The Silicon Issue: Web 3.Z | Kenga Magazine by Kenga Magazine

KENGA: the silicon issue

KORTY EO

LEADING THE NEW CLASS OF CREATORS AND STORYTELLERS

WEB 3.Z THE DIGITAL FUTURE OF AFRO GEN Z

the silicon issue

KENNEDY EKEZIE BUILDING A $10M TECH STARTUP AT 24

WEB 3.Z THE DIGITAL FUTURE OF AFRO GEN Z

the silicon issue

WEB 3.Z THE DIGITAL FUTURE OF AFRO GEN Z

KENGA: the silicon issue

WEB 3.Z THE DIGITAL FUTURE OF AFRO GEN Z

the silicon issue

WEB 3.Z THE DIGITAL FUTURE OF AFRO GEN Z

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Kenga:

1 Cover Interview: Kennedy Ekezie on Building a $10M Tech Startup at 24

SILICON ISSUE

How Livestreaming Changed My Life

Therap_E: Virtual Therapists as the Future of Mental Health for Afro Gen Zs

Feature: Derrick Ikenga on Augmented Reality and the Future of Shopping

INSI 5

Feature: Garnett Achieng on Building a Safer Internet for Minorities

A Day in the Life of a Kenyan Afro Gen Z Through Apps

7 Artificial Intelligence: Why We Need More Afro Gen Z Technologists in AI

Gen Zoom: Unpacking the Gen Z Remote Work Craze

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Kenga:

How Tech is Changing the Way We Bang

SILICON ISSUE

10 Music in the Metaverse

Real Time: Navigating Human Connection Online and Offline While Afro Gen Z

12 How Creators Can Use

IDE 13 The Kenga Silicon Class: 10 Afro Gen Zs Building Africa's Digital Future

14 Technology, Our Faith and Change

15 Cover Story - Korty EO:

Leading the New Class of Content Creators and Storytellers

Web 3 to Build and Market Their Brands

ON THE COVER

TEAM Publ1sher Ar1nze_0b1ezue Des1gn D1rect0r Jean_Quarc00p0me Creative D1rect0r Andrew_Djan-Samps0n Market1ng Manager N1m0_Wah0me Med1a Ass0c1ate Wh1tney_Ernest

With this issue, we were curious about the different ways technology shapes the identities and cultures of Afro Gen Zs. The stories, photography, and art in the issue are all cohesive pieces of the message in this issue. Gracing our headline cover is the multitalented creative storyteller, Eniola Korty Olanrewaju, more popularly known as Korty EO. Korty’s rise as a YouTuber is a story of grit, genius, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Her journey is a testament to what is possible with technology for Gen Z’s in Africa who are increasingly plugging into the continent’s emerging creator economy. Cover Star

Photographer

Eniola Korty Olanrewaju

Olamide Rufai

ON THE SPINE This issue’s spine design features an artwok created using the Midjourney AI software. As computer generated artworks continue to gain hype and hate on the internet, we’re intrigued by what this new tech means for Afro Gen Z artists and graphic creators.

C0NTR1BUT0RS W0rds

Ph0t0 & Art

Ahmad-Tijani Agbaje Nkechi Anyanwu Jeremiah Nnadi Kena Kamau Melony Akpoghene Ekele Jinanwa Benedict Quartey Nneka Zara Obi Jaynain Panchal Mustapha Enesi

Nana Kwadwo Tk Nana Asomani Marcel Johanssen Maxwell Dewunmi Friday Oba Nana Agyekum Hene Oppong Nana Kwame GT Prempeh Caleb Oheneba Brian Kivuti Olamide Rufai Bidemi Tata Gus Sarkodee Jpearl King Ayomikun Adekoya David Nnogo

Publ1sher’s_N0te Technology connects us just as much as it divides us. As citizens of the ever-expanding digital world, we stagger through many virtual identities, online communities, and internet subcultures on a daily. That’s both a blessing and a curse. As Gen Zs, who grew up with one foot in the ‘real world’ and the other firmly planted in the ‘digital world,’ we’ve lived through the dual extremes of technology. On the one hand, technology has helped create new kinds of jobs while disrupting old cultures. Not too long ago, if you told anyone, “I’m a TikToker”, in response to their question on your profession, they’d look at you like you were crazy. "What is a TikTok?" But thanks to such platforms, Gen Zs and other young people can now build thriving creative careers for themselves anywhere in the world with just a smartphone, an internet connection, and a bagful of conviction. But, on the other hand, technology has introduced new forms of violence with such alarming quickness. In recent years, we’ve confronted

a barrage of digital privacy rights infringements, online gender-based violence, and, even more recently, deepfakes and the many ways artificial intelligence threatens the very concept of truth. For Afro Gen Zs, technology has positioned itself as our saviour and doom in a very warped but poetic way. We taglined this issue 'WEB 3.Z' to emphasise how deeply integrated technology is with the lives and identities of Gen Zs. This issue is a call for better technologies that protect the rights and interests of younger generations. The cover stars for the issue are two members of the Kenga Silicon Class, a group of Afro Gen Zs who are building and inspiring the digital future of Africa. As a diverse class of technologists, creators, investors, and policymakers, they represent the hope of the continent. Just six months after our debut, we're beyond excited to unveil The Silicon Issue: a gift of love from The Kengang to you This issue is yours.

AR1NZE_0B1EZUE Publisher /enter_

Credit : Gus Sarkodee

Kenga:

Kennedy

cover inyerview

Ekezie in conversation with Arinze Obiezue

Building a $10m Tech Startup at 24.

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Kenga:

cover INTERVIEw

Kennedy joined our Zoom call looking exactly like what you’d imagine an Afro Gen Z tech CEO would: zen, chill, and stylish. He had his hair braided into neat drooping dreads, wore a looped silver earring on one ear, and had his grey polo shirt loosely buttoned, presenting an overall aesthetic that matched his very relaxed, yet strong, personality. As our conversation began, I thought about how most ‘African parents’ seeing Kennedy’s appearance on the screen would struggle to believe that he’s a highly accomplished debater, a Yenching Scholar at the prestigious Peking University, and the CEO of one of the fastest-growing technology startups in Africa. Wild s*#t, right? In this exclusive interview with Kenga, Kennedy shares the story of Kippa, his thriving tech startup, and his thoughts on how tech founders are changing African youth culture.

ARINZE: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

KENNEDY: I feel like, same with every other kid, that changed from time to time. But there were two things that I knew I loved and really wanted to be, deep down. One of them was a footballer. I wanted to play soccer, and become a soccer star. That dream lingered for quite a while. The second thing I wanted to be was a pastor. I think the similarities between both of those—footballer and pastor —is that they are people who I saw command a lot of influence. I saw how much love, respect, and admiration I had for all the football stars. I used to be a fan of Man United. I was indoctrinated very early because of my cousins. I used to watch the Nigerian Super Eagles a lot, and I wanted to do that. I wanted to be that respected. I wanted to be that competent. I wanted to be that good at what I did, so that people would love and respect me because of it. I think it was definitely the childish part of me that wanted that fame and success. For me, footballers and pastors were the most powerful examples of success I'd ever seen. Going to church, seeing pastors and watching them all over the TV being in charge and telling people what to do. Their authority was never questioned. I was like, if they can be that, I'm definitely going to be that. But yeah, anyways, I think, at some

point I just stopped dreaming about what I wanted to be. That happened when I was in senior secondary school when life started to get a lot more real. Do you think that version of you back then would be surprised by the path that you've taken now? I was actually talking to my mom recently about this. I don’t think young me would be surprised by where and who I am today at all. Because growing up, I knew, deep down, that I was special in many ways, but I did not know how to communicate that. Because you're only special in relation to something else, right? It's almost like you need funnels or channels to discover what that thing you’re special in is. For Ronaldo, he’s special because he's insanely good at football, right? For me, I didn't know what that was. I didn't have anything that I was spectacularly great at. In many ways, I still do not. I think, of course, that's changed from where I was, because I'm in a different place now. But the Kennedy of fifteen years ago would not be surprised at all by who I am now. I think he’ll probably just be surprised by the realisation that everything I wanted to do when I was young, being a glorious person who people know, love and respect, actually doesn’t mean very much.

How did growing up in Calabar shape your academic journey? So my mom just taught me at home until I was three. Then I started nursery one. So I think that’s where it really started. A lot of the things I have always known, I learnt from my mom. Even things as natural as words. My mom used to just read a lot; it was a hobby of hers. She's very smart, honestly. I think everyone would say that about their mom, but it's not true every time. With my mum though, it's so true. So I learnt a lot from her. I think that was the cradle for my educational journey moving forward. I was always the youngest person in my class and that endured until I went to grad school. But growing up in Calabar, in so many ways, shaped my education as an individual. I just don't think it's about formal or informal education, but growing up in a small town like Calabar, there are very few things competing for your attention. Your attention in very many ways can be controlled by your parents and your school. It's the exposure your parents

I don’t think young me would be surprised by where and who I am today at all

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Kenga: want you to have, that you truly have. It’s the friends that your parents want you to have, that you truly get to have. I think that's a good thing. I still think Calabar is a really great place to raise kids just because, as opposed to a megacity like Lagos, there's very little that is competing for the attention of children. And when you had an interest, you could truly focus and double down on that because there was very little else to do anyway. You just had to pick a productive interest. I think that's very useful. The mental solitude that comes from being in a place like Calabar even allowed me to overestimate what my peers in other parts of the country and other parts of the world were doing. Because I felt that since I lived in this small town, I had to read through as many books as I could because I could only imagine how much more that people in other parts of the country were doing. Very interesting! Now, I’m curious to know what you took from your philosophy undergrad degree into your entrepreneurial journey and in crafting who you are as a founder? In some way, I think the most important skill philosophy bequeaths you with is the ability to think from first principles. That changed every aspect of my life, from academics to work to friendships. Truly thinking from best principles adjusts even how you think about yourself. While there are no specific philosophers I am guided by, I think being able to, from a very young age, be exposed to opposing thoughts of different people across the broad sweep of history and how they evolved allowed me to start to think critically. It’s the most important part that carries on to business. It allowed me to start to think very foundationally

cover Story because philosophy was the birthplace of the knowledge systems that we have in the world today. Those knowledge systems went on to inform how the biggest empires in this industry were built. For us in Nigeria in this time and place, what philosophy should be guiding how we build our civilization? Asking questions like that has made me a better person. I think that's probably what philosophy did the most for me. It was less about the content of the literature of any specific philosopher, but more about the questions it taught me to start asking about everything. How exactly did you come up with

the idea for Kippa? Few Gen Zs would think about bookkeeping when considering startup ideas to pursue. So, my brother and I had created a software startup before Kippa. We helped early stage companies in the U.S. hire software engineers from Nigeria. We did that for a while, but we knew that we could be doing something different, more important, that was at the same size as our potential. And, honestly, we just did not enjoy the BTB sales very much. It would have been a turbo uphill battle spending years and years doing that. We had to figure out what new ideas to work on. We have this master

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Kenga:

We knew we could be doing something different, more important spreadsheet where, I promise you, any idea you could come up with was probably listed. Of course, many of them were not very useful, so we distilled the list to about ten ideas. The goal was that we were going togive ourselves three to four weeks to work on each of them and see how it goes while doing a ton of user research. Kippa was the second idea. The first one we considered building was a customer communications platform for businesses. We did quite a ton of research on it, but the feedback we got from those user interviews now guided us in the direction of Kippa. So how did the business take off from an idea to a multi-million dollar startup? I remember one morning, Duke and I were walking to the gym. He was like: “Well, look at these businesses. We could do bookkeeping for them. There are products like this that I've seen in Indonesia and India, and they’re doing really well.” I was like: “Well, come on. No business person will enter their record on an app after every sale. This is such a stupid idea. Don't mention it again.” We didn't go back to that idea for another three and a half weeks, something like that. We picked up a different idea, and were working on that until we decided to revisit the bookkeeping idea. We said, let's spend time now travelling, going out and figuring out if

cover Story this makes sense or not. We're living in Uyo at the time, and we thought that since Aba was very close, Onitsha was very close. Calabar, where we grew up was very close, we could easily go to all of these places. So we went talking to merchants, talking to business owners, and spending a lot of time in our area market. It took us two months to do that. After that, I was like “Guys, let's go out, let's do this. Let's spend three weeks building MVP. I'm excited by it.” And that's how we started building Kippa. What really helped us take off was alongside while we were building the MVP for Kippa, like, writing the code and everything, I came up with this idea that we can actually create a community out of businesspeople and start to provide them with business tips. For other startup founders, there's lots of knowledge sources: investors, Y Combinator, and so on that provided confidence that it was a really great idea because

We raised our pre-seed round with just the waitlist…400 beta users. That was it of all the demand we had generated. I mean, we raised our pre-seed round with just the waitlist. We had about 400 beta users. That was it. But we raised a great pre-seed round at a great valuation with great investors. That's what helped us take off and that's how Kippa was born.

How differently do your Gen Z users engage with the Kippa product and brand in comparison to your older users?

Yeah, we have more older business owners using Kippa than younger ones, because it just mirrors the fact that there are more older people who own businesses. However, a lot of our top power users and a great number of them are under 30, some of them running businesses for their parents or with their parents. One of the most important distinguishing characteristics I've noticed among our younger Gen Z users is that they tend to be our strongest early adopters. Like if we launch a new feature, they use it first, they give us feedback first and they are very willing to try new things. I think a lot of them are more open to selling online a lot more than the brick and mortar stores. I think that engineers a significant degree of flexibility in their willingness to adopt Kippa products. I enjoy that very much. Wow! Most people tend to be scared of starting businesses with friends or family, but you’ve gone on your founder journey twice with your brother as your co-founder each time. Tell me more about how that experience has been for you. Yeah, it's been incredible. I think one thing about Kippa is we move fast. I think everyone knows and recognizes that in the system. I probably think the reason why we have that reputation is because I'm building this with Duke, my brother. We already have a lot of context and understanding about each other, so it's easier to communicate and to give feedback. We have very similar levels of taste when it comes to talent quality, culture, and what we're

I'm building this with Duke, my brother

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Kenga: trying to build. Across all those levels, there’s just so much synergy. It helps to have someone who you trust deeply. Like, this is more than money, honestly. This is more than making a quick buck. It’s more about going and making meaning of our potential. It feels like we're doing that together. So it's been incredibly meaningful. If I were to build something again, I hope I can do that with Duke. Amazing! In the past year and a half, your startup has raised about 10 million dollars from top global investors. What are you guys building with that? Yeah, I think a lot of people feel like Kippa is just a bookkeeping app, right? But we're way beyond that. The roadmap we are building for the future exceeds that. We started out with the bookkeeping app and for products like that, of course, a lot of spend has to go into marketing, into distributing the product. Especially for us, especially with the newly announced seed round, we're now starting to build financial services. We have a licence from the Central Bank.

Yeah,… people feel like Kippa is just a bookkeeping app, right? We are now regulated by the Central Bank because we now have the minimum capitalisation threshold a regulated entity has to have. There's a lot of required spend for a business like ours. We're making an investment, we're building structure into some hardware for our merchants. So, I mean, for a company

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Kippa is successful when the status quo has meaningfully shifted and people are running their businesses software-first that's building for small businesses at scale, I still think about us as very undercapitalised, especially when you think about us in relation to global benchmarks. We're still very undercapitalised. We do expect and we know that for whoever is going to ultimately win this in the emerging markets, an insane amount of capital has to go into actually acquiring users because, fundamentally, what you're changing is the culture here. For Kippa to win, there has to be a lot of user education. Kippa is successful when the status quo has meaningfully shifted and people are running their businesses software-first and are a lot more digitised in their operations than they were before. I think spending money to do that is necessary, especially in this market that we’re in. That makes a lot of sense. I’d like to shift the conversation towards fashion a bit. Considering tech personalities like you are now becoming cultural figures, how do you see startup founders shifting fashion culture in Africa in the way people like Paystack co-founder Ezra Olubi continues to do with his unique androgynous style? Because a lot of African startup culture increasingly stems from Silicon Valley, we’re now starting to see a new wave of African founders.

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Kenga:

cover Story The Western founders who started this culture now take health and physical looks a lot more seriously like Mark Zuckerberg and Bezos. Sam Altman, former president of YCombinator, is buff now from being a lanky, skinny kid and wearing dad glasses. That's where things are shifting to. When you look at how the impact other industries have had on fashion, I think one very notable one is sports, right? Wearing Air Force 1s and wearing basketball outfits, or baseball outfits in the US, are now fashion statements. Even the military fashion is now in, where wearing cargo pants, camouflage and military-type outfits and now fashion statements. I feel like there's a lot that tech can do as well in fashion, but tech is harder because tech is any and every industry amalgamated into one. There's one trend that I'm excited to see start to unfold, and that’s wearables. Most of our glasses, wristwatches, headphones, all of those have gotten very smart, right? But the other pieces we wear aren’t yet smart. A world where we can infuse technology to make smart pieces, similar to what we've done with almost every other fashion item that we wear. I know lots of R&D is going into that, and some of that is actually already on the market, but it's definitely not mainstream yet. Another thing is also that now is such a perfect time for the infusion of NFTs into clothing. There's absolutely no reason why I shouldn't be wearing a custom piece with an NFT that I own that is barcode-scannable that everyone who sees me can scan and, maybe, bid for it. I think that's where things are going. We're going to continue to see development and adoption of new fashion from ‘tech bros’. The last thing I'll say on this is that for a lot of tech founders, building their companies is just an

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Kenga: expression of their personhood. For example, I'm someone who would take risks, would leave my job, would do whatever I want to do because I'm starting that company. I’d want to start to see this same spirit with how young people approach fashion. Like, do whatever you want and don’t confine your fashion to borders. Let's see more fashion creativity and let's create a tech industry where, even as a CEO, I can actually go into a meeting with the Central Bank of a country with my ears pierced and my hair braided and it’s fine. And things like this are fine now. Young African tech founders have pushed the boundaries on a lot of things. We're challenging ageism, we're challenging how ‘responsible children’ should look. We're challenging all that. Fashion is what we need to make this statement more and more. And speaking of the fashion pieces themselves, are there any pieces of company merch that you think tech startups should zero in on to align with the times? VR glasses are very cool, for sure. I do think there's a lot of opportunity there. It's something that requires a lot of technical expertise to build and execute on that scale and make for a mass audience. That's something I'm personally very intrigued and excited about. I feel like there's also an opportunity with new hire swag. Like, you know how when you join a tech company, you get the merch kit: a shirt, a hoodie, and so on? I think we can switch that up. College varsitythemed jackets, for example, were made popular by Pharrell Williams in the 2000s, right? Now it's a mainstream fashion item. I think we should actually start to do that with the swag items we give out to our employees when they join and even

cover Story how we think about that. We should revolutionise—and I hate to use that word— but we should do that with our merch swag, making them trendsetting fashion pieces. I’m with you on that, tbh. Now, the next thing that I want to talk about is travel. They say travel expands our mind and our perspectives. As a well-travelled young person, how have your travels shaped who you are, in terms of your personality and how you see the world? Traveling has been very phenomenal. The first time I went outside of Nigeria was when I was 16. Travelling not for vacation, but to compete. My first trip was to compete with other young people at a debate competition. That was eight years ago, so I've travelled a lot since then. Because of how education-heavy a lot of my travel has been, it's done very much to shape my emotional and cultural quotient. I think it made me do the ‘tummy-tucking’ that was necessary to let go of all of the excesses that come with the mental limitations— which we have in leaps and bounds— that come with being Nigerian. Traveling also allowed me to meet people from very different countries and different cultures from a very young age. I think that has continued to stay with me, and influences how I think about culture and about building relationships with people. It has also just made me a better, prouder Nigerian. I think, at the end of the day, the more you travel, the more you discover yourself and the more you realise who you truly are. I think it's made me a lot prouder of my Nigerian identity. I think there are things that are unique to me, that are unique to my personality that stem from my being Nigerian. I'm now able to take that to the global marketplace

It has also just made me a better, prouder Nigerian

and interact with those people, with a lot of people who I’ve met and I've worked with. I think when they think about Nigerians and they remember me, they think about Nigerians in a very good way. I think that's a good thing. That's a net good thing for our culture. Travel really helps me relax, honestly. I will continue to do more travel to continue to learn more about other cultures. As you should. But do you have a favourite destination yet? Where would that be, and why? Yeah. I went to Bogota in Colombia when I was 18. It's my favourite travel experience. I was there for a weekend. That's very crazy. Every night on the random night, you have an average of two fights break out at the bar when you're just drinking. I was drawn to that. I loved that. I think that’s also probably because it was one of my first non-work trips. I went for a conference, but the conference was like 2 hours, and 18 hours of the day was partying. The memory still holds very true to me and it's my favourite travel experience I've had. But maybe this is just me overestimating how exciting those previous experiences were, but it's still my favourite travel experience. They say nostalgia has a way of warping our recollection of past events. This may or may not be

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Kenga:

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that, but it’s a fun story nonetheless. Who wouldn't love an experience where they partied for 18 hours? Right? As a Gen Z founder yourself, what has been your biggest lesson so far about building a business while young? One thing I've learnt is truly, deeply trusting your gut. It's something that has been refined for very long. The advantage of being a young founder is that you've not dived into any particular culture yet. You're still fresh, you can choose what makes sense and you choose what to prioritise. That newness and the openness for fresh ideas that comes with it is an advantage. I posted something on my Instagram the other day that said: “The thing that made you weird as a kid would make you great as an adult if you don't lose it.” I think, for a young founder, you’re more likely to still have touch with those things that made you weird as a kid. Now, in this time for building, bring all of that to the fore and watch how much of it becomes a strength for you. Also, accumulate as little psychological debt as possible by spending time doing the things that truly excite you. But also realise that, at some point, your work is not going to make you happy. No matter how mission-driven your work is, it's not going to be exciting all the time. You're not going to wake up every morning and it excites you. We’ve been lied to. I just trust myself now to define what it means for me to be a founder, where I spend my time, and what I do with it. I just trust that Kennedy will be fine. Like, I've had a very short life. I'm 24. The rest of my life will be fine. Just pushing things not from a scarcity mentality, or a place of fear or paranoia, but just going all in and trusting that, in the end, you'll be good.

Thank you so much for your time, your story, and your wisdom, Kennedy. Thank you, Arinze.

Credit : Brian Kivuti

Kenga:

How Livestreaming

Changed My Life by Nneka Zara Obi Credit: Nana Asomani

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Kenga:

ive-streaming came to me at a very crucial time in my life. I had just finished serving and spending about seven months

back home with my family. In that year, 2020, when COVID-19 hit Nigeria like a bomb, I couldn’t get a job because most companies were not hiring at the time, and most were even laying off their staff. The only jobs available to me at the time had very low paychecks, so that was very discouraging as well. I was stuck at home, depressed and sometimes considering death as an easier way out as my mum constantly reminded me how much of a disgrace I am, and how I can’t make anything meaningful for myself. I am the first of two kids, and my younger brother was doing so much better than me. At the time he was working full time with Facebook and earning in 7 figures, but I barely had a naira to my name. It was very hard dealing with all that. Being basically trapped indoors during lockdown, I couldn’t even go out or anything. Thankfully, the lockdown eased a bit after a while, so that’s when I downloaded Tinder, where I met a girl who told me about livestreaming as a profession. She had come to Enugu from Lagos, and was staying with a friend who was a rookie livestreamer herself. This friend of hers had also just heard about it and was starting to try it out. One day, I went to visit them and I got some more tips on how livestreaming on Bigo Live works. Apparently, there was a monthly ‘bean’ target and an hour target which were both meant to be completed by the end of the month. Later that day, I went back home and started right away. I was meant to join a livestreaming agency

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For the first time in my life, I felt confident and proud of myself and get auditioned to start earning money as a paid Bigo Live host. I did that that very night. My audition was a blast, I even made some new friends and got some gifts. My agent was so impressed and they were all celebrating me on the agency’s WhatsApp group chat. For the first time in my life, I felt confident and proud of myself. I finally felt like I belonged. Now, the only thing standing in my way was to leave my mother’s house and be somewhere more convenient, away from the emotional stress that comes with living with parents as an adult. This was important to me because I knew that livestreaming was a career that couldn’t be done successfully if one wasn’t in a serene environment, without any distractions or background noise. I obviously didn’t have that. My mum, brother and I were living in a onebedroom apartment, so I knew I had to leave if I was going to make this work. So in October of 2020, I left Enugu for Abuja. There, I stayed with my mum’s childhood friend who looked after me and gave me enough free time to livestream. But I did not start streaming immediately when I got to Abuja. Instead, I used the month of October to search for an actual job, because everyone around me kept hounding me about how I needed a professional job. Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything substantial, so I borrowed some money from my

brother to purchase a ring light, a livestreaming essential, and, on 1 November 2020, I started streaming on Bigo Live. That month, I made the most money I’d ever made in my whole life. It was over 200,000 naira. I was so happy and proud of myself. In December, I also made the same amount. At that point, I had started saving and preparing to move out of my mum’s friend’s house, which I did in February 2021. By April, I had become a fulltime livestreamer, and I was earning six figures in naira every month. Sometime around July of that same year, I made my first million naira. From then till now, my journey has been so rewarding and fulfilling. I now have my own agency that employs about 100 hosts. I have also been able to build a vast network that stretches into so many different continents. Livestreaming is an exciting world of its own. You will meet all sorts of people from all over the world, good, bad, and weird. The people who support livestreaming hosts’ are called ‘gifters’. The more active and consistent you are as a host, the more fans and gifters you’ll get. You earn from gifts received by people who love your content and perhaps want to be friends with you. These gifters are simply normal people like you and me. Only difference is that they’ve got money to spend and they’re bored, which is generally the case for most people on social media. However, as rewarding as livestreaming is, it has its hurdles. It can be very difficult forging real friendships with the people you meet online or even your fellow

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Kenga: livestreamers because most people want to make money and get ahead, so there’s very little team spirit in the Livestreaming types also vary. They include gaming, talent shows, social events, virtual parties, and of course, sex. You get to choose which of these livestreaming types you subscribe to or create for. Over the years, I’ve learnt that not a lot of people can be a livestreamer because, as flexible as it is, you still end up working for almost 24 hours a day. And if you can’t be disciplined to sit for long periods, you might not be successful. In livestreaming, every second counts. Every minute you spend off your live is time you could’ve used to make a huge sum of money. Sometimes, you might be live for about 8 hours, but nothing is happening. So you’ll then decide to go offline, just when a potential ‘gifter’ comes online. You’ll end up missing gifts and a different broadcaster would most likely get the gift instead. So there’s the constant feeling of FOMO that comes with being a professional livestreamer. We are always told that one of the best times to stream in Nigeria is in the middle of the night, which is evening time for US viewers and others on the eastern part of the Greenwich Meridian, who are probably just getting back from work and looking for some entertainment. So basically it’s important to feel confident and disciplined as a livestreamer. Have a time schedule for when you’ll be live and when you’ll be off and stick to it. This also helps your gifters have a road map of when you’ll be on, so they’ll come look for you around that time. In life, you can’t have it all. So don’t let the FOMO deceive you into staying longer than necessary on your live and consequently draining

article yourself in such a way that reflects on your appearance. In livestreaming, appearance is everything. Livestreaming is here to stay, as there are several livestreaming and broadcasting apps coming up each day from LiveMe, PoppoLive, Likee, Bigo Live, Uplive, TikTok and others. In March, Bigo Live brought a new salary system to the African region that was just too poor for me to continue streaming on the application. So in April I migrated to Uplive where I’ve become even more successful than I was on Bigo.

Today, I own a successful livestreaming agency on Uplive, I’m 25, and I’m a millionaire.

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Credit: Nana Asomani

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Therap_E Virtual Therapists as the Future of Mental Health for Afro Gen Zs. written by: Nkechi Anyanwu Credit: Nana Asomani

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article an you see me?” She could definitely see me. The app made sure

of that. This was simply my attempt at controlling the very new and vulnerable situation I had put myself in—talking to a random human on the internet about my problems. I had never gone through therapy before, talk less of virtual therapy. This had been a last-ditch effort to save what was left of my sanity. As an investment banker, work is rather intense, to say the least. I had done most of this job from my room during the height of the pandemic in 2020. I had returned to the office, and making the adjustment from being a university student to a fulltime working professional with no buffer time in between (thank you, pandemic) was proving to be a beast of its own. Months later, a trip back to Nigeria for ”Detty December 2021” helped me accept that I needed to seek professional help regarding several issues not excluding my career. I then returned home to London, convinced I was going to get a therapist that would sit me in a chair and listen to me drone on. Reality kicked in when I realised the same job that I needed to seek therapy for was going to be a hindrance in receiving said therapy. Appointment slots were either only available during my working hours, or my ideal therapists already had month-long waitlists. There was no real way for me to decide that I wanted therapy and then get instant access to it without having to pay through my teeth. Enter online therapy. Better still, enter BetterHelp. As your average digitally-native

Gen Z, ’m very open to exploring new ways of accessing services on the internet. I had been using Headspace, a mobile meditation app, since my first internship in 2018. I only got to hear about BetterHelp in late 2021. The app had gained popularity during the anxiety-ridden pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 to the extent that when my friends began suggesting I seek professional help, they suggested BetterHelp first. “Everyone needs therapy”. “There’s nothing wrong with seeking professional help”. “Sometimes you need to step out of your situation to get answers to it”. Their compassionate encouragement was everything I needed to open myself up to this new concept of virtual therapy. I finally joined BetterHelp in January 2022, created my profile, and was able to request a therapist who specialises in helping people moving or living away from home while making career adjustments. In a few hours, I was matched with a specialist who actually met all the requirements I’d communicated to BetterHelp. I was finally ready to begin this journey. Over the next few weeks, we unpacked a range of personal issues that were simply manifestations of the deep angst I felt about starting life as an adult and being independent in ways I wasn’t entirely sure I was ready for. Three months later, those therapy sessions helped me feel much more empowered to be a more involved participant in charting the course of my own life. With the steady and compassionate help of my therapist, I was able to uncover a variety of limiting beliefs that had hounded my daily experience and manifested in various ways. I had developed compassion for myself, and as a result I felt lighter, more positive, and willing to do the

work to achieve the life I wanted. The best thing about this? I got to do it from the comfort of my bedroom. How different would I have expected an in-person therapy session to go? Well, for starters, I would have expected to search extensively for a therapist experienced in the specific areas I needed help with (which were a whole lot). I would have most likely taken too much time researching the ‘perfect therapist’ that I may not have ended up getting started therapy at all. Online therapy sites solve this issue by consolidating a wide range of therapists from many areas of expertise, all discoverable with just a few search keywords and search filters. With BetterHelp, choosing my therapist was only a matter of comparing and it was also easy to switch to another therapist whenever I wanted. I really liked how the app seemed to be structured in such a way that you could end your therapy at any time, without having to have an anxiety-inducing discussion with your therapist. The increase in the use and availability of virtual mental health services was accelerated by the pandemic. Suddenly, to so many people staying at home, getting therapy over the internet didn’t seem too dystopian. It allowed people to get much-needed mental and psychological help on their own schedule. As a Gen Z woman, I think I’m more open to receiving online mental health support digitally than most people older than me. Having grown up around technology and the internet, this concept of sharing my life story with therapy-licensed strangers on the internet felt sort of natural. In fact, I honestly don’t think I needed the COVID pandemic as a catalyst

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In a time when everyone basically lives on their phones, this feels natural and expected towards digital therapy. I have come to appreciate that in the natural progression of services digitisation, we have enabled greater access to mental health services. In a time when everyone basically lives on their phones, this feels natural and expected. One major drawback of online therapy is the perceived lack of physical presence which gives people a real sense that someone is there listening attentively and probing compassionately. Sometimes, you don’t just want a listening ear, and you also don’t want to sit in silence trying to focus on your breath while low-key fighting the sexual tension between you and sleep. Sometimes, you need a physically present therapist, someone seated across or beside you to physically comfort you if you break down while being therapised, instead of a face on a screen looking back at you with sympathetic eyes, helpless in their eagerness to give you a hug or pass you a tissue if only they were there with you. I won’t lie, it felt a bit silly, crying into a webcam, then reaching out to adjust it so she could see my face properly. For some of my issues, a listening ear, not a microphone, was what was needed. A steady and felt presence can be grounding. I would also imagine leaving my default environment to go into a neutral zone that inspired none of my anxieties would have helped a

article lot with the therapeutic process. That being said, the many ways that technology is helping to democratise access to quality mental health support through apps like Headspace, BetterHelp, Calm, and others is creating a healthier world by making it easier for people like me to receive help. For example, I appreciated being able to shoot my therapist a quick text or a voice note when things became a bit too loud, too imposing, or too chaotic. She would respond usually the next day with some guiding points to think about or work on. With a physical therapist, being able to contact outside of our scheduled meetings would not be a given. I would have had to wait for my next session, however many weeks into the future it is, to be able to offload. Those impromptu rant sessions really helped with the brain dump necessary for me to organise the murky pool of issues swirling in my head into neat Excel sheets and move on with clarity. Online therapy presents an opportunity to support overstretched public health systems while helping to create happier and mentally healthier communities. These new offerings are consumer-friendly and acknowledge the fact that a lot of people looking for help will not go much further if there are too many barriers. During the same time I was signing up for BetterHelp, I had reached out to the NHS for therapy and got put on a waitlist. Only 3 months later did I finally get a call to schedule my first appointment, after I had ended my Betterhelp sessions. This is not to knock the NHS that is clearly being stretched, but in the event that my mental crisis was timesensitive, I would not have been able to access critical help.

While I can confidently say online therapy helped me and I believe most people, if not everyone, needs therapy, I also believe timing is important. Not everyone is ready or open to accessing mental health support services, for a variety of reasons including the stigma around needing these services. Online mental health products like BetterHelp allow people to be ready whenever they want, and receive help on their own schedule. I’ll close with a few mental health tips for you, my fellow digital-native. (1) Be open. Whether you’re an avid user of online mental health support apps, or a complete novice, remain open. Be open to experiencing the vulnerability that can come with exploring your

Online therapy presents an opportunity to support overstretched public health systems own mind. This will help start the healing process. (2) Feel free to try different things: therapists, platforms, mindfulness techniques, etc. Explore the variety of support that exists. Don’t be afraid to change to an alternative if you feel something isn’t working. There’s no universal approach to getting mental support. (3) Give it time. I would suggest you commit to a method for atleast a month, see how it feels, then give it another month. Lasting changes regarding our mental states come with time. I wish you all the best in your journey.

Credit: Caleb Oheneba

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Derrick

Augmented Reality and the Future of Shopping

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Ikenga

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DERRICK IKENGA is an XR product specialist, reality scientist, and founder of Euphoria Labs. He creates digital experiences and products that push the boundaries of the physical limitations of shopping by applying augmented reality (AR), social commerce, and metaverse technologies. In our conversation, he shares his thoughts on the promise of AR commerce for Afro Gen Z shoppers.

ARINZE: Rapid fire. Cartooon Network or Nickelodeon?

Why do you think Gen Zs in Africa should care about AR?

DERRICK: Nickelodeon all the way

I might sound like a broken record on this but I wholeheartedly believe Africa has the most to gain from AR and this has been a major driver in my work. For most of the world, access to resources is what determines your quality of life and work. If you go to a good school, you’re very likely to have a good job. If you learn from the best teachers, you’ll be an amazing student. Before the internet, a lot of us young people in Africa would have been doomed to learning from outdated books and frustrated teachers which would only lead to us being terrible students and having a terrible life overall. Now thanks to the internet, I've been able to pick up skills faster than in my five years in university and I can earn comfortably from the knowledge I acquired myself. This is the same for many young Africans. We’ve become software engineers, product designers, digital writers, and content creators but there’s still a gap. Only information-based resources can be shared on the internet. Fields like medicine, engineering, geography, and other ‘physical-based’ fields tend to suffer from neglect, and AR can help a lot in this scope. We can now create simulations of these fields and get them to anyone in the world as if we’re having the same experience. But even aside from the technical parts of it, there’s the fun exciting side too which we’ve seen a lot of Gen Z creators use AR in the form of AR filters. We now have content creators creating amazing content on TikTok

What was your favourite cartoon growing up and why? Definitely Jimmy Neutron, for some reason I could relate with him all the time. Just like Jimmy, I’ll create experiments to make sense of the world that no one around me seemed to understand. I actually learned a lot from him about being original while weird. To what extent would you say those cartoons you watched inspire the AR concepts you design? Cartoons and animations generally represent the idea of a digital world where everything is possible and I believe most AR, VR, 3D, and metaverse creators were inspired by this. In this animated world, we create characters that we love and every character is able to achieve whatever they want—dreaming about flying? Create a Jetpack that can take you anywhere. Wanna go to Mars? Build a spaceship and take all your friends with you. These kinds of ideas made me appreciate the possibilities of the world while actively questioning my reality. My favourite episodes are usually when a real-life character enters the digital world through the TV and navigates all the amazing possibilities. They play a very important role in my life and I still actively watch them find inspiration.

and Instagram utilising these filters on their own to make almost proper production-ready content with the help of AR. So many people tend to confuse AR and VR, and sometimes use them interchangeably. Help us settle this. How are they different? AR and VR utilise digital content to influence our reality so it’s understandable why they are confusing. The simplest way to think about it is this: in AR, digital content is overlaid on the real world so it gives the illusion that it’s interacting with your space while in VR, a physical person is immersed in the digital content so it gives the illusion that you’re inside the digital space. What are some of the applications of augmented reality that you're most excited about? I’ve experimented a lot with different fields in AR—education, hospitality, shopping, content, and, recently, the metaverse. I’m most interested in the fashion, shopping, and content spaces because I understand the huge impact it has on how we

We’ve seen a lot of Gen Z creators use AR in the form of AR filters.

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Kenga: express ourselves and I believe AR is our one true solution for full selfexpression across the world. It also leads to high conversions and engagements for businesses when done right. With so much talk on AR commerce as a growing fad, especially among Gen Z shoppers, how exactly is AR changing how we shop? AR and commerce are a match made in heaven. For a long time, consumers have had to rely on generic product reviews or visit a retail shop in order to shop exactly what they love. This has led to a lot of inefficiencies over the years with poor conversion rates and high return rates for businesses. With AR, we’ve created solutions that allow consumers to try products before buying them and get personalised reviews from family and friends which leads to an amazing customer experience. This is a winwin for both the customers and the businesses. We’ve even gone the extra step further to create new experiences where businesses can test whether a product would be loved by the customers using just the 3D model without creating the physical version of the product. This has helped reduce wastage and improve the decision-making processes of businesses. We’ve also recently started experimenting with marketing products through AR and Content creators so products can get reviews without even being shipped. This is just the beginning and there are a lot more use cases to come. There's debate about whether AR yields actual returns or is just another customer experience gimmick. What's your position on this?

Feature I know for a fact that AR yields profits because I’ve built multiple experiences solving a major problem for businesses which helps them connect with their audiences in new ways while reducing losses and increasing customer engagements without physical products. We’ve seen conversion rates rise to as much as 300% for products with AR experiences. People just feel they understand a product a lot more after experiencing it in an AR environment. But do you really think we’ll ever get to the point where AR commerce is the default? What would hold us back from such a reality? Just like how e-commerce and AR commerce will become a norm, the major drawback right now is the challenge of creating realistic 3D models of products and deploying those experiences across multiple consumer channels. There aren’t enough solutions to do these and this is why we’re building the Euphoria Engine. With our solution, any business can import their products and deploy AR experiences across Instagram, Snapchat, Tiktok, and their Websites. Just like how Shopify made it simple and straightforward to set up an eCommerce site, the euphoria engine would make it easy to create AR commerce experiences. Also, a lot of Gen Zs are aware of AR

People just feel they understand a product a lot more after experiencing it in an AR environment

and would demand it a lot more from brands in the years to come. People won’t want to buy products they’ve not tried in AR and this would be the tipping point. What have you learned about the promise of AR studios in Africa from your time building Euphoria Labs? There’s been a rise of recognition for AR studios in Africa since the year started. At Euphoria Labs, we’ve been lucky to get hosted by Meta and other players in the space. There’s a growing community of XR creators and a lot of studios are beginning to take off. We’ll see a lot more local use cases and projects continue as devices head in that direction with the release of the Apple and Meta AR headsets coming out in the next 2 years.

Credit: Caleb Oheneba

Credit: Nana Kwado TK

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Garnett

Achieng

Building a Safer Internet for Minorities

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GARNETT ACHIENG is a 25-year-old Kenyan storyteller, researcher, and life-long learner working as a Product Policy Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok. Her research focuses on the effects of technology on society, specifically on its gendered aspects. In this exclusive conversation with Kenga, she talks about her journey into technology policy and shares some thoughts on how technologists can build with safety in mind.

ARINZE: Random start, but what’s your favorite food?

GARNETT: Definitely love chapati and beans, and of course, pilau. I’m a chapati stan too! Are these the types of foods you’d prefer to order in or prepare yourself? When I am in Kenya, I do not cook for myself. But when I’m anywhere else, I don’t trust anyone to make Kenyan food to my liking, so I cook my own food. As a very picky eater, I am very protective over how my food tastes haha. As you should be! Okay, enough about food lol. I’m getting hungry. How did you get started in tech with a humanities degree? I started out as a Global Challenges major at the African Leadership University, ALU. I always knew I had interests in technology, specifically the human side, because of my interests in online movement building, especially since there was a wave of pan-African online movements led by African feminists. Because my degree was self-led, I was able to tailor and craft my learning around these interests. I studied feminist organising online, and it led me to learning more about internet challenges like shutdowns, censorship, the digital divide, disinformation, and online harassment. My thesis was on gendered online violence on Kenyan Twitter. I always knew I wanted to tackle issues arising from the collision of tech with our societies, and that

led to me taking on my most transformational role, as a Data & Digital Rights Researcher at Pollicy. I am very vocal on the need for more Africans to take on the many human challenges caused by technology and innovation. While people are working on these challenges globally, Africans and African governments are missing in this space, yet we have so much to say as most global internet challenges first manifest in markets like ours, then are later exported to the so called advanced societies. This is something that people may not be fully aware of. I’m curious about your current job. What do you actually do as a product policy manager at TiKTok? I work on keeping users on the continent safe. That means looking at the content produced in the region and assessing if it is safe to stay up. You’ve done extensive research on internet safety and online gendered violence. What’s your most interesting finding so far? I think “interesting” may not be the word to describe the findings. I’d use “worrying” instead. Or “alarming”. Those would be more fitting. Anyway, there are more and more ways to

My thesis was on gendered online violence on Kenyan Twitter

harass and violate women online, and they are evolving everyday. And because of society’s general neglect and minimisation of women and LGBTQIA+ people, because this is not important on people’s agendas, the internet, more so open internet platforms, are less and less conducive for their participation. And while GBV is still sadly part of our society, many people say that tech spaces just mimic this. However, it is different as tech amplifies and scales these forms of abuse. Because of factors such as anonymisation , decentralisation, demonetisation, and the networked nature of technology, abuse that is facilitated by tech is more insidious. However, I am glad that the work of activists has gotten to policymakers ears, as the African Union recently Why do you think internet safety is now such a priority for Gen Zs? There’s a clear shift from engaging with public facing platforms like Twitter to more intimate spaces like Be Real and close friends on Instagram. People no longer want to talk to everyone, as was with the earlier phases of the internet, and it’s partly because of online harassment and the invasiveness of strangers and trolls. People are becoming more aware of how much is at stake with sharing information to very public domains. I think Rex Woodbury talks of this shift into more intimate internet spaces. Gen Zs think being public on the internet is cringey, with the obvious exception of TikTok. I think they’re also just tired of unwanted

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Kenga: interactions. What are some of the dangerous online behaviours we’ve normalised that you think are actually low-key problematic? More like high key haha. Taking videos of unsuspecting subjects in public spaces. Making comments on people’s bodies on the internet. Coordinated doxxing by stan accounts. Sharing live locations. Oop! I think a lot of people are on that table. Now, Let’s talk about bots. When we think of social media bots, we often think semiharmless spam accounts. But what’s their real threat, especially to women and other minorities? The bot conversation is always a bit philosophical for me. But the Microsoft bot case and this case where people were making AI girlfriends and abusing them can show a picture of how bots can be weaponized if they are trained on misogynistic content. These cases show that the problem still remains with how training of bots is done. Currently bots are trained on large amounts of data that are publicly available on the internet. This becomes a gender issue because publicly available data includes lots of misogynistic material, and even pornography. As bots learn how to respond based on such data, there’s a propensity for the responses to be steeped in misogyny and expose misogynistic patterns that engineers may not even be able to uncover. Garbage in, garbage out.

Do you think the internet is becoming safer or more dangerous for minorities?

Feature Definitely not safer. But I do think this is mimicking the anti-women, antiLGBTQIA, anti-black age we’re in. But I am hopeful, as many many organisations and people within tech companies are working to enhance their safety. With all the talk about the metaverse, how do you suggest technologists build for safety with such new technologies? They should build in safety from the start, and test out different ways the metaverse could be used for harm, waay before launches. And not just adding safety-guards after seeing misuse cases arising.

Credit: Gus Sarkodee

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MPESA & Bank Apps It’s always so much easier to make payments on my phone because it allows me to move around without carrying any cash. My phone is all I need, even if I leave my wallet—which I often forget...

Uber By now, it is time to leave the house, so I call an Uber. It’s the quickest and least stressful form of commute. They’re usually 2-4 minutes away, and my work location of the day is never too far, so it remains affordable for me.

WhatsApp My preferred app for work chat. I’ll probably, at this point, check any messages that have been sent regarding the day’s activities on my team’s WhatsApp group. Having that demarcation for the different communication channels is so peaceful. All that’s left is for me to figure out how to move my family Whatsapp group to iMessage.

Spotify I can’t listen to music in the shower for some reason. I struggle, except in exceptional situations. So I shower silently and probably listen to podcasts while I get ready. That said, I know from my diverse sample of Gen Z friends that most people have music going from the moment they wake up! I mean, life is a party, after all. Why not?

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written by: Kena Kamau

Instagram There’s something comforting about ‘scroll therapy’ when the day gets rough or dull. Sometimes you need to flip through people’s Stories or watch a couple of Reels to ease the mind. In between my day, I find myself taking small social media breaks mid-conversation or even in between tasks. There’s something very calming about it; maybe it’s because I associate it with being calm in general. Who knows?

Notion This is where I do my planning, so all my to-do lists and planning work are usually on here, and I’ll likely be switching between Notion and a bunch of other apps while I tick things off that list. Cheers to a productive queen!

Google Suite Once I get to work, I am on Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, or Google Sheets all day. We love a collaborative workspace you can access from either or all of your devices simultaneously!

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A Day in the Life of a Kenyan Gen Z Through Apps

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Twitter Oh, the capital of toxicity and humour! The bird app is also part of my mid-day social media breaks, but I often go through it as I Uber back from work. That’s when you see all that has been happening throughout the day; you find trends you don’t have the context for and catch up on all the funny memes and videos. We all have those three-ish Twitter accounts that make our time on the app worth our while.

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My day ends.

YouTube: I watch YouTube again on my phone while in bed until my eyelids lose all strength to stay open or flutter.

Notion & Calendar I’m a relatively early sleeper, so by this time, I’m crashing. I wind down my day by looking at the plan for the next day and the tasks so that I can mentally organise my day ahead to know if I need to wake up early to plan for anything coming up later in the day.

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YouTube and all the social media sites Once I get back home, I’m in that limbo state of not being entirely cosy to watch longer-form things but still wanting to unwind a little. YouTube is perfect for this. At this time, I catch up on the vlogs I follow and other recommended videos. The YouTube recommendations are always so top-tier that they understand how to keep me there for hours! Naturally, this turns into a onehour-too-long YouTube break.

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An AI-augmented artwork

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An AI-augmented artwork

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Why We Need More Afro Gen Z Technologists in AI By: Benedict Quartey

s a PhD candidate at Brown University, I spend considerable amounts of time thinking about some of the

hardest unsolved problems in the human quest to create artificially intelligent agents, and I am genuinely excited about the future. Contrary to what it seems, none of this is totally new. Our desire to replicate the marvel of human intelligence dates back to ancient mythology, and there have even been significant welldocumented attempts in modern history. However, the chance alignment of knowledge, resources, computation ability and public interest makes our current era unique, and we may very well be on the cusp

of fashioning the ‘one ring to rule them all’. Don’t get me wrong, we are still a long way—a very long way— from creating truly intelligent agents. While we’ve had some interesting successes over the years, most of these systems have been very specialised and can only do one kind of task. I personally think a truly intelligent agent is one that is generally capable, an entity that does not just do one thing very well but can do or learn to do anything reasonably well. I also believe that such an agent should be one that is embodied, i.e. has a physical body and can directly affect the physical world. We are quite far from this lofty goal, but I am incredibly bullish on our

eventual success and the impact the progress we make along the way will have on solving the problems in our world. If you have been paying close “attention” to advances in artificial intelligence (AI), then you may have heard of ‘large language models’ (LLMs). These are systems that can solve a wide range of languagebased tasks and are trained on gigantic datasets scraped from multiple sources on the internet, like your tweets, Facebook posts, blogs, websites, Wikipedia, books, etc. You can imagine how such a dataset captures a wide breadth of knowledge. These large language

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models are currently state-of-the-art with the ability to translate between languages, answer questions, write entire movie plots, maintain realistic real-time conversations on various topics and even write code that solve problems you describe. This is a very big deal, something we could not do previously and pushes us closer to the ideal of generally capable agents that I spoke of. I mention LLMs to present some background on the kinds of things we can do today and hopefully illustrate the potential of these technologies, but I also bring it up to drive home a critical point on why I am concerned about the place of Africa in this new

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world. We spend enough time on the internet to know that it is neither a kind nor tame place. The massive data that give these language models the ability to encapsulate so many concepts, for better or worse, also expose them to the unfiltered human experience: our biases, negative ideas, and harmful rhetorics. Perhaps, you can guess where I am going with this: Who ensures that these systems do not inherit and propagate negative stereotypes from the data they are trained on? As part of my PhD program, I have gotten to attend several meetings and gatherings that discuss the

frontier of artificial intelligence. I must clarify that while these gatherings involve individuals from many other institutions, with one being a conference attended by hundreds of people, I’m consistently the only African at these gatherings. What place does a generation of young Africans have in this new world if there aren’t enough of us in the rooms where the digital future of the world is being created? Who ensures that these artificial intelligent systems of the future properly include and represent our diverse African cultures, our stories, and our history? Who ensures that

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Kenga: we are not discriminated against in a future where automated systems make increasingly important decisions that affect our lives? Who ensures that the problems that uniquely affect and plague us are studied by these new, powerful problem-solving systems? We need more Afro Gen Z technologists. As the future of the continent, if we are not in the room while these world-altering design decisions are being made, there’s a good chance we’ll end up inheriting an Africa that falls victim to the

article exploitative mechanisms engrained in the design of these AI systems. Although there currently aren’t nearly enough of us in these rooms that matter, I am still genuinely optimistic of our future. I have seen the commitment from those of us in the room to create space for more of us and do research that highlights the African perspective and I am optimistic because of researchers that continuously expose and fix the limitations and biases of our current AI systems.

-tions like Deep Learning Indaba and Black in AI that work to increase the presence, inclusion and contribution of Africa and black people in the field of artificial intelligence. While I am not sure it is an African future just yet, if the innate Afro Gen Z ability to innovate, stay resilient, and thrive amidst constraints is any indication, then, as a continent, we will be just fine.

I am optimistic because of organiza-

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"The future is undoubtedly an artificially intelligent one. However, I’m not so sure it is an African one just yet." — Benedict Quartey

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Gen Zoom

Unpacking the Gen Z Remote Work Craze By Melony Akpoghene

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article ne of the great things technology has done for us is making remote work feasible. To be

young and broke is not a thing many Gen Zers are interested in. Neither are they into toxic workplaces so Work From Home (WFH) is an opportunity for them to fiddle with financial independence while being their most productive selves from the comfort of their homes. A 2020 survey from Slack suggested that as few as 12% of workers want to return to the office full-time. Another from Citrix, looking at Gen Z workers specifically, estimated that 51% wanted to remain working from home. Also, a recent study by Deloitte found that Gen Zers were three times more likely to leave their jobs if they could not telework at least one day per week compared to older generations. As digital natives, Gen Zers grew up with technology and are very comfortable working remotely. The accessibility of so many digital platforms and tools like Slack, Google Meet, Zoom, etc, have continued to make it relatively easier to communicate with team members and collaborate on projects. According to Monitask, “As digital natives, Gen Zers bring a natural curiosity about technology to work. This curiosity is coupled with an urge to constantly learn and improve. And these traits are often realized through remote work, with Gen Zers using technology to solve problems and learn from one another on platforms like Slack and Zoom.” A report by Robert Walters, a London-based global recruitment firm, indicated that when it comes to Gen Z, 33% are looking for a workplace culture founded on purpose, 27% for strong social values, and “a whopping 42% for mental

health and wellness.” Gen Zers are more enlightened on social justice and they align with the push against issues such as bias, harassment, racism, and bullying, all of which can induce toxic work environments. With the increased level of burnout and work dissatisfaction, many Gen Z professionals are more receptive to workplaces with strong values. They acknowledge that work should not consume their life so they demand a healthy work-life balance and enjoy the flexibility that remote work provides. Flynn Zaiger, CEO of Online Optimism, a creative digital marketing agency, says that Gen Z “isn’t lazy. But they’re not going to work for you in exchange for only a paycheck. Instead, they want to work for a company they believe in.” In addition, Gen Zers hugely care about the work culture and want to be part of an inclusive environment that welcomes people of all backgrounds and identities. Fatou, a 22-year-old UK-based Senegalese Gen Z, asserts that they prefer remote work because they do not not feel comfortable or safe in a lot of workplaces. “Apart from the fact that I don’t care munch for office politics, I’m a queer person and I have horrible experiences with working from offices. I’d rather just work from where I’m most comfortable and productive,” Fatou says.

Gen Zers grew up with technology and are very comfortable working remotely

Tina, 20, is another Gen Z from Nigeria who details the importance of remote work for her mental health. She expresses, “Where I used to work, my former boss was like Hitler. Whenever he was around, which is 98% of the time, everyone would keep fretting. We would all be so prissy and anxious because we knew that being around him was like being around a ticking time bomb. Working there gave me PTSD. I honestly do not think I can go back to working onsite.” A lot of young people still live with their parents and that can pose a challenge for them. Working from home already comes with its own stress, but doing it with your parents around has the potential to make it even more difficult. 21-year-old Anthony from Nigeria laments, “The only thing that comes to my mother’s mind when she sees me on my phone or laptop is that I’m playing. I could be saving the world using my laptop, but my mum would not see it as a big deal just because I’m doing it with my laptop. I’ve had to explain to her so many times that I have many jobs, I’m always busy and stressed, I need time to rest after working, but she still doesn’t want to get it. If anyone needs help in the house, meet Tony. There was a day that I worked super hard and I really needed to rest that evening. My mum started arguing with me when I told her that I had to rest after she asked me to do something someone else could have easily done. In her words, “What are you resting for? You’ve been on your laptop all day.” Yes, ma’am. Working!”

Overall, Gen Z workers want the freedom to work from anywhere, have a flexible schedule, and collaborate with people worldwide.

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How Tech is Changing the Way We Bang

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article en Zs were born into a world with the internet. By the time we started using it, it was fully

populated with the full expanse of the human experience, notably among them, sex and dating. What was apparent in the previous generation but has become even more prominent with Gen Zs is how our conception and experience of sex are defined by our experience with technology. “One big difference was that no one was expected to be reachable all the time,” Spartan, an anonymous redditor, says under a post on Reddit, asking what dating in the 90s was like. “In the late 90s and early 2000s you might chat with someone when you were home on AIM, Yahoo Messenger, etc. but it didn’t go with you when you left. Yes, there were cellphones but sending messages cost money and phone minutes weren’t unlimited until evenings or weekends.” “I didn't start dating really until the very late 90s/early 2000s. It was extremely different,” one man said. “You had to actually go out and meet people which means your selection was much more limited, but because the selection on the other side was also limited it usually meant people had much better chances across the board and people tended to stick out their relationships and marriages through more because there was no assurance of easily finding something else better. I didn't really use app dating until around 2010. The big difference with app dating is it’s a human shopping mall with almost endless options. It totally changed the way dating functioned in both good and bad ways. It made it easier for women to be pickier which is both good and bad for both sides. But it

also makes non-monogamy a much easier option for attractive people, particularly guys.” Lemons, a woman who’s been using online dating for a while said, “Online dating has become much more photo-based and less profile-based, just in the last 10 years. I did online dating as a college student in the 2010s. I remember answering a bunch of compatibility questions like ‘How long would you like to know someone before having sex?’ ‘Is religion important to you?’ ‘Would you date someone with different political beliefs?’ And then I was matched with people whose questions resembled mine. Now it's all about swiping. It seems more superficial now.” “Online dating was for old men to creep on young girls, and only for losers, and you'd be lucky if there was even one woman on it within a 50mile radius of you,” a male respondent said. “That’s certainly not the case anymore.” It is clear that things have changed. The smartphone arrived and evolved into a truly smart device, and the internet exploded even faster. We now date on apps (and not just dating apps!). We “chill” with streaming services. When we say, “Next!”, we mean it literally and instantly with the swipe of a finger. Sex work thrives on the internet, and conventional porn is the lowest tier of what you can find if you’re looking. Oscar, a gay man said, “We don't have to be terrified of AIDS anymore! The dating game has completely changed for queer men in the best way imaginable. Cruising isn't necessary anymore, which also makes dating safer for us.” Many Gen Zs may not know what

cruising” means as the term has become mostly obsolete nowadays except in queer spaces. Cruising was a common practice where one wandered a place or an area in search of a casual sex partner. You may be shuddering at the thought of something like this, but it was not as creepy back then as it may sound now. There were famous cruise spots where people knew to hang out, and as a queer person without the internet, it was one of the only ways to find someone to have sex with, but it wasn’t completely safe either. As a generation that grew up with apps, Gen Zs are more native to online dating than offline dating practices such as cruising and the likes. To better understand the Gen Z dating experience, I spoke to a few Afro Gen Zs about their dating stories. Dera* is a 22-year-old optician-intraining. “My first dating experience was the normal way. This guy in school I had a crush on asked me to be his girlfriend and I agreed. We used 2go a lot, and made calls with MTN Xtracool. I had to hide from my mother to make those calls. That’s how we kept in touch on holidays, because we lived far from each other and what did I know about visiting men back then? Now, in my current relationship, everything we do is within WhatsApp, really. We chat. When we’re tired of chatting, we switch to video calls. We’ve slept on a video call once and we continued when we woke up. We tag each other to posts on Instagram, etc. It's like every relationship I’ve gotten into has been progressively longer distance. So we have quite a bit of phone sex. Obviously, I trust this my current guy. That’s why we do a lot more than simply exchanging nudes with my face cut off like I did in my last relationship. Now, I know how to visit

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Kenga: men and men know how to visit me, so we do meet up regularly.” David* is 24 and a final year medical student. “Xtracool, that year. And 2go. That was it, man. Then BBM for the big boys. I manipulated my dad into getting me a Blackberry so I could date some of those ‘classy’ girls. Now, it’s a lot easier for sure. And also harder, in a way. Everyone has access to WhatsApp or FaceTime if you both use iPhones. Just, the pool has expanded. Beware, some fish can bite.” When I asked David if he thought people were more superficial now, he said, “Omo. People have always been superficial. We just have audacity now. We had audacity then too. Did you see some of the things we did in secondary school? I think we’re more self-aware now. Everybody is just more of who they choose to be, and the dating apps and all are only amplifying that. We’ve always been superficial.” It is clear that three major things have changed since technology came into the game. The first development is the expansion of our options. We have access to a lot more people and different kinds of people. The second is instant access to those options. What used to require multiple meetings over weeks, with periods of downtime in-between, can now be settled by browsing through a profile, chatting online, and meeting up all within a few hours. Messages arrive instantly (and are usually viewed instantly no matter how much we try to pretend they aren’t). Number three is information. Word gets around. It always has, but never this much word going this far. More information is being shared now than has ever been shared in all the known history of the

article world put together. Unsurprisingly, being sexual beings, a lot of this information is about sex. Now, about the sex (because that’s what this is about). Parelius, a reddit user, gave quite the breakdown on how sex has changed over time. They said, “I think, as far as kinkiness goes, sex is neither cleaner nor dirtier than it has ever been. Think about the idea of sanitation and cleanliness and how our perception and value of those qualities has shifted and changed over thousands of years.” “In the long-term, the changing status of a woman and the role of contraception have been the biggest factors in changing sexual trends. For example, for both those reasons, sex with younger boys in Ancient Greece was considered cleaner and safer than sex with women. It is no coincidence that women's rights are closely tied with sexual liberation; allowing women to take back some power both in and outside the bedroom has changed sex from a power-game into a relation that can be enjoyable to both partners. At the same time, contraception played a similar role. With the development of contraceptive methods, people separated the act of sex from the act of producing offspring. This change in mentality about what sex could be also prompted people to question the repression of non-conventional sexualities (e.g. sexual orientation, deviant/fetishized sex, etc.).” Parelius brings up an important, often forgotten point. Contraception. Many people forget that technology does not only refer to Information Technology. Contraception is technology geared toward preventing

unwanted pregnancy, and the development of better and easier contraceptives is perhaps the biggest gamechanger in the sexual habits of the new generation. Technology also includes vibrators. And not just vibrators. There are toys that are designed in new and interesting ways, with the technology to sync with music or audiobooks. There are shapes and sizes and flexibilities being produced now that would have gotten women burned at the stake for witchcraft before. Toys have done one big thing for sexuality in the new generation, and that is bridging the orgasm gap. A woman’s orgasm is a tangible thing that she knows and cannot be gaslighted about as easily as before, and though the orgasm gap still exits, we believe it is closing. For dating, some believe the advantages of technology do not necessarily outpace the disadvantages. However, for sex, the options, access and information provided by technology have done much more than is immediately apparent, and in ways we don’t often think about.

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by Jaynain Panchal

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irtual worlds have long existed but since Facebook rebranded to Meta, the so called Metaverse went from a growing hype to

the center of attention. It's not a shock that this has happened as Meta is one of the largest corporations in the world and everyone is already very plugged into social media. As unspeakable amounts of money are being invested by global tech companies racing towards the development of enhanced virtual worlds, it's only a matter of time until some of us escape this reality for an immersive interoperable virtual reality composed of a new metaphysical digital. For better or worse? We cannot be sure, except for the fact that this new world presents the opportunity to offer us completely novel experiences, particularly with music. Music brands, record labels, and artists have realised the opportunities in the metaverse and they have started pouring capital into metaverse projects to experiment with and expand their brand. Fortnite was one of the first to jump on this wave by welcoming DJ Marshmello to host the first ever virtual ‘Fortnite Concert Live’ at Pleasant Park, an ingame location between coordinates D2 and D3. Racking up to 10.6 million in-game concurrent live viewers the conert created history. Fortnite didn’t stop there and looked to take hosting virtual concerts to a new level by presenting the Travis Scott Astronomical concert, as over millions of gamers dropped their war equipment to witness his performance. Travis' set in the metaverse maintained the essentials of a live immersive virtual performance, but gave gamers the opportunity to hover around their favourite (Fortnite) island while a

article giant Travis Scott performed many of his hits. It was surreal to witness. Optimising the heights of success, the concert introduced yet another historical event. Six months later, Ariana Grande had a similar live set within the Fortnite virtual world and her 3-day virtual tour was equally successful. Although Fortnite had the first mover advantage, all the metaverse concert hype was stolen by Decentralland which hosted an even bigger first-of-its-kind metaverse music festival. Over eighty artists were lined up, including a personal favourite of mine, DeadMau5. The festival lasted four days and mimicked a real in-person festival. Each day had its own theme. There were virtual food trucks, NFT merchandise stores, five stages and lots of people! Racing to stay ahead, Sandbox, a decentralised NFT gaming metaverse built on the Ethereum Blockchain, has accelerated its developments and opened up its voxels ASSET development platform to Windows users. They are also partnering with some top artists, notably Snoop Dogg, who recently announced his interest in buying NFTs and owning digital land just before giving us a sneak peek into his Sandbox developments. He also informed his fans that they will be able to come and party with the “big Dogg”. The Weekend also took to creating a unique virtual experience on TikTok by launching an interactive performance of ‘Blinding Lights,' while Post Malone did a virtual show for Pokemon’s 25th anniversary. Meta paired with Horizon Venues to host three major artists in the metaverse. On December 26, 2021, Boxing day, Young Thug took the Horizon Venues virtual stage attracting over a hundred thousand viewers. On the last day of

the year, David Guetta and The Chainsmokers electrified fans' ears all the way into the new year. Though this experience was as hype as you’d imagine, Meta failed to optimise the event for a virtual experience so the media didn't make too much noise about it, the 180 degree view just didn’t cut it as a unique mustexperience VR event. Basically, the metaverse has been a busy place for music and in keeping the year-end celebrations real while we were all locked indoors. What the metaverse has done for music in the year 2021 while the world was plunged in a pandemic is, keep musical entertainment experienceable. It brought a whole new way for us to experience music concerts from the comfort of our homes. The household is being transformed into a concert venue some have only dreamed of being able to see live. Previously the immersive musical experience involved travelling to concerts, now concerts come directly to you. The metaverse has enabled fans to interact with their artists in a new, more personal way. Personalised events provide front row seats for everyone including access to exclusive digital merchandise and an opportunity to socialise across borders. The opportunities in the metaverse for artists are tremendous as they will be able to reach wider audiences, and curate limited exclusive shows for their specific target audience. The additional revenue that they could generate from the sales of digital merchandise will help take their brands to a whole other level. Artists will also be able to perform at more international shows without having to spend extra time travelling, resting

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and recovering as much as they have done in the past. New artists, in the remotest of locations will be able to transcend their local fan base, broadening their fame as a result. These changes are bound to draw a larger number of artists into the space, making music accessible in completely new ways. With the metaverse, music is going to evolve from being a passive background-filler to a fully interactive experience that we will be able to immerse ourselves in. Since we are only just scratching the surface in understanding the potential of the metaverse, we might end up at a time when we experience music virtually through haptic touch and smell in addition to vision and hearing. However, I don't think in-person concerts are going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, I don't think they will ever go away completely. The experience of listening to your favourite artist right in front of you, speakers deafening your ears, and equally excited people gyrating sweatily around you as the music blares is an inimitable experience. So we must keep an open mind and realise that the metaverse is not here to replace how we currently experience music—at least not right now— but rather, it is creating new methods for us to experience music. Our world is going digital and web 3.0 is calling every entrepreneur, designer, artist, musician, collector, banker, developers, to build our collective digital future. Pairing VR/AR, blockchain, musicians, and fans together has got to be one of the best ideas we have had as a species because all of our senses are about to be tranced as we experience novel, previously unfathomed sensory perceptions. Brace yourself and immerse in the new age of musical experiences.

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Real Time

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Navigating Human Connection Online and Offline While Afro Gen Z

Ahmad-Tijani Agbaje Credit: J Pearl King

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Afro Gen Zs live in two separate but interwoven worlds: the virtual/digital one (the one some are even beginning to prefer), and the “real”/physical world – it’s almost something out of ‘The Matrix’, with young Africans being so plugged in. Because of this, Gen Zs are often berated by older adults for being too tech-obsessed. But it now goes without saying, that as technology progresses, the digital world is becoming more inextricable from the physical. We’ve transitioned from physical lectures/seminars to online video conferencing, from letters and email to instant messaging, from board games to social VR games; and the transmutations go on. These rapid and widespread changes in how we interact with the world around us and, ultimately, other people, have also influenced how we forge, maintain, and break connections with one another. With the rise of Web 2.0 in the early 2000’s, Gen Zs grew up with the internet, one of the greatest and most paradigm-shifting inventions of the past century. Afro Gen Zs weren’t left out in the development of the internet. Research from JTB Tourism, showed that Africa is now the second largest mobile phone market in the world as smartphones outsell computers four to one in most African countries. You couldn’t separate the use of the internet from Gen Zs any more than you could the jollof from the jollof rice. If you don’t get that reference, you need more West African friends. Technology brought us the internet, which ultimately expanded the mediums and opportunities for deeper human connection that can also, sometimes, transcend distance However, technology didn’t change how Gen Zs communicate. It created it. As a result, Gen Zs have developed a unique approach to connecting with their peers at different levels of intimacy and closeness.

Hey, Bestie! Loose bonds tighten For starters, the depth of connections that can be made now are exponentially diversified and intensified; there are so many avenues for communication now more than ever, so much so, that it’s quite possible for someone to let you in on every aspect of their day to day - from wake to sleep, and even then some. You can make and receive phone calls, send text messages, browse social media, and stream music and videos anywhere there is cellular coverage. This makes fostering deeper, more intense connections with total strangers or loose acquaintances a lot more possible, and a lot quicker too. This is something that would otherwise be a lot harder even between people who are in close proximity to each other while forming a connection. Now, it’s not uncommon to “hey besties someone you just connected with on Twitter a day ago but are still yet to meet in person. For Gen Zs, making friends with strangers on the internet is now almost as common as blocking an ex after a bad breakup. Yup, happens all the time.

Ghosting: A Fave of Impatient Netizens With the rise of internet culture and instant messaging, a new phenomenon rose with it—a very infamous thing called “ghosting”. Now, we all know what ghosting means, but if you’ve been living under a rock the past fifteen years, ghosting is basically cutting off interactions with another person on any or all mediums of communication without giving them any heads-up or explanation. The term has risen to popularity recently precisely because of how popular instant messaging has become. It’s now very common to hear “we were texting o, then he ghosted me for the whole day”, ghosting is basically the silent treatment, but virtually. While ghosting is a painful experience for the ghostee, it also makes us think: is our ease of access to people shortening our patience for a response from them? Tosin, 22, from Nigeria says “I think I’m definitely a lot more irritated by slow replies now, than I would have been maybe a couple of years ago. For me, it’s like everyone is always with their phones now; when they’re working, when they’re eating, even when they’re sleeping. Okay, I know that might sound a bit obsessive, but it’s true. So, I take it kind of personally when someone I’m actively texting doesn’t reply to me fast enough. it’s like, we’re all with our phones almost all the time, so if you leave my message on delivered, you probably did it on purpose.” A study by Zdnet found that people have much more tolerance when they’re waiting for a handwritten letter, and are apparently okay with waiting almost four days before getting annoyed about the wait. Now, imagine having to wait four whole days for the person you have a crush on to text you back? They better have fallen off the face of the earth. Shama, 20, from Ghana, said “I do feel impatient for replies, a lot. I feel like the faster a person replies, the more I can communicate with them and eventually become closer to them. slow replies almost equate to distance these days. to me, it means you’re uninterested in a conversation when you take forever to reply”. The same study showed that there was a lower level of impatience from the sender who would have to wait weeks or months for a reply. There wasn’t much they could do but wait because that’s just how things were at the time. But now that instant messaging is a thing, there seems to almost be an air of deliberateness when a reply is delayed and a sense of malice when a reply - even worse never comes. Yikes! And on a continent like Africa that’s teeming with boisterous youth and with a bustling culture, young Africans do not like the idea of waiting for anyone or anything.

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Internet Connections and Digital Movements It goes without saying that as ways to connect over the internet multiply and develop, and people’s connections deepen, internet communities will continue to emerge. Nowadays, a connection can be very easily formed between people who have never met physically. It’s not unusual for Afro Gen Zs to have just as many, if not more, friends on the internet than they do in real life. Over the internet, it’s so easy to curate the people you chose to interact with, unlike when you meet a bunch of people physically in different spheres. The internet is as wide as the opportunities for curation are numerous. This allows young Africans to have communities of people all over the internet with similar or identical ideals and interests to interact and grow together. Never before have online connections been as important as they are today, so much so that, according to research conducted by Pew Research Center, 57% of all teens have made new friends online, and a majority of teens say social media platforms have made them feel more connected to their ‘real’ friends lives and feelings, as well as bond with internet friends. An example of the internet creating community and causing ripples online and offline is the 2020 #EndSARS protest in Nigeria and all over the globe. The majority of this movement stemmed from online outrage at the unlawful profiling, harassment and murder of Nigerians by SARS, a special police unit that swore an oath to do the opposite. The more that people shared on social media about the violent experiences they faced in the hands of SARS, the world got more enraged. Through mainly just Twitter, young and old Nigerians – though mostly young – coordinated their pain and anger in the creation of a cohesive protest movement that made waves seldom seen as a result of “just” the internet. Most of these people sharing and empathizing with stories of SARS violence had never met before. They were simply accounts on a social media website venting their pain and anger online, yet they were able to create a community so large it got the attention of the world and created real, physical impact on the country. This is a perfect example of how the internet has changed and advanced the way communication and connection work for Afro Gen Zs.

The rise of a new, progressive wave of new Africans. The fact that more often than not, we would never actually meet the people we interact with online gives us a kind of virtual freedom behind the glass mask of our screens to be whoever we want to be on the internet, especially in terms of sexuality, gender expression and self-presentation. Because most of Africa is still highly conservative, especially compared to other continents, the easiest way for many young Africans from marginalized or minority backgrounds to be themselves and find community is over the internet. This swell of minorities over the internet enables people to be themselves regardless of laws or opinions that may have prevented that in real life. Liberalizing the continent by encouraging more open-mindedness is a slow, gruesome process, but, thanks to technology, Afro Gen Zs are at least afforded a variety of virtual spaces to be who they are in ways that they may not be able to in person. This exposure to different kinds of people over the internet helps foster tolerance in a way that would have been impossible for previous generations.

“God when?”: Appreciation through FOMO Social media is amazing in the way that it allows people to share deeper, more intimate parts of themselves with literally strangers. David, 19, from Nigeria remarked that “It feels like everytime I open Twitter, there&#39;s one fine girl with her fine boyfriend and they are just happy and beautiful and perfect and they have ten thousand likes just for existing together.” Romance in itself is now a commonly employed PR tactic, infact, this article by Fandomwire lists romantic relationships in Hollywood that were thought to be fake. Juicy stuff. Anyway, according to most Gen Zs, it seems like everywhere you look, there’s a content, attractive couple getting married, or professing love to each other, or just random cute couple selfies, and under these posts it’s not uncommon to see the popular rhetorical question “God when?”—a saying that is used to comically express desire, admiration or jealousy of the perfect couple. With the swell of seemingly happy and perfect relationships on the internet, it’s easy to get carried away by the limited optical view they have of these people. While it is heart-warming and, to an extent, showing people (especially those in unfulfilling or abusive relationships) that you should be happy and comfortable with the person you’re in a relationship with, on the flip-side, it creates an unrealistic expectation of the kind of connections we aspire to make with others, and most especially, what those connections look like. When you’re bombarded with all the romantic content there is on the internet, it’s easy to forget that most of the time, social media posts are a highlight reel of the person’s life. No couple is going to happily take pictures of themselves and share them amidst a heated argument, or make frequent posts about how they find their partner irritating to be around.

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God, save us from embarrassment, please. But this isn’t new information to Gen Zs. Having grown up with social media, we have now come to understand that we are being sold a commercialized, airbrushed version of everyday romance that may actually be unattainable in the long run. It is undeniable that modern technologies and innovations have intrinsically altered the way this new generation of Africans connect with each other on almost every level, widening and deepening existing mediums for connection, and creating new ones that further enrich our shared experiences. Technology and how we use it has literally become one of the mainstays in Gen Z popular culture. It serves as testament to the adaptability and innovation of young Africans who match the pace of digital innovations on the continent by adopting them quickly and adapting them to suit increasignly unique needs.

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How Creators Can Use Web 3 to Build and Market Their Brands by Ekele Jinanwa Credit :Gus Sarkodee

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From the pandemic to the rumors of a third world war to the Queen’s death, Gen Z has experienced some actual for-the-history book events. But perhaps the most impactful event whose beginnings they would witness is the emergence and growth of Web 3. In the relatively short span of two to three years, so much has changed, and looking to the future, so much will yet be changed by Web 3. One of the most lucrative spaces to be affected by this change would be the creator economy, an economy that has all the signs of being dominated by Gen Z creatives in the next decade. The creator economy in recent years has risen to prominence alongside the success of social media platforms that offered creatives across the board an equitable opportunity to share their creations with the world and grow a community while at it. Hundreds of thousands of creators like Khaby Lame and Elsa Majimbo have carved a niche for themselves in this economy and built lucrative careers, but as the world pivots to Web 3, things as we know it will change. Creators have to pivot as well and adjust to the new normal of building and marketing their brands. But first, what is Web 3, and how does it change things?

Brief Introduction to Web 3 Web 3 is that buzzword that everybody knows but can’t really explain. In an attempt to define it, industry terms like blockchain, thirdgeneration Internet, crypto, and decentralization are thrown into the mix. But in straightforward terms, Web 3 is the third-generation Internet built on decentralized blockchains. Think of Web 3 as the Internet version that allows you to own your data. This angle is very important for creators because it would form the very basis for content creation and brand marketing in Web 3.

What Does the Creator Economy Look Like, and How Does Web 3 Change That? Web 3 might be the world’s response to the failures of Web 2, but what does it mean for content creators? Liberation. If I could use one word to describe what the creator climate looks like now, it’ll be – limited. Under Web 2, creators are revenue drivers for social networks, yet they have no control or ownership over their content. These social networks reserve the power to limit what kind of content can be created. But that’s not where the limitations end. These social networks also own and control the content creators' community and their relationship with their community. The community essentially belongs to these platforms, and they can be taken away. All it requires for this imbalance of power to be clear is a wrong deactivation or suspension, and the content creator takes a massive hit. Youtube’s 2019 policy on deleting accounts is an example of how precarious a position content creators are in. As limited as this situation has already been painted to be, it is even more limited when it comes to monetization. Although content creators drive revenue through their content, they are paid a fraction of what they truly earn. And what they earn is determined by, you guessed it right, the social networks based on views, number of subscribers, or a combination of both. Under the new iteration of the Internet, content creators retain ownership and total control over their content. Even better, their communities are built outside of a platform and cannot be controlled or taken away by anyone else. But perhaps the best gift that Web 3 can give creators is the chance to simply be creators without the limits placed by networks concerned with putting out content that would make them money. Secondly, the rat race of struggling with a dozen other influencers for a portion of a community built on a social network ends unceremoniously, and creators can create a community that is there solely for the creator’s content. This type of community is easy to retain, grow, and monetize because they want to be there. Beyond complete ownership, Web 3 offers creators never-before-seen monetization opportunities. Under Web 3, the possibilities for content monetization are endless, but most importantly, by eliminating intermediaries between creators and the revenue they generate, creators can earn an income proportional to their work. Something else to consider is data protection. When social networks disable your account, they delete all the content associated with that account, and you will lose your content if you don’t have any backups elsewhere. In the new Web 3, creators use cloud storage to keep their data protected and accessible.

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Another threat to the data integrity of content creators is hacking. Many accounts have been hacked, and the brands behind them destroyed. Web 3 takes away the opportunities for this to happen. Decentralized blockchains are almost impossible to hack as information is stored across several nodes (linked computers that make up the blockchain). In every way you can compare, this is proof that the creator economy looks very promising to creators. What’s left is how creators can harness these upgrades to build and market their brands.

How to Build and Market Your Brand on Web 3 With the arrival of Web 3 and all the changes that come with it, here are two ways you can build and market your brand as a content creator.

Social Tokens and NFTs Social tokens are tokens of digital ownership that allow creators and brands to monetize their content, experiences, and services. They illuminate a path for creators to attain true financial and creative independence. NFTs are non-fungible tokens that can be used to represent value. As similar as they are, social tokens and non-fungible tokens are not to be confused with each other. The main difference between social tokens and NFTs is fungibility. Where NFTs are one-of-a-kind and can’t be interchanged for the same value, social tokens are like cryptocurrency tokens. Their value remains unchanged from one token to another and can be interchanged. A social token could be a community membership token with exclusive perks for community members alone. It can also be a token that monetizes a brand. Social tokens are primarily used to monetize the creator or brand, which makes their value rise proportionally with the growth of the brand or creator. They are a means of creating mini economies around the creator or brand while also being a powerful growth tool. Here’s an example of how you can use social networks to kill two birds with one stone. Let’s say you’re a creator who makes hyperrealistic paintings. You can create a community membership token that allows holders to vote on your next project while doubling as an investment into the brand. As an investment, your social token will provide ROI to its holders as the brand grows. Let’s see how it benefits your brand. The sale of this token alone presents an extra income stream, especially if you can earn a royalty when it is resold. At the same time, this social token also makes investors out of your community members. By giving them a stake in the brand or creator, you make them marketers who will work hard to increase the brand for the benefits they would enjoy from it. If the value of the token is tied to the brand’s popularity, community members will contribute to the growth in popularity of the brand. If it is tied to community members, they will help grow the numbers. And that’s how you can use social tokens to market and build your brand. NFTs, on the other hand, are used to monetize content and goods. Now, digital goods like brand merch can be minted and sold to community members and anyone interested in buying. Implementing smart contracts that ensure you get a royalty when any of your NFTs are resold means, you get another income stream. Note that for social tokens to be a resounding success, make them exclusive and valuable enough to entice everyone to want a piece.

Community Marketing Community marketing is a type of marketing that is consumer-centric. It focuses on building a solid relationship between the brand and the community to create brand awareness and improve brand marketing. In Web 3, you can use NFTs to start loyalty programs that will pay off in community growth. By making your NFTs highly valuable with real-world benefits, interested people would be incentivized to join the community and contribute to its growth. It doesn’t end here, though. After building a base community off the loyalty programs, what next? Community engagement. You have to engage your community at every stage, ensuring that they are on board with the brand and love it enough to make disciples of others. Word-of-mouth marketing is where the brand building comes in, and what makes it even more effective is that only people who love your content would be willing to take a stake in the brand via the NFT loyalty programs.

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Taking advantage of the metaverse to curate more immersive and unique experiences for your community is another way to improve community marketing. It creates a high-value knowledge that can be monetized and used to grow the community. You can also use social tokens and NFTs to boost the exclusivity of these experiences by making access to them part of the values they offer. Community plays a role in how successful you will become as a creator. Web 3 gives you complete control over your relationship with them, essentially making you the decider of your fate for the first time since the inception of the creator economy.

Looking to the Future as African Creators Web 3 offers creatives around the world a golden opportunity to own, control, and monetize their creative processes. For young Africans, it is the start of a new era as creatives that is not dependent on so many bureaucratic rules. But most importantly, a web 3 creator economy allows African creators to succeed regardless of any disadvantages they might face as Africans living in Africa. Already, the presence of businesses like LazerPay that address the unique financial difficulties African creators face, make this transition easy. For the first time, African creators can be at the starting line of a new innovation, unhampered by the drawbacks of living in Africa.

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The Kenga Silicon Class

Meet the Afro Gen Zs building the digital future of Africa

En iol aK ort yO lan rew aju

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In every generation, there’s a distinguished group of people who help build the future of the world through their works or their words. These people have burning within them an unrelenting desire to make a difference and to bend the world towards a better version of reality. As a result of their extraordinary talent and grit, amplified by a healthy amount of privilege and luck, these innovators emerge from among us to lead the generation, and the world, towards a fairer, safer, and happier tomorrow. As we put together this issue, we sought to create a platform to celebrate some of these people. The members of debut Kenga Silicon Class are Gen Zs who are building the digital future of Africa through their work. As proud cheerleaders of their work, we hope that you are inspired by their achievements and their sustained impact. Meet the Kenga Silicon Class.

Mitchelle Chibundu (24) Mitchelle is one of the leading design voices in Nigeria. She started off as a design creator rather accidentally, from putting out design learning content snippets on ‘@designerbabe’ her now famous Instagram account. Her content quickly amassed a following of practising and aspiring digital product designers. Today, she works at Wise as a product designer, helping build products that make payments easier for people and businesses all over the world. She does this while spearheading the Designerbabe community of African technologists designing digital products at the vanguard of product innovation. Mitchelle’s content continues to inspire the new, younger generation of product designers representing Africa’s voice in global conversations on technology design and design ethics.

@designerbabe David Nandwa (21) The financial infrastructure of Africa’s emerging creator economy will most likely be powered by a product built by Kenya’s David Nandwa. With a rich background in blockchain, e-commerce and fintech, David founded Honeycoin, a crypto payments platform that helps African creators to earn from their work. Since its founding in 2020, Honeycoin has helped connect African creators and consumers while fixing monetisation creases for creators, helping them withdraw earnings instantly. Beyond Honeycoin, David has also helped scale tech products that now serve millions of users all over the world. Passionate about creators, payments, and youth employment, David Nandwa is a rising tech star the world should watch out for.

Honeycoin

Emmanuel Njoku (19) Dubbed the ‘Zuckerberg of Nigeria,’ Emmanuel is one of the most accomplished 19-year-olds in Africa. He currently leads Lazerpay, a cross-border crypto payments company, as its co-founder & CEO. However, his journey began many years ago while tinkering with tech products as a curious 13-year-old. Just a few years later, Emmanuel would find himself, a 16-year-old autodidact software engineer, working at some of the leading tech companies in the world. From his time working at these companies and travelling across Africa, he latched onto the revolutionary that would sow the seed for Lazerpay, one of Nigeria’s most prominent web3 startups, that helps creatives, businesses, and everyday people to make crypto payments seamlessly.

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Ebovi Wali (25)

Garnett Achieng (25)

In an industry like venture capital, notorious for its underrepresentation of young people, Ebovi Wali is pioneering the next generation of African tech investors. As Managing Partner of Thrive Africa Community, Ebovi leads the network of Afro Gen Z angel investors united by their mission to financially back African startups while investing their strategic and operational expertise into the fund’s portfolio companies. He recently served as Chief Growth Officer at Bitmama, a pan-African crypto exchange, which just raised a $2 million pre-seed round. During that time, he also held the role of CEO of Changera, the flagship payment product of Bitmama. Through his ventures and investments, Ebovi is helping bring to life the products and companies building the future of the continent.

Garnett is a storyteller, researcher, and creative technologist. Since graduating from the African Leadership University, she has spent the past few years working in policy and communications roles at organisations such as Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and Pollicy. Through her research, she has documented and drawn attention to women’s digital security rights and their violations on the internet. Recently, a digital security game she developed with her team at Pollicy was recognised with a UNESCO Innovation Award. She continues her work to create a safer internet at TikTok, where she currently works as the product policy manager for Sub-Saharan Africa. Garnett is one of the young people building the principles that will govern the development and use of tech in Africa.

Thrive Africa Fund

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Kennedy EkezieJoseph (24)

Eniola Korty Olanrewaju (24)

A debater, an academic, an entrepreneur, and a technologist are only some of the identities that Kennedy embodies. At 19, he became a recipient of the highly prestigious Queen’s Young Leaders Awards, recognised by Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II for his work advocating for women’s rights in his city of Calabar through his organisation Calabar Youth Council for Women’s Rights. Shortly after his graduation from the elite Yenching Academy at Peking University, he joined TikTok’s global strategy team contributing to their African expansion plans. Kennedy is currently co-founder and CEO of Kippa, a bookkeeping startup that has raised about $10 million in pre-seed and seed funding. In such a short time, Kennedy has established himself as a young leader on a mission to transform Africa.

The talent, personality, and brains behind the Korty EO brand is the multitalented Eniola Korty Olanrewaju. Although now famous for being a successful YouTuber, Korty also has on her resume her prior work as a model, a graphic designer, and an artist. She left her family in Ibadan for Lagos after getting an offer to work as a writer at Zikoko. After a short stint, she left for Empawa Africa, a digital company supporting upcoming African artists, and served as its content lead. She left Empawa soon after to pursue a freelance career in filmmaking. During this time, she started her own YouTube channel to document her life and her interests. Only two years into her YouTube journey, she is now one of the leading YouTubers and celebrity creators in West Africa. A poster child for creative excellence and the power of authentic storytelling, Korty is leading the new class of Nigerian creators

Kippa Africa

@korty_eo

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Victor Kunda (23)

Mardiya Siba Yahaya (25)

The meteoric rise of Victor Kunda as a creator and as a fashion icon is one that continues to inspire many. Having grown up with a passion for the arts, Victor had dabbled in creating content on YouTube before making the switch to study content creation from behind the camera. After studying media production at university, Victor returned to creating content on Twitter, Instagram, and finally TikTok, where his career took off. Described by Vogue Magazine as “fashion’s favourite TikTok star,” Victor continues to pave the way for other creators in Africa and around the world who aspire to his ranks.

Mardiya’s work focuses on the study of digital media from a gender, governance and development perspective. Her mission is to promote grassroots feminist digital development. She is currently working on investigating digital surveillance in the Muslim community and its influence on Muslim women’s sociocultural and economic participation on the internet. Mardiya curates artistic social awareness initiatives on gender-based violence and writes articles that highlight issues in gender, Islam and media. Her articles have been featured in publications such as Women's Media Center and Ananke Magazine and she also served as a student rapporteur for the 2019 SDG Council at the World Government Summit. Mardiya’s work helps ensure an internet that is more inclusive of minority identities.

@victorkunda

Pollicy Chisom Nwokwu (21) Grounded in her mission to ensure communal progress for Africans in the tech industry, Chisom is one of the leaders of a generation of newly minted African techies committed to paying it forward by bringing others along with them. Chisom’s high-flying career began from her time as a software engineering summer analyst at Bank of America, where she interned before moving to her current job at Microsoft. Using her Twitter platform of 29,000 followers, she organises online spaces for Nigerians and other Africans to learn more about a range of global tech careers and how best they can position themselves for such competitive jobs. Through her mentorship, students have been able to land internships and jobs at companies such as Google and Bank of America.

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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has Margaret Mead

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Technology & the Rethreading of our Faith by Jeremiah Nnadi Credit : Brian Kivuti

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Humans are, at their very core, innately dynamic creatures. Constant change — for better or worse — is a trait we share as a species. This deep-rooted drive for improvement has primarily driven us to innovate, build, and invent over the centuries. Unsurprisingly, this dynamism has not only been limited to technological or scientific inventions. We’ve found ways to construct entire societal orders, beliefs, and unique thought systems during our time here. Religion, in my opinion, just might be the most profound, most observable, and oldest of these intangible human inventions.Paul Ehrlich, the German scientist who discovered the cure for syphilis and pioneered chemotherapy, believed that early humans’ first religious concepts emerged shortly after they developed brains large enough to be capable of abstract cognition. That’s amazing, isn’t it? The instant humans had food and their overall sustenance sorted, they turned their heads to the skies, seeking out the supernatural. In one of his books, our good friend Paul Ehrlich defines religion as “a set of ideas about supernatural entities, agencies, and possibilities.” He goes on to theorise how the earliest beings must’ve formulated opinions and (crude) philosophies about their surroundings using their own “system of ideas.” With a general acknowledgement of the trees, animals and various creations around them, it was up to humans to construct explanations of how they came to be. Enter gods, goddesses, avatars and deities; divine beings to which the marvels of chance, fate and creation were consigned. Religion, and its accompanying beliefs and practices, provided solace for those who desired answers. What about those who had the questions?

Religion has played a strong role in technological innovation. Understanding that technologies and innovations are typically born from questions, thoughts and reason is essential. But it’s also really lazy to assume that early humans could be categorised as either belonging to the ‘religious complacent’ or ‘the technologically ambitious.’ The truth could not be any further from that, or the relationship between religion and technology any more complex. For example, religious beliefs can influence societies to create or not create tangible technologies that help or harm their surrounding environment, even though sets of ideals and different ways of thinking are not typically regarded as forms of technology. In fact, religion has been a primary driving force behind some of humanity’s most outstanding inventions. For example, Johan Gutenberg invented the very first printing press in the 13th century so he could print, publish and distribute his now-infamous Gutenberg Bible. Likewise, religion has been the driving force behind many war-related technological inventions. The crusade battles of the 11th and 16th centuries were accompanied by new body armour designs, helmets, shields and even castle fortifications. Hilariously, a group of Chinese alchemists accidentally invented gunpowder while trying to conjure immortality potions while the crusade wars were being fought. And gunpowder inevitably revolutionised warfare at the time and altered the course of history (arguably for the worse). And despite religion’s notorious reputation for censoring and impeding scientific research (most notably Galileo Galilee’s excommunication for theorising that the Earth was not the centre of the universe), it was central to many notable scientific findings. The church, in particular, has always been closely tied in with academia, funding and sponsoring the research and discoveries made by legendary scientists like Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle and Copernicus, along with other religious institutions. Historically, religion and technology have constantly influenced each other over the years, shaping the world as we know it. Although humans developed faith, it can be said to be a natural aspect of life due to the wide variety of beliefs and activities it contains. For example, religion has helped societies construct tools and perceptions of violence and inter-human conflict, thoughts and ideas about the environment, sustainability, and new communication methods. We’ve talked a whole lot about the influence of religion on technology in the past; now, let’s look at the influence technology has had on religion in the present. Perhaps the evolutions which religion has undergone are not as stark as its counterpart, but they almost certainly do exist. This is because religion has constantly evolved since its inception, changing form in how it is regarded and practised, but not always in the ways most people would expect. And we might yet be witnessing one of its most relevant transformations in centuries. Why’s that?

Religion is dying. Or so it would appear. Overall religious participation (particularly in much of the Western world) is falling, and the numbers show that

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many Millenials and Gen Zs are primarily behind this shift in dynamic. The world is witnessing the rise of religious ‘nones’ — individuals who represent themselves as agnostics, atheists or “nothing specifically” when asked about their religious identity. Interestingly, the rise of religious ‘nones’ is an accelerating phenomenon among all the current generational units (albeit not uniformly), and not just the youngest (Gen Z). There’s data to back up this claim, though most credible sources are unequivocally American (they just record more data, I guess). Research by Ryan P. Burge provides a visual depiction and a fantastic breakdown of this change.

It’s most observable that the current percentages for Millenials and Gen Z are nearly at the halfway mark, indicating that many individuals in these groups do not identify with any religion. This is obviously not the case in other countries and societies, most of which do not afford the liberalism which America does. In most African countries, for instance, religion is borderline intertwined with cultures and entire societal systems. But the rise of ‘nones’ is something which most communities worldwide have witnessed, albeit at different rates.

What’s causing this change? I have a couple of theories. There’s only one technological advancement that (arguably) holds the title as the greatest invention of all time while also sharing its development and growth period with the formative years of individuals in the Millenial and Gen Z generations (groups with the largest population of nones). That’s right; it’s the internet. The internet, officially invented in 1983 with the birth of the TCP/IP protocol, opened the world up and made disseminating information more effortless than ever. And this increased access to information, particularly vast amounts of diverse opinions, only ever worked directly against preserving the cultures and thought systems that built up traditional religion to be passed down for centuries. Spend enough time on the internet, and you might end up like me, an ordained minister of a protestant church (hilarious story ), or you might start to come up with questions. Questions which pick away at the lessons and teachings that might have been present in your life from the very point you were capable of perception. “The internet is the perfect breeding ground for new [ideas] that chip away at one’s certainty,” — Paul McClure. This theory is even more relevant for Gen Z’ers, who have never known the world without the internet. Stanford scholar Roberta Katz also believes that Gen Z’s early access to information about people and cultures worldwide helped them appreciate diversity and the value of developing their own distinctive identities. The internet exposes users to various viewpoints, ideologies, and concepts, which might encourage people to reevaluate preconceived notions about what is significant in their lives. Because we spend so much time online, we are more inclined to think of ourselves as free agents who can experiment with various religious concepts, including opposing, incompatible religions, before deciding how we wish to live. As a result, people are beginning to challenge the very doctrines they were brought up on, opting to live out life without room for the supreme beings who guided our ancestors. Additional research on this shift helped me down another line of reasoning. Certain growing cultures and behaviours consistent among individuals from younger generations could factor in the decline of organised traditional religion, particularly in recent years. And that’s specifically around how Millennials and Gen Zs relate to authority and rules in general. Individuals from younger generations are questioning religious authority now, more than ever. These individuals are part of a highly collaborative cohort that cares deeply about others and has a very pragmatic attitude to dealing with issues inherited from older generations. And when they [younger generations] see religious institutions oppressing, hurting, or stifling free will and expression, instead of helping people, they don’t want to associate with that. People from younger generations also deeply value self-care and are committed to breaking the cycle of trauma that plagued their parents. For example, here’s an excerpt from a 2022 study featuring Ben Toriseva, a 22-year-old American who grew up in a staunch Christian evangelical family: “I think a lot of people feel emotionally damaged growing up in the church. I think that is also a contributing factor and why a lot of people just want to escape,” he said. “There’s a lot of bullying if you don’t conform to the standards.”

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This, indeed, is a sentiment shared by vast numbers of individuals with a similar background or religious upbringing. It’s no longer uncommon to find Millennials, and Gen Z’ers abandon the traditional spiritual practices they were brought up on once they leave the nest, opting to become more free, expressive versions of themselves. At least, that’s the idea in theory, as it’s inaccurate to assume that leading a religious life can’t coexist with that innate drive for expression and self-love. Gen Z correspondent Ben (from earlier) helps us with our next theory. He believes that religion “isn’t an important centrepiece of life for our generation, as much as it was with my parents [who are Gen Xers]. Their entire lives were built around religion. That’s where they got their community from.” That’s a critical point, community. For many of the older generation, the most explicit and consistent community they were a part of was most likely their place of worship. Younger generations most certainly don’t relate to that. Even the practising populace’s lives are not as pivoted about religion, and their most integral communities are seldom those from religious institutions. This generation is more likely to value the communities they choose, connecting and building strong ties with people with whom they share the same interests. This shift was made a lot easier by access to the internet and other internet-related tools, such as forums, social media and online chat rooms. They are less likely to continue playing a part in communities they are forced into, eager to escape. Many religious leaders have begun to sway their heads towards this issue. For proselytising religions (such as Islam and Christianity), leaders are prioritising focus on spiritual virtues and increasing diversity to connect to this largely opinionated generation which they seem to be losing. They are learning — or at least I hope so — that to get these individuals back in touch with religion, they will need to create thoroughly welcoming communities where people feel like they don’t need to leave any part of themselves out to be present. And that’s the last of the theories. I’m doing my best to keep this piece as unopinionated as possible, so this won’t be the part where I tell you how I feel about the current state of religion and how it’s been affected by technological advancements and plain ol’ change. Of course, I greet and welcome change, especially positive change. But I’m not going to underestimate the role that religion has played in driving humanity forwards, leading us towards a deeper understanding of self and the world(s) around us. Around the world, religion has had a significant impact on culture, social behaviour, and governmental legislation. But, undeniably, it is a tool. One that somehow manages to unite and disunite while (ideally) guiding individuals towards spirituality and true fulfilment. Like all tools, it does possess the propensity to be utilised wrongly, which we’re all too familiar with, especially when technology is discussed. Understanding the complex nature of religion, the significance of technological advancement, and their relationship is essential because, as the need for sustainability and human growth becomes more and more crucial, we can use the past influences of religion on technology to direct our actions in the years to come. In turn, we can dig deeper into some of technology’s most pronounced effects on modern-day religion and work towards correcting some mistakes from the past. Either way, I get the feeling that neither of these monumental pieces of human history is anywhere close to their final acts. They, like all things, will and must know change.

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Korty EO in conversation with Arinze Obiezue

Leading the New Class of Creators and Storytellers

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It took only a few seconds into my chat with Korty to understand why she is the internet star she is today. Korty’s full yet jovial personality makes it easy for whoever she’s talking to feel like they’re just chatting with a friend who lives just next door. This relatability and magnetism that Korty exudes is unmatched by most creators at her rank, and is what pulls the cult following of over 200,000 subscribers she has amassed in under two years as a YouTuber. Despite being a relative newcomer on the YouTube scene, Korty has cemented her place as one of the creators taking Nigerian youth culture to the global mainstream. In this exclusive cover interview with Kenga, she tells the story of her creator journey with a focus on how she creates content, how she builds community, her growth from an infamous mistweet, and her vision for the Korty EO brand.

ARINZE: As a Youtuber, what do you spend most of your time watching?

KORTY: Honestly these days, Emma Chamberlain. She’s on YouTube, and her content helps me kill my boredom. It's just very interesting watching her travels. I never used to watch YouTubers, but yeah. She’s fun To what extent do you watch content like Emma’s just for entertainment or to actually learn and hone your craft? I feel like, consciously or unconsciously, I'm kind of always just picking things up. Like, I don't dedicate a day to say, okay, today I want to gain knowledge and stuff. I just kind of pick up random things from the randomest places. Like, the other day, someone I follow on socials was watching a movie, and they posted a scene from it. The subtitle in the movie was just something that I really liked, and I wrote it down. I'm probably going to use it for something. So it’s just like that. I pick up things very randomly. Very random. As you’ve become a full-time creator, have you found it easier or more difficult to just watch other content without hyper-analysing it?

Movies, especially! I feel like at some point, I really just need to stop and just try to enjoy movies as movies. Cos I really just be analysing the whole thing, wondering how and why they shot this and that. I don't like it at all because I miss just being able to watch the movie and enjoy it because I'm very interested in it. Haha that’s very real. The version of that I can relate to is with books. I think the more I developed my writing, the less I could read books for pleasure. I'll always end up questioning their word choice or obsessing over a genius phrasing and stuff like that. Wild s*#t.

understand and relate to. Honestly, I just needed a better platform to express myself. It wasn't like ‘Oh, I want to be this big person.’ I'm still not a big person but now I know that I can be that big person. So, why not? I knew I wanted to tell stories, so I just decided to get started. The first episode I did was just me reaching out to one of my friends, Ashley Okoli, and after I did the first one and people liked it, I wanted to do more. Same thing with this other series, ‘Love or Lies’ that is like a dating show. I did the first one kind of mistakenly actually, but just went with it. I think my strength is just developing things. I’m not really the idea person.

Haha, I feel you. Tell me about how you got started on YouTube. I think that everything has kind of just happened, but I’ve always known that I could tell stories and I had a whole ass plan on how to do that. Before I started my YouTube, I had a sixmonth plan to just do something with my own content, and if in those six months, I don’t see any progress, then I'll find a job. I had an actual plan that kind of worked itself out in one way or another. And the plan was very simple. It was just to make videos that are true to me and that people can

So then, that just means that you’re really good at adapting and just tweaking things as you go. Yeah, I think so. Cos I feel like that’s also how I learn. I was never good at school. I used to fail a lot. Like, for example, I’m sure that if I go to film

I knew I wanted to tell stories, so I just decided to get started

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Kenga: school now, I won’t understand what they’re teaching. But if you give me a camera, and give me just six months, I will do things that you didn't even know were possible with the camera and the stories that it could help tell. i really like that you mentioned film schools. Some argue that Nollywood would be able to match Hollywood and other advanced film industries if there were proper film schools here that trained world-class creative talent. What are your thoughts on that? Yeah, I think it's dicey because school can actually do more damage than good if they're not teaching you the right things. People in the arts and in the creative industry are also more delicate than just anybody. So, you don't want to box them or tell them that this is the way to go. If you are teaching them to discover things for themselves; if you are teaching them to find their own voice and their own path or whatever, then I think that would be amazing. I think Nigeria does need something like that, to be honest. I also know for a fact that those kinds of schools are expensive to run. And the Nigerian government is not even looking at the creative industry as anything to support right now because they probably don’t see how it can benefit them. But music is an exception. Like, they're literally taxing musicians right now. Like, chasing them just because they realise that these people actually have money. So they’re low-key starting to open their eyes as they’re becoming more interested in what's happening. So instead of thinking about how to support creatives, the government is more interested in chopping their share. How classic.

cover interview Exactly! I feel like eventually you’ll start seeing that they're supporting, but everything will just so that they can associate and say that they can be a part of the growth of the industry. So basically, I've never been to film school. I've never been, so I’m not really sure whether or not that is a way to go. But I know for a fact that there are so many people in America and the UK whose stuff I watch, and I know they went to film school. Cos some of the things they do in their videos are just too professional, you know? The quality is just amazing! So there's clearly something they know that I don't know. Yeah, I think if we had those creative schools in Nigeria, they might actually help the industry.

As you've been a full-time YouTuber for a bit now, what would you say has surprised you the most about the creator lifestyle and everything that comes with it? I think for me, it’s the fact that when you get to a certain level, people start to expect certain things. People just see you as more than you actually are. Which is very weird because I used to think it was just like musicians that had that kind of halo effect of sorts. I guess it’s this internet culture right now. There are now internet celebrities. Like, people who are known on the internet, but they can step outside and nobody knows them. It's such a weird time. In my

Credit: Olamide Rufai

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Kenga: head, I'm still scratching the surface and I'm trying to do regular stuff, but people still expect me to be a certain way. It's very annoying because they will make you feel like you're actually more than you are, but you are really not there yet. I also guess it’s just Nigeria sha. Maybe it's just Nigeria. With the pressure from others to be more than you think you are, has that pressure pushed you or held you back? It’s definitely pushed me. Again, I keep referencing the music industry because it has existed for a while. The people there have done certain things before, and have experienced certain things, so they can guide you. But for internet creators, it's not really like that. We're all kind of just watching and seeing where things go. But, honestly, the pressure has made me more determined to prove a point to myself that I can actually do this thing and see how far it goes. The pressure has also helped me learn. Because I only learn by doing and experiencing, so pushing myself to do more has actually allowed me to grow a lot faster. I'm curious, how did you have to upskill to be able to build your career as a YouTuber? My whole life is just based on learning by doing, so I had learnt a lot while working at Zikoko and Empawa. At Zikoko, I was learning how to make stuff that people enjoy and also work as a team. I was an assistant producer there, so I was basically under people learning new ways of creating content. At Empawa, it was a different vibe. They were like, “Now, you have this. You’re alone here, so what can you do?” I guess it was about the energy from both places. I learnt so much from both places that when I started to make my own videos, it

cover interview was a bit easier. I genuinely believe that there's nothing I can’t do and there's nothing I put my mind to that I won’t achieve. I also think I understand human psychology to a good extent, and I think that's one of the most important things in starting anything. You need to understand the market you’re catering to, and I think that’s something I tried to figure out when I was getting started. When I left Empawa to focus on my own stuff, I needed to understand what people need, what you need to do to gain people's attention, and then, after that, what you need to keep them. Basically, I was just studying human beings, first of all. I was actually reading books and all that stuff. I was doing these things while I was at Empawa. I was trying to figure out my strategy and my plan, and it kind of worked out really close to how I planned it.

I genuinely believe that there's nothing I can’t do and there's nothing I put my mind to that I won’t achieve What were the three apps, platforms, or softwares you couldn't do without when you were just getting started? Notion was the very first one. Honestly, Notion is one of the most beautiful things to have happened to my life. The next one is Pinterest, which really just continuously opens my mind. The last one is YouTube, because I have to be on YouTube. But Notion is probably going to be on top for a while. Another one I use though is Airtable for advanced

spreadsheets. But that's for like if I'm doing production. Throughout your career so far, from Zikoko to Empawa to YouTube, have you ever found yourself having to explain to your parents or anyone that you actually have a real job, or do they automatically get it? So, initially, I didn't tell anybody before I was going to quit my job. I didn't tell anyone when I was going to start this YouTube thing. Because the thing is my family can convince me, mostly out of fear. I know they don't mean bad. They’d just be like “Are you sure?” So when I started, nobody knew. Not even my sister. They only even found out about my YouTube existence a year after I’d started or something. Like I had already gone, you know? Haha. And they couldn’t complain at that point, because they were still chopping my bread. Human psychology, man haha. If you’ve seen progress, you can’t really complain. If I’d initially tried to take permission from my family, I'm sure they would have convinced me otherwise, and I'll still be at my job right now. But I didn’t want any family member telling me how to chase my dreams or whatever. I just wanted to try and feel things for myself first. Although, I feel like my dad still thinks I have a job, and that this YouTube thing is a side thing. And I'm okay with him thinking that, really. My mum is really on the internet, but my dad isn’t.

I feel like my dad still thinks I have a job

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Kenga: Beyond using your understanding of human psychology and just generally being a badass creator, how do you go about building a community around your content? I feel like the first thing is talent, right? If you are a talented person, and if you're able to nurture that talent, you would only get better. A good example is Burna Boy. He started a really long time ago. But even before Burna Boy was Burna Boy, he had a strong a** following. Like, he had people who would kill for him. He had a proper cult following, and I can confidently say I was one of those people. When I listened to his music, I used to feel like I was really in the streets. So his talent has always had that pull. The thing is, mainstream music was not paying attention to him at that time. People didn't really know. So when he broke out, people felt like he just kind of broke out. But he didn’t just break out; he had been building. People had been following him, following his talent, following his growth, following his music, and following everything up until that point. That's why when he eventually won the Grammy, it was a very solidifying moment for many people, because it suddenly felt possible. People see passion; they see dedication; and they stick around because they feel something from that. At the end of the day, people stick to things that feel real. It may be true that the most popular things are not exactly the realest things, but the things that last the longest are usually the actual realest things. The thing is people like instant gratification. Something like Big Brother is a platform you go to if you want a quick, abundance of followers. But you can also lose that following really quickly if you have nothing to offer. So the main questions are: ‘What do you have to offer people? Do they

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At the end of the day, people stick to things that feel real want more of what you're offering them? Are you giving them more of what they want?’ I guess the summary would be that I have a community so far because of my personal willingness to grow, and I’m not really afraid to show any part of myself. Although I’ve had to reduce that a bit because people have been starting to feel like they know me too well from the edited videos I post on YouTube. People started to feel like they have a say in my life. But now, I’m going to try to go back to that and see how it goes. Let’s talk about cancel culture. As a popular creator, what are your thoughts on cancel culture and the active role that Gen Z plays in its prevalence? For creators, I think it can be necessary, but we take things to crazy extremes sometimes. It's necessary because these guys that are popping feel like they can do anything and get away with it, and this generation of Gen Zs are like nah. Just because you’re older and more experienced doesn’t mean that you too will not collect. But I also feel like Gen Z takes things too far, to the ends of it. You know, there's no perfect person. I don't think there's a perfect human being. I think it's just sad that a lot of us now have to make public mistakes in circumstances that we had no training for. Our mistakes are very open. But at the end of the day, we chose this life. And naturally, also live with the consequences. I feel like

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cover interview cancel culture is good. Genuinely, it's good because it puts you in check. But you can't cancel someone forever. You can't cancel someone just because of some stupid and flimsy mistake. Cancel people for rape, cancel them for killing innocent people, not something about minute decisions they made in their personal lives. But also, to be honest, a lot of cancel culture exists only on the internet. These people are still getting paid, and they’re still chilling. So, really, most times, cancel culture is really just something to make us feel important. A few months ago, there was that whole conversation on Twitter about you saying you don’t have any YouTube G.O.A.Ts. How did that experience make you feel? What are some things that you learned from that?

Photo : Olamide Rufai

I’ve learnt that Nigerians don’t like it when you brag. They don’t like what they don’t understand. But I've also learnt that, sometimes, it’s better to just shut up. When that Twitter thing happened, everything I said, I meant. This is because even the guys who were trying to work with me when I first started, people saw that there was something in me. They saw something in me, and I saw something in them. Then we decided to collaborate. Like, there’s nothing wrong with me feeling like the s*#t before I become the s*#t, you know? I think that's just something Nigerians never understand. Nigerians are so conditioned to the idea of ‘helping’. Twitter people were trying to compare me to Dimma Umeh and other Nigerian YouTubers who’ve been on there for a minute. I respect them so much, but I also know what I’ve contributed too. I’ve carried people in my audience from

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Instagram and Twitter to YouTube. Like, these are people who never had anything to do on YouTube before. So like, I know what I’ve done on YouTube. But one thing I know I did wrong tweeting that was what I’d said about making people sit up. It was just rude, because as much as I may have done my own s*#t, I can’t discredit other people’s work, you know? You can’t just discard years of work that other people have put in before you. That’s the thing, I’m stubborn but if you can lay out to me why I’m wrong and it makes sense to me, I’ll apologise. This year, they’ve dragged me like four times on Twitter, but this was the first time I apologised. Because this time, I know I was wrong. And also, this YouTube thing is very temporary for me. Right now, I’m just catching cruise and seeing how things go. And I’d rather ‘YouTuber’ than ‘influencer’, so it works out haha. That’s interesting. Why do you prefer ‘YouTuber’ to ‘influencer’? Because I'm just not an influencer haha. It’s just not what I am. I feel like if you see the process of my videos from inception to completion, I think a lot of people would understand why I say I’m not an influencer. Because, at the end of the day, I'm making film, right? I might not be making it at the capacity at which a lot of people are doing it, but I'm creating my own path and I'm trying to make it work. What is something you've done while building your career that, in retrospect, you think that newer creators should avoid doing at all costs?

Credit : Olamide Rufai I think, just don't get too carried away, mehn. It's very easy to set the goal

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cover interview and start working towards it, but then, in the process of where you’re headed, you just see so many people who are making a lot more progress and doing something that's more popular. You try to do that thing as well, then you just lose focus. And then what could have been something monumental is now just lost to the wind. I mean, you get satisfaction only for a short period, because you're ultimately doing something that is honestly not meant for you. If you could visualise what the Korty EO brand would look like in ten years, what would that look like to you? I think I want my brand to be like Apple. After all these years, Apple has not yet died because it’s honestly one of the craziest brands in the world. That’s why I keep saying understanding human psychology is one of the most important things. Because Apple knows how to use the smallest things to influence a lot of people. The Apple brand allows them to do literally anything and still sell it. I want to be able to be something like that. To have that kind of versatile brand. Like, I also want to become like a drug. I want people to feel like they need me to survive, because those are the things that sell for long. Once people feel like they don’t need you, or feel like you can’t make them feel some positive type of way, then that means you’re basically useless. So yeah, I want to be needed as a brand. If I need to compare what that looks like to an actual person, I’m tempted to say Michael Jackson, but I don’t know, mehn. I also don’t know what that guy was going through. I know I don’t want that kind of headache. I just want to be on my own, creating my stuff. At the end of the day sha, this is God’s work. I can say all I want about having a plan and stuff, but honestly God is my cheat code. All I have to do is to just continue doing my best work.

I have no doubt that you will. Thank you for sharing your gift, Korty. Thank you, Arinze.

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