In this episode, I’m revisiting a powerful conversation I had with Ras Mutabaruka—a Rwandan-Canadian entrepreneur, media maker, and community builder whose ingenuity, creativity, and faith in humanity have driven him to carve out a life of passion and vision. From experiences of struggle and migration, Ras has developed an enduring, inexhaustible love for the continent of his birth. Frustrated with how Africa and Africans are often portrayed in global media, Ras founded TAP Media Ltd., the parent company of TAP Magazine, a Pan-African platform dedicated to rebranding Africa, one story at a time. By 2017, TAP had already reached over 7 million Africans.
I decided to revisit this conversation after coming across a recent report that highlights the steep financial costs of media stereotypes about Africa—costs that go far beyond perception and directly affect the continent’s borrowing rates and economic opportunities. This timely report underscores and touches on some of Ras’s insights on the power of owning our narrative and the urgent need to tell Africa’s stories with authenticity and nuance.
Together, Ras and I discuss the importance of storytelling, building a strong African-led creative economy, and the impact of living between cultures. This episode is a reminder of why it’s crucial for Africans to tell their own stories.
02:28 Work, Identity & Cultural Reconnection
18:55 The Power of Storytelling
23:36 Focusing on Positive African Stories
30:40 The Importance of the Creative Economy
33:50 The Potential of Afrobeat in Nigeria
34:21 Solving the IP Issue in the Music Industry
35:48 The Youth and Creative Economy in Africa
39:36 The Importance of Collaboration Across Sectors
40:44 Memorable Stories from the Journey
47:46 The Power of Storytelling
49:52 Life Advice for Young Africans
57:51 Final Thoughts and Gratitude
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