>



More than 75,000 people were in attendance at the stadium.



On stage, dignitaries committed actions taken to end extreme
poverty, achieve gender equality, and ensure food security, education and
global health.



“Everyone is a global citizen and how you want to take
action in helping others using your voice, reaching out to a representative and
holding rallies, coming together, uniting to make a change is wonderful.
Everybody has a voice now today,” model and activist Campbell who was on stage
told FORBES AFRICA on the sidelines.



&nbsp;“To have a 20-year
with the great man, President Nelson Mandela, is something I will treasure for the rest of my life and it’s an honor to be here and see everyone come together, and to see the young generation understand what this man Mandela stood for, what he sacrificed and what he wanted to achieve. And we are still trying to achieve what he wanted to, which is to eradicate poverty by 2030,” added Campbell. 



Nigerian musician Femi Kuti, son of the legendary Fela Kuti,
who performed and got the crowds dancing, told FORBES AFRICA some of the issues
he holds close to his heart are equality, poverty and the importance of
accountability by all leaders worldwide. 



“Every citizen must take responsibility for tackling these
problems,” he said. 



“My father is a really good example of this, Bob Marley is a
good example of this. If musicians did not talk about such issues, we would
probably be naïve.”



One of Nigeria’s best-selling musicians, D’banj, agreed.



He performed his hit song, Oliver Twist, wearing his
hallmark dark shades, a pair of metallic gold pants and jacket.



“Before I went on stage, I was so glad that this is Africa,
I have performed everywhere in the world but this is my home, and my people are
here,” he told FORBES AFRICA.



&nbsp;“Getting out here and
seeing my generation, the next generation, the millennials, and everyone coming
out, I am just so humbled. I can just say that, from here, the future is going
to be bright because the message of us stars coming together will leave a
mark.” 



The Nigerian artiste is not new to the Global Citizen scene.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="923" height="613" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-39092" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global2.png 923w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global2-300x199.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global2-600x398.png 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global2-768x510.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 923px) 100vw, 923px" /><figcaption> Beyoncé performs at the Neslon Mandela Global Citizen Festival. Picture: Supplied</figcaption></figure>



In 2015, he performed alongside Usher, Mary J Blige and
Will.i.am at the Global Citizen Earth Day in Washington D.C in the United
States.



“Global Citizen coming to Africa meant a lot for me… Because
after we leave here, we are going to leave a mark that is going to awaken them
and everybody is going to want to challenge our leaders to give us the right
change,” he said. 



Back on stage, the host Noah addressed the crowds about why
Africa should indeed be celebrated.



“When it comes to resources, Africa is the richest place on
earth,” he said.



“We have more booty than any other continent on the planet.
Men and women&#8230; The point is, Africa has a lot of natural wealth. But what’s
crazy is that even with all this wealth, 40% of all children across the continent
are stunted due to lack of access to food. Tonight, we are calling on African
leaders to commit three percent of their countries’ budgets to nutrition by
2020.”



All through the concert, the United Nations’ Sustainable
Development Goals were unraveled. 



The now former president of the World Bank, Dr Jim Yong Kim,
said it was important to contribute to issues related to health because, “the
crisis is much bigger”. As a result, the World Bank Group invested an
additional $1 million to health and education. 



Other celebrities and global leaders not present made their
own pledges through pre-recorded videos screened at the event.



Businessman and philanthropist Richard Branson pledged a
$105 million joint commitment to end the world’s leading cause of preventable
blindness. Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, announced an investment of
$4 billion made at the G7 Summit towards education for vulnerable women and
girls globally.



Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Angela
Merkel, pledged €63 million ($72.2 million) to Global Citizen over the next
three years.



From a South African perspective, the Motsepe Foundation, a
hosting and presenting partner of Global Citizen, committed more than $104.4
million towards education, economic inclusion and equality of women and girls,
as well as the current debate on land reform in South Africa. Entrepreneurs
Patrice Motsepe and his wife Precious received a rapturous applause when they
appeared on stage. 



President Ramaphosa committed R2 billion ($144 million) for
youth in South Africa, and announced the government’s intention to spend R60
billion ($4.3 billion) to provide free access to schools for poor children in
South Africa.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="928" height="609" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-39093" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global3.png 928w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global3-300x197.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global3-600x394.png 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global3-768x504.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 928px) 100vw, 928px" /><figcaption> Beyoncé and Jay-Z at the Neslon Mandela Global Citizen Festival. Picture: Supplied </figcaption></figure>



But with all the pledges announced, the biggest question
remained, what next? 



The Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, who
was in attendance, weighed in on this.



“What I’d really like to see is we coming up with an
integrated action plan so that it is not just raising the money but we
absolutely identify how is this money going to be utilized and how we can work
together better to support one another and to make sure that it is more likely
that these issues will be delivered,” she told FORBES AFRICA.



“What I hope will come out of this is concrete action which
will make a difference to the lives of the people who are so desperately
thirsting for change.”



At the end of the day, what the 75,000-plus in the stadium
had really come for was the culminating act by Beyoncé, one of the world’s
highest-paid musicians listed on FORBES. 



In one of the outfits on stage, Beyoncé wore a sequined body
suit, thigh-high boots, and a dramatic cape that paid tribute to Africa’s 54
countries. It was designed by Mary Katrantzou, who said in an Instagram post:
“Her coat has the 54 countries of Africa mapped out and on each country there
is a different embroidery representing its diversity.” Beyoncé also wore a
colorful beaded mini-dress with an elaborate back-piece, which according to her
mother Tina Lawson, featured “one hundred thousand African beads”.



Some of the other designers the artiste wore during the
visit included South African designers Enhle Mbali Maphumulo of Manual Rossa
Apparel, Rich Mnisi, MmusoMaxwell, Senegalese designer Adama Ndiaye’s label
Adama Paris, Sarah Diouf’s line Tongoro Studio and Ivorian label Yhebe Design.



Beyoncé and her husband Jay-Z brought Africa to its feet to
their tunes for the first time. It was a breath-taking, epic production which
saw them perform hit songs like Halo, Perfect, Bonnie &amp; Clyde, Formation
and Forever Young.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="853" height="596" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global5.png" alt="" class="wp-image-39094" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global5.png 853w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global5-300x210.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global5-600x419.png 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Global5-768x537.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px" /><figcaption> Naomi Campbell at the Neslon Mandela Global Citizen Festival. Picture: Supplied </figcaption></figure>



But despite the success of the Global Citizen Festival, it
was a chaotic end to a beautiful night for some.



While heads of state and celebrities were escorted back from
the concert venue, some festival-goers were left stranded in gridlocked traffic
at midnight to face attacks by criminals.



Many took to social media to explain how they were mugged at
gunpoint and were victims to violence. 



One of the attendees, 23-year-old Kayleen Morgan, who
witnessed the attacks, told us: “What was upsetting was for something like this
to happen at an event organized on such a huge scale. People’s experiences were
not taken seriously&#8230;” 



A month after these unfortunate incidents, some suspects
have been arrested and investigations continue. 



It was a night Beyoncé stole, and a night some
audience-goers will never forget, for being stolen from.

Global4

2010 all over again: a musical extravaganza to honor Nelson Mandela

From auditioning for the formidable female lead in one of South Africa’s most popular soapie, Generations, to now offering a chance to aspiring actors in her own productions,



Connie Ferguson’s is now looking for billions in the business world. 



READ FULL STORY | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Lights Camera Connie! (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/cover-story/2018/10/15/lights-camera-connie/" target="_blank">Lights Camera Connie!</a>



Video Produced by Forbes Woman Africa Multimedia journalist Karen Mwendera.

connie

WATCH | The making of 2018’s most popular Forbes Woman Africa cover – Connie  Ferguson

One of the biggest names in television came to South Africa for what she believes are the greatest challenges affecting girls and women.



Oprah Winfrey was the keynote speaker at Isithunzi Sabafazi which means the &#8216;Dignity of women&#8217;, in tribute of Nelson Mandela. He would have turned 100 years in 2018. 



<ul><li>Produced and edited by Forbes Woman Africa Journalist, Karen Mwendera. Shot by Jolly Ndlovu.</li></ul>

Author: Karen Mwendera

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Danai Gurira: The Celluloid Warrior Fighting Against HIV

Oliver Mtukudzi The Soldier With A Big Voice – Yvonne Chaka Chaka

Businesses Of The Future: 20 New Wealth Creators On The African Continent

Naomi Campbell: Africa Is One Of The Leading Continents In The World

5 Ways Tech Can Revolutionize Education

Internet In Our Bodies?

Danai Gurira: ‘Fully Feminine And Fully Fierce’

What does it mean to be HIV-undetectable or to have a suppressed viral load?

2010 all over again: a musical extravaganza to honor Nelson Mandela

WATCH | The making of 2018’s most popular Forbes Woman Africa cover – Connie Ferguson

WATCH | Oprah Winfrey Advocates for Women and Celebrates Nelson Mandela

‘From Zero to Hero’: The Queen Of The 800 meters Caster Semenya

Africa Takes to the Stratosphere and Beyond

Beyond the plumes of smoke the weed economy on a high

Bio Burials And Life After Death

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Danai Gurira: The Celluloid Warrior Fighting Against HIV

Oliver Mtukudzi The Soldier With A Big Voice – Yvonne Chaka Chaka

Businesses Of The Future: 20 New Wealth Creators On The African Continent

Naomi Campbell: Africa Is One Of The Leading Continents In The World

5 Ways Tech Can Revolutionize Education

Internet In Our Bodies?

Danai Gurira: ‘Fully Feminine And Fully Fierce’﻿

What does it mean to be HIV-undetectable or to have a suppressed viral load?

2010 all over again: a musical extravaganza to honor Nelson Mandela

WATCH | The making of 2018’s most popular Forbes Woman Africa cover – Connie Ferguson

WATCH | Oprah Winfrey Advocates for Women and Celebrates Nelson Mandela

‘From Zero to Hero’: The Queen Of The 800 meters Caster Semenya

Africa Takes to the Stratosphere and Beyond

Beyond the plumes of smoke the weed economy on a high

Bio Burials And Life After Death

Danai Gurira: ‘Fully Feminine And Fully Fierce’