AU, TikTok launch #IAmAfrican campaign

Africa Day celebrates and acknowledges the achievements of the Organisation of African Unity, the predecessor of the AU, which was established on 25 May 1963. This year’s Africa Day celebrations will run under the theme, Silencing the Guns.

The two-week campaign will bring together the AU’s youth division within the Women, Gender and Youth Directorate. It calls on TikTok users to share their views on what makes them proudly African across various categories, including music.

Throughout the campaign, TikTok Africa will programme a line-up of in-app initiatives to shine the spotlight on the African content with genre-specific playlists, including amapiano, Afrobeats and gengetone. A number of top South African musicians are among the artists whose songs will be featured, including Lady Zamar, MFR Souls, Cassper Nyovest, Mi Casa’s J’Something, K.O and Moonchild Sanelly, among others.

All videos that are uploaded using one of the songs featured on the playlists with the official #IAmAfrican hashtag will stand a chance of being selected and shown on Trace TV in May.

The AU says the success of the campaign depends on its amplification through its 55 member states to generate interest and capture young people’s perceptions and identities pertaining to the theme and to showcase the shared commentary.

“Through initiatives like the #IamAfrican campaign, TikTok is playing a strategic role in being a key player in promoting music, shining a spotlight on the amazing talent on the continent and uniting the world,” TikTok content operations manager for Africa Boniswa Sidwaba said. “As we continue to prioritise spreading joy, creativity, inclusivity and diversity on the platform, we call on everyone to get involved.”

Meanwhile, YouTube Music has partnered with MTV Base to host a number of panel discussions and live performances throughout the month of May, which will culminate in the Africa Day Concert hosted by Idris Elba on 25 May.