Eugene Ramirez Mapondera

The impact of apartheid on African culture has had an immeasurable consequence on the Identity of the modern-day African. Both Literature and media dating back to the end of the second world war have upheld the ideals of the settlers while the unique nuances of African storytelling were lost. Colonialism’s suppression of oral tradition and practices meant that numerous African mythologies have since been erased or distorted. The post-colonial era we live in today might further threaten the survival of traditional African storytelling techniques through the proliferation of content from the global north.

Be that as it may, an opportunity has arisen for the modern African storyteller to rekindle the essence of ubuntu by harnessing the possibilities introduced by film, video games, immersive VR experiences and more. The purpose of this presentation is to explore how the African psyche can find a path to realignment with its original and untainted self, by using today’s digital options for storytelling. Since society can mirror literature, an opportunity now exists where greater self-determination can be reached through the elevation of a sophisticated, afro-futuristic, re-imagining of Africa across genres. Case studies can be drawn from the social impact of games developed by Kiro'o Games (2016) and the pan-African graphic novel by Tinodiwa Makoni, entitled Gambanyika (2017).

This expose seeks to account for the successful uses of new media in Africa as a tool to counter an ever-growing identity crisis and loss of self-determination in this generation of African consumers of pop culture.