By Sunday Ani
Africa is rich with culture, potential and natural resources, it’s innovative and dynamic people have been the real catalysts at the forefront of the continent’s climb out of the shadow of the world.
Men and women from various backgrounds and cultures across the continent who have created incredible impact and change in their communities, collectively elevating the continent in the process.
Here are the Young African changemakers the world needs to know about, I set out to produce a list of the 5 Africans in their late 20s and 30s who are making the most dramatic impact across the continent.
1. *Fela Akinse, Nigeria*
_Innovator , Founder SALUBATA_
In Lagos, Nigeria, less than half of the total plastic trash makes it to the popular dumpsite, at
Olusosun dumpsite is a 100-acre dumpsite located in Lagos, Nigeria and is among the largest in Africa (Ojo and Bowen, 2014; Oyeku and Eludoyin, 2010). The remaining plastic wastes about 2.5 million households generates, end up unaccounted for.
With the diverse waste generated by millions of Lagos houselholds, Fela Akinse launch an innovation to recycle those plastic waste, by founding SALUBATA, to battle the waste issues and recycle the plastic wastes into designer fashion wears.
This budding Nigerian entrepreneur was an Business analyst and Environmental scientist for 4 years. A graduate of the University of Lagos(UI).
After his university degrees in environmental toxicology in 2014, He proceeded to U.I to acquire an MBA. During this period, He had a project in his MBA class on recycling in Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Management, it was during the experiment he carried out he discovered the use of recycling plastic wastes to design fashion wears.
With a vision to harness the waste management industry, he resigned from his job as a business analyst to setup her recycling business.
Fela Akinse founded SALUBATA, Nigerian first plastic recycling company, in 2018. At the time he founded the company.
To start his business, he raised some money money through grants and some business partners. As he raised the capital, he visited various fashion wears and small businesses to know if they had any need for footwears.
After discovering there was a huge demand for what he was intending to manufacture, he raised off to the internet to learn more about the business.
Today, Fela Akinse Footwear company has grown exponentially, with him producing at least 20,000 footwears a week, and acquiring a long list of clients ranging from business owners to employees, multinational companies, and the likes.
Since the start of his business, he has garnered both local and global attention from the likes of CNN,and have secured strong partnerships with companies with Amazon (company), Techstars Accelerator Los Angeles, and has been featured on TechCrunch, Business of Fashion and many more organisations.
2. *Diamond Platnumz, Tanzanian*
_Musician, Afropop_
He was the third-best musician in Africa but dropped to the 5th position in 2022. Diamond Platnumz is a Tanzanian Afropop and Bongo Flava ( hip hop and R&B) recording artist.
Diamond was born on October 2 1989, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as Naseeb Abdul Juma Issack before taking his stage name Diamond Platnumz when he broke into the Tanzanian music industry in 2010 with his music album Kamwambie.
The Kamwambie album was made of 12 different songs, including his hit single Kamwambie, which reigned in Tanzania and Africa. In 2012 Diamond released another album Lala Salama which contained ten songs.
In the Lala Salama album, his top-selling album, he only featured Mrisho Mpoto in one song.
In the Lala Salama album, his top-selling album, he only featured Mrisho Mpoto in one song.
In 2018 Diamond gained more popularity in the music industry featuring many artists around the world, including Rick Ross, Omarion, Davido, P-Square, Tiwa Savage, flavour and many others in his album A Boy from Tandale released in 2018 by Universal Music Group after joining the music group in 2017.
Since his album in 2018, he has released many singles featuring other famous African musicians, including Fally Ipupa, who is regarded as one of the best musicians in Africa.
Many musicians have also featured Diamond, which has earned him the third-best musician in Africa. Adding to his music popularity, Diamond is also known for his dancing talent, having shown his move in his music.
He is regarded as one of the best dancers among other African musicians. Diamond currently owns a record label WCB Wasafi in which he has signed many artists from Tanzania.
He is regarded as the best and richest musician in Tanzania, owning his uncountable number of hit songs. He has also won many music awards that have pushed him to become the 4th best musician in Africa.
Adding to Diamond WCB Wasafi record label, he also owns Zoom extra, Wasafi TV and Wasafi FM, one of Tanzania’s best media.
Due to his popularity in the music industry, Diamond has signed many contracts with different companies, including Pepsi Brand Ambassador in East Africa, Brand Ambassador of Parimatch Africa and Nice One Brand Ambassador, all in 2019.
He also signed another contract as the Brand Ambassador of Coral Paints in 2020
3. *Jonathan Liebmann, South African*
_Real Estate developer, CEO of Propertuity_
Liebmann, 28, is the Managing Director of Propertuity, a South African Real Estate development company and the brains behind the construction of the Maboneng Precinct, a thriving cultural district in the east side of Johannesburg’s CBD. Once a neglected and deteriorating neighborhood housing abandoned industrial complexes, Liebmann transformed Maboneng into a vibrant urban mixed-use community complete with Art galleries, artist studios, retail spaces, offices and artist studios. Read more about Jonathan Liebmann, Propertuity and Maboneng Precint
4. * Ayegbayo Damola Nigeria*
_Contemporary artist_
His name is a Prominent one in the Arts community globally. This is because he has been able to make over 1500 artworks personally but his works have been accepted globally in the international markets and it is also been used as a monument in oshogbo the capital City of Osun state.
That is why once you mention the name Damola Victor ayegbayo anywhere around the Arts community, especially in Osun state you will be told he is an artistic lovee.
I have never been to Osun before and honestly, I was not sure what to expect. My first impression of the state was damola art painting in the capital city roundabout in Osogbo. It made me feel enthusiastic and welcome because it is a beautiful painting that tells a historical story.
And if you have never made your way to the land of Osogbo, Damola artworks collections will give you an additional reason to visit. His artworks are unusual with lots of African touch of history that tells stories mostly about African women and it houses mostly African types of artworks.
Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, is the home of Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding, (CBCIU). Located in South-west of Nigeria, 240 kilometers north of Lagos, Osogbo is both a Yoruba city-kingdom of over 700,000 people and an important chapter in the history of modern African art.
What brought our crew to his residence, in a nutshell, is to try and get as many ideas and to know how he was able to make over 1500 artworks at the very young age of 33.
At his residents, we were able to account for about 1000 artworks and the acclaimed remaining 500 works have been sold, donated, or used by brands for decorations.
When our crew made further findings, we discovered that Oyasaf collections have about 10 of his works, Two were acquired by the state government of one of it is already been used as a monumental picture in the capital city of Osogbo, Standard chartered bank has two of his collection, over 30 of it has been sold by Saatchi Art to many collectors internationally, auctioned by Bidhaus and jasper actions houses and the rest was either sold or donated by the artist.
But we still can not take away the fact that he was able to make over 1000 works of art without collecting other artists’ works to add to the works we were able to see at his residence.
Nigeria has witnessed art collectors like yemisi shyllon with over 8000 works of art, Nike with about 7000, Josephine oboh Macleod with 6000, etc but all of their artworks are collections of other artists to make up that numbers and they are in their late 50s and above.
Damola is arguably an important African artist up to this day, He is one of the most important contemporary painters. Due to the expressive character of his works and the ease with which he switches from surface to surface, it is clear to say the diction between painting versus drawing seems to disappear with the Nigerian master.
*5. Van Calebs , Ghana*
_Choreography Dancer_
Van Calebs, known for his Cultural Choreography dance moves and charming stage presence, is a cultivated artist who has taken the universe of performing expressions by storm. Brought into the world on February 22, 1991, in Dzorwulu, Ghana, Van was brought up in a family well established in imaginative customs.But had his education at Wisconsin International University College and further studied at Adisadel College
Since early on, Van Calebs showed a natural ability for moving and would frequently engage his loved ones with his smooth developments. Perceiving his ability, his folks urged him to seek after his energy and selected him in dance classes at a nearby foundation. From that point forward, he is leading his studios in all the top moving studios.
As of late, Van Calebs is taking every one of the features ove online entertainment due to his praiseworthy dance abilities. The clients know him by his dance movement, Van Calebs is a notable name in the field of Ghanaian dance and movement in view of his great appearance, alluring character, and noteworthy abilities to move. Besides, quite early in life, he figured out how to procure various fans around the world.
Van excursion as an Dancer has been loaded up earnestly, difficult work, and a steadfast energy for his craft. Continuously taking a stab at greatness, he keeps on pushing the limits of his inventiveness, continually investigating new roads and provoking himself to arrive at new levels.
Past his uncommon abilities as an artist, Van is likewise a giver who has utilized his foundation to have a constructive outcome on society. He effectively advocates for the instruction and strengthening of oppressed kids, accepting that dance and human expressions can be an amazing asset for social change.
As Van Calebs keeps on captivating crowds with his novel style and phenomenal ability, he stays a motivation yearning for artists, advising them that with devotion, versatility, and an affection for the work of art, dreams can be transformed into the real world.