Music In Africa Foundation elects new Board and chairperson

The AGM, which took place on the sidelines of the second Music In Africa Conference for Collaborations, Exchange and Showcases (ACCES), saw MIAF members vote to elect a new Board as per the Foundation's Constitution.

The members on the Board, representing the music scenes from different regions, are new chairperson Maimouna Dembele (Senegal), deputy chairperson Serge Maboma (Cameroon), treasurer Joel Baloyi (South Africa), Yusuf Mahmoud (Zanzibar), Ade Bantu (Nigeria), Ghita Kaldi (Morocco), Noemie Njangiru (South Africa) and Jens Cording (Germany). Njangiru and Cording serve on the board on behalf of the MIAF’s founding partners Goethe-Institut and Siemens Stiftung respectively.

The office bearers are as follows:

• Chairperson – Maimouna Dembele
• Deputy chairperson – Serge Maboma
• Treasurer – Adv Joel Baloyi
• Board member – Ghita Khaldi
• Board member – Yusuf Mahmoud
• Board member – Ade Bantu
• Board member – Noemie Njangiru
• Board member – Jens Cording

“We welcome the new board members to the Foundation and we are excited to work with them to fulfil our vision to be the leading source of information and exchange on the African continent,” MIAF director Eddie Hatitye said.

“We have no doubt that the new board will bring new ideas from their rich experience to help achieve this mission. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the former Board members for playing a central role in developing our success story of the past six years."

Leadership

Well-known radio host and PR professional Maimouna Dembele is the second Senegalese woman to occupy the position of chairperson. Dembele takes over from Aisha Deme, who stepped down from the position after the conclusion of the AGM. Raised between Senegal and the US, Dembele brings in vast knowledge of media best practices. She has worked for Radio 7 FM and played a pivotal role in the development of the hip hop industry in her country.

Cameroonian bass guitarist and Macase bandleader Serge Maboma replaces Prof Ribio Nzeza Bunketi Buse (DRC) as deputy chairperson. Maboma is the first MIAF Board member from Cameroon and will use his musical background of more than 20 years and intimate knowledge of the African music industry to inform important strategies at the Foundation.

A lawyer by profession, the new MIAF treasurer, Adv Joel Baloyi, takes over the reins from his South African counterpart Belisa Rodrigues. Baloyi is an experienced legal professional who was admitted as an advocate of the High Court of South Africa in 2006. He is well-versed in intellectual property law and commercial law.

The election of Ghita Khaldi on the Board coincides with the MIAF’s plans to expand into North Africa in order to fulfil its mandate to cover the entire continent by 2022. Khaldi heads up Afrikayna, an organisation that promotes intercultural exchange and artist mobility. She is also in charge of coordination and production of Boulevard Festival in Casablanca.

Yusuf Mahmoud is another prominent event organiser in Africa responsible for creating Zanzibar's world-famous Sauti za Busara festival. The Busara Promotions founder began organising anti-apartheid concerts in 1980s and is widely credited for revitalising the Zanzibari music scene. Ade Bantu, who first joined the Board in 2016, was re-elected. He brings in vast music industry experience, having run many musical projects in Germany and Nigeria, including the Afropolitan Vibes Festival in Lagos.

Jens Cording and Noemie Njangiru, who were previously responsible for the portfolio of international partnerships, bring in many years of experience on the international arts scene, having developed and implemented numerous cultural projects in Africa, Europe and Asia.

"The new board members represent a collective experience that can only strengthen our organisation in the future. These individuals are the absolute best in their fields. They bring unmatched knowledge and new energy into our leadership structures at the Foundation. The future looks bright," Hatitye said.

Outgoing Board members are Faisal Kiwewa (Uganda), Andre Le Roux (South Africa), Prof Ribio Nzeza Bunketi Buse (DRC), Aisha Deme (Senegal) and Belisa Rodrigues (South Africa),

To read more about the MIAF's current Board members, click here.