Africa Published Volume 1: For Our Story

VOLUME I APRIL 2023 

AFRICA PUBLISHED 

for our story 

for our story 

for our story

APRIL 2023 

PREFACE 

for our story 

Africa Published is a publication created with the 

mission of encouraging the sharing of the African 

story by African photographers and creatives. This is 

in an effort to normalise learning, and building, 

publicly to share a journey often hidden: 

the storyteller should have their story shared as they 

work toward something bigger than themselves. 

Each image and word in this publication will give 

insight into their perspective of the given focus, as 

well as offer input from individuals and organisations 

that have given of their time to grow the African 

creative as they work in industry. 

Under the theme 'For our Story', this volume 

encouraged the consideration of decent work and 

economic growth: the contributors interpretation and 

experiences. (SDG 8: Economic Growth). 

As Unpublished's flagship program, Creative Business 

studio culminates in this publication, all contributors 

are participants, facilitators or mentors that came 

together to support the growth of the African 

emerging artist. 

— Anesu-Tendesai Chikumba

VOLUME I APRIL 2023 

for our story 

2 

Peter Mukhaye 

Photographer (KE) 

6 

Tanatswa Mukwacha 

Creativetech for decent work in 

the African creative industy: 

CollaboMe 

9 

Derrick Magezi Kageni 

Photographer (UG) 

14 

Farai Mudzingwa 

Bridging the information gap: 

Story Untold ZW 

17 

Namukolo Siyumbwa 

Photographer (ZA) 

22 

The Created Creative 

Getting started with brand 

positioning for your African 

brand 

31 

The Finance Guy 

Simplify for financial growth 

tracking 

33 

Maingaila Muvundika 

Photographer (GH) 

38 

Akayi 

Developing a Creative Business 

Strategy 

41 

Bantubahle Mahlangu 

Photographer (RSA) 

45 

Unpublished 

46 

Creative Business Studio 

25 

Nancy Afua Agyeman 

Photographer (GH) 

for our story 

Unpub 

lished

Peter Mukhaye| In Her Story, 2022, Nairobi, Kenya 

Model: Keren Osapir

AFRICA PUBLISHED VOLUME 1 

COHORT 1 PARTICIPANT 

Peter 

Mukhaye 

A Kenyan Conceptual visual artist who 

uses photography to tell stories. Peter's 

work centers around African futurism. 

With a philosophy of Africa, as a 

continent, no longer be left behind 

when it comes to advancement of 

technology and humanity all together, 

Peter Mukhaye seeks to tell visual 

narratives through powerful imageries. 

His work has been featured in Vogue 

Italia as well as Wall Paper Magazine 

being the first runner up for Hue-Man 

design competition. Peter has exhibited 

his work internationally in the Design 

Miami 2021 in the USM Modular 

Furniture exhibition, Exhibition at the 

59th Venice Biennale courtesy of Akka 

Project , the Norman Foster Foundation 

for his work surrounding 

Environmental sustainability. He also 

competed at the Oppo Kenya's Picture 

Life Together seeing his work come 

second in the competition. 

follow the artist 

2


PETER MUKHAYE 

In Her Story: Keren Osapir is an 

architect, artist and founder of Ogfra 

Fashion House that designs clothes and 

crochet pieces rooted in contemporary 

African art. I had an opportunity to 

photograph her, and share is her story 

and vision for her craft 

Peter Mukhaye | Opilence, 2022, Bungoma, Kenya 

Opilence, An image created by 

integrating a conceptual photograph 

and artificial intelligence. The image is 

supposed to communicate the desire 

for sustenance. 

There are objects that represent 

agriculture, minerals and fabric, all 

which are primarily tapped in for the 

livelihood of most people in my context. 

3



artist 

Peter Mukhaye 

statement 

My work is primarily rooted in African 

Futurism with hopes to inspire my 

peers to dream big and pursue all their 

aspirations. My work provokes 

individuals to be trendsetters and to 

pay attention to new opportunities 

taking advantage of them for our 

collective growth. Unique opportunities 

that are context-specific will be birthed 

through the process. This will generate 

new and exciting work environments, 

contributing to SDG 8 (Decent Work 

and Economic Growth). 

Being a visual storyteller has given me 

opportunities to access people's lives 

and daily activities. in the process I 

have been able to see, first hand the 

struggles of the common people, who 

inform the larger part of the population 

of my country. This is as they strive to 

make ends meet for themselves and 

their families (especially the youth and 

women). Seeing this his has provoked 

me as an artist to be conscious and to 

use my voice to lobby for intervention 

over the issue. 

4


PETER MUKHAYE 

Peter Mukhaye | Twaja, Nairobi, Kenya, 2021. 

This is a conceptual body of work I designed to communicate hope for the African Youth. It depicts a group of 

African Astronauts of the future, set to save the whole of humanity. As a continent, we are not limited by any 

predestined hurdles. We can change the world; we have the power to do so. 

5



Creativetech for 

decent work in the 

African creative 

industy 

COLLABOME 

My name is Tanatswa Mukwacha and I 

am a freelance content creator in 

Zimbabwe. 

I have a passion for the African creative 

industry and having spent quite some 

time in it, I decided that I would take 

part in creating a platform for it. 

CollaboMe is a platform my cofounders 

and I developed for African creatives to 

collaborate on projects and since its 

launch in December, we are excited to 

see several creatives signed up. 

As a freelance creative in Zimbabwe, I 

have faced major challenges in 

generating decent income. I found 

partnering with, or being 

commissioned by grant related 

organizations quite difficulted. The 

reality is that in this industry, working 

with with formal institutions such as 

nonprofits and for profit corporations 

that contribute to the arts sector makes 

the work more sustainable. 

Tanatswa Mukwacha (cofounder of CollaboMe) 

My experience in the industry and the 

challenges that I faced are essentially 

what led to the creation of CollaboMe. 

6


TANATSWA MUKWACHA 

Decent work means creating value and 

receiving a fair share after monetizing 

your creation. That is the mission 

CollaboMe – to ensure that this 

happens in an African context. 

While our platform addresses quite a 

number of Sustainable Development 

Goals, a key area we have been working 

toward is to do with SDG 8: Decent 

work and economic growth. Callobome 

facilitates artists at different levels 

contributing to projects. 

Our hopes that are that underground 

artists work with established artists 

allowing them to contribute to funded 

projects. This will allow artists to 

generate revenue from their work and 

increase the chances of newer artists 

increasing their income earlier on their 

careers. 

Tanatswa 

Mukwacha 

I am a Zimbabwean freelance content 

creator and social innovator. My work 

has been centered around developing 

social innovations for the the civil 

society and non-profit sectors with 

most of the innovations being based on 

technology and addressing different 

societal issues in Zimbabwe. 

I have worked in the numerous arts 

organizations such as Magamba 

Network, The FeedZW and Open Parly 

Zimbabwe. uch as Accountability Lab, 

Act in Africa, Ignite Youth organization, 

Generation Unlimited, Impact Hub 

Harare. 

Revenue 

generation is a big 

challenge for most 

African artists and 

through our 

platform we are 

working to solve 

this problem 

through a platform 

for economic 

opportunities. 

CollaboMe team From Left: Tanatswa Mukwacha, Itayi Chitovoro, Denzel Sambo, Tafadzwa Chaipa. 

7


PETER MUKHAYE 

Peter Mukhaye | Provision, 2022, Bungoma, Kenya, 

A Conceptual image mixed with AI for storytelling depicting a lady carrying a woven basket. 

It seeks to comment on African women's artisans industry. 

8


NANCY AFUA AGYEMAN 

Derrick Magezi Kagena|2022, Gulu, Uganda 

1



Derrick 

Magezi Kagena 

A Ugandan documentary photographer 

on a mission to capture authentic 

moments that people can relate to. 

Derrick's interest in photography was 

piqued by how candid images were 

able to evoke similar emotions from 

person to person. 

Derrick has been commissioned to 

work the Ugandan Ministry of Health, 

Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry 

and fisheries as well as non profits such 

as Strong Minds. He has also exhibited 

his work in Zimbabwe. 

Derrick is on a journey to document his 

home country in its true natural self. 


10


DERRICK MAGEZI KAGENA 

Derrick Magezi Kagena, 2021, Jinja Uganda 

Image 1 : After a visit to one of my 

friend's farm, we were given vegetables 

to carry home as our gifts from the 

farm. The farm manager Mr. Okecho 

was helping us wrap the vegetables 

while telling us how to prepare them, I 

was fascinated by the way he was 

helping her wrap them. Gayaza district. 

Uganda 2023 

Image 2: This picture was taken at a 

market on my way from the source of 

the Nile in a district called Jinja, (2021) 

this was my first long trip after the 

lockdown was lifted, at this point of the 

journey market vendors run after cars 

which make pit stops to try and make a 

sale, the most bought food at this 

market is roasted chicken and plantain. 

Looking through the driving mirror 

from the back, It was such a joy to 

make that pit stop for roasted Chicken. 

11



artist 

Derrick Magezi Kagena 

statement 

My name is Kagena Magezi Derrick a 

Documentary photographer I used to 

take the time to observe the things in 

my world. The reality is that being 

present in. the moment is exciting and 

while posing for photographs might 

seem inevitable, it is the candid photos 

I have found deeply connect with us 

emotionally. When I started taking 

photos I didn't take it seriously but I 

was curious about this - 

why we relate with images the way we 

do. I loved the way that seemingly 

mundane moments could be captured 

and transformed into true beauty. This 

notion encouraged me to be even more 

intentional and creative every day. 

currently am on a journey to document 

the world in its true natural self, how 

we live in it, our love, beauty, and our 

emotions to tell stories that know no 

boundaries. 

12


DERRICK MAGEZI KAGENA 

Derrick Magezi Kagena | Reportage, 2021, Kalangala District, Uganda 

13 

1



Bridging the 

information gap: 

Story Untold ZW is a platform that 

showcases the stories of young 

Zimbabweans who are working 

towards achieving the UN's Sustainable 

Development Goal 8: Decent Work and 

Economic Growth. The platform aims to 

inspire, educate and empower other 

Farai Mudzingwa (founder) 

young people to pursue their passions 

and create positive change in their 

communities. Story Untold ZW uses 

various media such as podcasts, videos, 

blogs and social media to share the 

experiences and challenges of these 

young entrepreneurs and innovators. 

To date we have had over 30 young 

Zimbabweans share on their work. 

While our work has been fulfilling with 

lot of positive feedback we have faced 

some challenges in telling the 

Zimbabwean story. 

STORY UNTOLD ZW 

As the founder of Story Untold ZW, I 

have faced challenges surrounding 

growing the brand to the not only what 

I envision it to be, but financially. There 

is a need to start making recurring 

revenue and transitioning from being 

over reliant on grants which have 

outcomes and timelines that are 

outside of our control. 

When we started, we also struggled to 

find people to for the interviews as 

people weren’t familiar with the brand 

or what we are trying to do. 

Fortunately, this has gotten better with 

time. 

While we highlight the potential and 

opportunities that exist in various 

sectors, such as technology, fashion, 

animation, music and photography; we 

are also exposing the gaps and barriers 

that hinder their development and 

sustainability. This is such as lack of 

funding, infrastructure, skills and 

markets. Story Untold ZW aims to 

inspire, educate and connect 

Zimbabweans who are passionate 

about solving problems and creating 

14


FARAI MUDZINGWA 

value through their work. Story Untold 

ZW has been a platform for people 

from different sectors to share their 

experiences, but I too have a passion 

for solving Zimbabwean problems. I am 

passionate about solving Zimbabwe’s 

access to information. As a creative, 

decent work that leads to economic 

growth means that I think of work that 

offers me an opportunity to live with 

dignity but also benefits other people 

which is why I want to solve the 

information gap through the platform. 

Ultimately, Story Untold ZW features 

stories of Zimbabwean creatives, 

entrepreneurs and innovators who are 

making an impact in their fields. By 

sharing their journeys, challenges and 

successes, not only do we showcases 

the need for decent work and economic 

growth in Zimbabwe, we also help 

inform more people on how such is 

actually attainable. 

Farai 

Mudzingwa 

Farai Mudzingwa is passionate about 

creating a platform for students to find 

information surrounding various career 

types and sectors. With three years of 

experience covering Tech in Zimbabwe, 

he is now the founder of Untold Zw 

which interviews professionals across 

sectors. 

follow their work 

15


DERRICK MAGEZI KAGENI 

Derrick Magezi Kagena, 2022, Gulu Uganda 

Image 4: I was inspired by the way this truck was overloaded with bags of charcoal and a torn 

cover as we were returning from a trip in the northern part of Uganda. 

16

Namukolo Siyumbwa | Moone, 2023, Lusaka Zambia 

Model: Natasha Siyumbwa


COHORT 1 MENTOR 

Namukolo 

Siyumbwa 

Namukolo Siyumbwa is a portrait and 

event photographer from Lusaka, 

Zambia. She started photography as a 

hobby and part time job, before taking 

it up full time at the end of 2018. 

Namukolo has since managed to 

garner a steady clientele, reaching 

milestones such as being featured in 

Zambia's in-flight magazine, Nkwazi. 

She has had her work exhibited in 

Pikicha Gallery, Zimbabwe a show 

curated by Unpublished and has been 

shortlisted for the Sony Photo Awards 

in the Creative Portrait catery in 2023. 

While her is work is experimental; she 

tells stories inspired by nostalgia, 

mysticism and African folklore. 

Her goal is to encourage more women 

to get involved in photography and 

explore imaginative storytelling. 

Namukolo is also a freelance 

photojournalist for Reuters an avenue 

which has allowed to capture and cater 

to the everyday person in Zambia. 


18


NAMUKOLO SIYUMBWA 

Namukolo Siyumbwa | Clay, 2023, Lusaka Zambia 

MOONE : A photo that made it on to 

the Sony Photo Awards: Creative 

category shortlist. This textured and 

layered image was a spontaneous idea 

hatched during a regular photo session 

with the photographer's sister 

The Prince: This is from the god-prince 

series that was a spontaneously 

conceived idea one summer afternoon 

and we (me and the model) used 

fabrics and jewelry to put this look 

together. 

CLAY (image above) : Self portrait with a 

superimposed bark that had been 

taken by the photographer. This 

became the cover image of Nkwazi 

Magazine in early 2020. 

19


COHORT 1 MENTOR 

artist 

Namukolo Siyumbwa 

statement 

've always been a fan of fantasy. 

Whether in books, animations, 

movies, or photography. I love 

anything that takes my mind on a 

journey and indulge my 

escapism.All these images were 

taken in my living room, with a 

small set up: a backdrop, one 

light and a tripod. 

These images came from ideas 

that were meticulously planned 

or spontaneous. There is no inbetween. 

I love experimenting 

with stories and textures with my 

self portraits and ad hoc photo 

sessions with friends. When I 

manage to plan out an idea, I look 

for reference images close to 

what I see in my mind as a guide, 

and then put my elements into it. 

I like to give a little more 

dimension and interest with 

almost gives a multimedia feel. I 

add textures and bits of other 

photos to the single image. It's 

easy for photographers to get 

encompassed by the commercial 

side of photography, especially 

when living hand to mouth. But 

my creative portraits show that 

we can use photography to 'play' 

and create as an artist. 

Namukolo Siyumbwa | The Prince, 2019, Lusaka Zambia 

Model: Lubasi Katundu 

20



Namukolo Siyumbwa | Flower girl 1, 2021, Lusaka Zambia 

An experiment with old fine art paintings of flowers, blended into self portraiture 

21


COHORT 1 FACILITATOR 

Getting started with 

brand positioning 

for your African brand 

Positioning itself is considered complex, 

however through digging deeper into 

branding and making it a mission to 

help people position themselves, we 

have found that a complex concept is a 

sum of simple concepts. Positioning 

with its many advantages is essentially 

the space that you take up in your 

clients and stakeholders minds while 

being top of mind is being the go to for 

a specific service in a specific sector. 

This means that you want to become 

known for something and then become 

the first person that comes to mind 

when people spontaneously think of 

your specific service in your chosen 

sector — you become the go to . 

When you think of your sector, don’t 

just think of photography, for example, 

think about the kind of photography 

you enjoy and the kind of person you 

want to work with. This cohort had a 

documentary photographer specific to 

the Jazz industry and specific to the 

South African market. Niching down 

doesn’t mean you stop taking other 

work, it just means that you are actively 

communicating the kind of work that 

you want to do. 

THE CREATED CREATIVE 

When people see your work they will 

see, get to know and understand your 

style imagining it in their context and 

needs. 

Why do people come to you? And how 

close is it to what you want them to 

come you for? 

Branding will happen with or without 

you and if you aren’t intentional with 

your brand that gap between what 

people know you for and what you 

want to be known for will grow. It's 

more difficult to correct this than it is to 

create it. 

This begs the question of how– how do 

create a brand that is aligned with your 

vision for your creative career? The 

answer: By building a reputation using 

the tools at your disposal. Decide on 

what it is you want to be known for and 

then constantly share this on your 

current platforms and with your 

current audience. 

22


THE CREATED CREATIVE 

Social media has influenced 

how we think about an 

audience or a following but 

always think about that 

number being people. 

Ten people make up a boardroom, fifty 

people make up a lecture hall, one 

hundred people might be above the 

venue limit for some event spaces. And if 

two of those people buy into what you are 

doing, come to you for your services and 

then refer you that shows growth. Share 

your content to people, and tell them why 

you do what you do and how you can 

serve them. 

Over time it may feel repetitive but the 

reality is that we tend to trust people 

because they are consistent in who they 

say they are. This means that you need 

to decide on what you want to be know 

for, talk about it and then be that 

person. 

So, what do you want to be known for 

and how does that differ from what you 

are known for? 

The Created 

Creative is a brand 

and digital marketing service and 

Podcast. We serve African individuals 

and organizations in helping build a 

reputation aligned with their vision 

using digital marketing tools. 

Listen to the podcast: 

Building African Brands: 

23



Namukolo Siyumbwa | Flower girl 2, 2021, Lusaka Zambia 

An experiment with old fine art paintings of flowers, blended into self portraiture 

24

Nancy Afua Agyeman | Sankofa 1, 2023, Accra, Ghana



Nancy Afua 

Agyeman 

Also known as Efe Agyeman, Nancy 

Afua is a portrait photographer 

exploring ways to tell visual stories 

about missing pieces in her context as 

woman in Accra, Ghana. 

She believes that photography is an 

avenue to capture and keep key 

moments with hopes that that will 

prolog the phasing out of our stories. 

This is all in a world that is constantly 

changing and in a world where pieces 

seem to go missing faster than ever. 

Here hopes are that Photographed 

images will remain a guide. 

The images shared in this publication 

are from a series Sankofa and her hope 

is they could be used as reference and 

a source of inspiration to others. 

“The noblest art is that of making 

others happy “- P.T. Barnum 


26



Nancy Afua Agyeman| Sankofa 1-5, 2023, Accra, Ghama 

27



artist 

Nancy Afua Agyeman 

statement 

SANKOFA: 

The Missing Piece 

Sankofa, an Akan word which literally 

means go back for it. It is often 

associated with traditions – to go back 

or traditions. 

A lot has a change with the world 

becoming a global village. Interracial 

marriage, merging cultures and new 

traditions being made. We also live in 

era with an influx of western culture as 

a dominance. This changes have 

created space to know more about 

other cultures but there are others that 

seem to have been forgotten. 

We have been able to identify which are 

outmoded and harmful to us but we 

haven’t been able to harness the good 

ones. 

Nancy Afua Agyeman | Sankofa 2, 2023, Ghana 

Growing up with my grandmother, she always sat me down and I remember her 

words clearly “in any moment you find yourself lost, remember where you come 

from“. I never found the importance to this until a year ago when I had to work on a 

theme “The Female Gaze”. A perspective but even more it was an opportunity to go 

back and find what we deemed important and what binds us together – community. 

Not one or two, but a group with a common belief. In doing this, I have been able to 

understand what my Grandmother tried to teach me. 

28



There was a missing piece to African 

people and that is what binds us as a 

people. The culture – the food, the tales 

or our forefathers, the myths and 

legends, our heroes etc. 

After this big realization, I have worked 

with that interest. Photography has 

been a means to relive our beautiful 

culture through images. Most of my 

photographs highlights what defines us 

and that includes our dark skin and 

kinky hair has been an amazing part of 

my storytelling. These images are 

purposed for representation i.e. images 

that look like me which has been aim 

since I started photography. I have 

continued to document relatable 

images from our daily life, livelihoods 

such as farming, fishing, etc. 

I have also photographed our locally 

made textiles with keen interest and 

our and include cultural symbols into 

my photographs. During these period I 

have learnt what goes into making 

these textiles. The names of these 

textiles and their significance in which 

they are used for. 

'I refer to all these 

emblems as our missing 

pieces. The pieces which 

might be answer to our 

cultural crisis.' 

In a world which, our missing pieces 

seems to phase out, photography could 

be an avenue to keep them and guide 

our way of life in our ever changing 

world. 

These photographs have a long way to 

go and my hope is they could be used 

as reference and a source of inspiration 

to others. 

“The noblest art is that of making 

others happy “- P.T. Barnum 

The “Adinkra” symbols in Akan culture 

and the most popularly known “Gye 

Nyame” which means only God. I refer 

to all these emblems as our missing 

pieces. The pieces which might be 

answer to our cultural crisis. 

29



Nancy Afua Agyeman| Sankofa 3, 2023, Accra, Ghana 

30



The Business of Creativity 

Simplify for 

financial growth 

tracking 

The Finance Guy 

Artists have a unique relationship with 

money, often valuing creative 

expression over financial gain. The 

reality is that being successful in the 

arts industy often requires a balance 

between vision and financial 

responsibility. Understanding how to 

cost your work and implementing an 

accounting system can help you as an 

artist. This allows for financial success 

while staying true to your creative 

vision. 

One common attitude I have found 

creatives have is a hesitation 

surrounding pricing their work. Many 

artists struggle with the idea of putting 

a price tag on something that is so 

personal and often comes from a 

deeply personal place. The result of this 

is more often than not under-priced 

work, and a continuous struggle to 

make a living from their art. 

necessary 

step in 

achieving 

financial 

success as an 

artist. The key 

is to 

understand 

the value of 

you work and 

to price 

Mark Mtombeni (Founder) 

to it accordingly. Factors such as 

materials, time, and the your 

experience should all be taken into 

consideration when determining the 

cost of a piece, or service. 

Another important aspect of an artist’s 

financial success for creatives is in 

implementing a simple accounting 

system. Many artists avoid 

bookkeeping, and from conversations I 

have had, this is because its often seen 

as tedious and time-consuming. 

Putting a price to your work is a 

31


THE FINANCE GUY 

Keeping track of your income and 

expenses is crucial for understanding 

the financial health of an your business 

– keeping track of these numbers is 

what differentiates a career from a 

hobby. Without an accurate 

understanding of finances, you may 

find yourself struggling to pay bills, save 

for the future, or even invest in your 

practice. 

Fortunately, there are many easy-touse 

accounting systems available for 

artists. I recommend exploring online 

platforms like ZOHO books and 

Waveapps that are designed specifically 

for freelancers and small business 

owners. They make it easy to track 

income, expenses, and invoices. These 

platforms also provide valuable insights 

into the financial health of an artist's 

business, making it easier to plan for 

the future and make informed financial 

decisions. Adopting an accounting 

system will also help you with your with 

tax preparation. 

f you, like many artists, are selfemployed 

and therefore responsible 

for paying your own taxes this is good 

to have in mind. Without proper 

bookkeeping, tax season can be 

stressful and time-consuming. A wellorganized 

accounting system can 

simplify the process, making tax season 

less daunting and more manageable. 

Without an accurate 

understanding of 

finances, you may 

find yourself 

struggling even 

invest in your 

practice. 

Overall, adopting an attitude of 

financial responsibility is crucial if you 

are looking to achieve financial success. 

Price your work appropriately and 

implement an easy-to-use accounting 

system. It may seem daunting at first, 

but it can ultimately lead to a more 

stable and successful career and it will 

help you track your growth. 

By taking time to learn more about the 

financial side of your work and 

understanding you will have more 

control of your finances. As an artists 

you can create a sustainable and 

fulfilling professional life while staying 

true to your creative vision. 

Learn more about 

your finances: 

32

Maingaila Muvundika | Nidye Mwamene Vima Sila, 2023 Lusaka Zambia 

Models: Tom Manda and Taonga Ng’uni,



Maingaila 

Muvundika 

Mainga’s interest in photography began 

during his early childhood years seeing 

photographs that his mother had 

taken. 

This grew into a career initiated by 

capturing and creating his own 

photographs with whatever device he 

had at his disposal. In the second year 

on a non creative degree, he ventured 

Into fine art and portrait photography 

for which he is now known. 

Mainga has since had his work 

published on PhotoVogue, i-D 

magazine, and the magazine cover for 

Nkwazi Magazine while having his work 

commissioned by Canva. This is in 

addition to having his work exhibited in 

a group photography exhibition titled 

Narratives Unpublished which was part 

of the Unpublished in Africa 

photography week. 


34


MAINGAILA MUVUNDIKA 

Nidye Mwamene Vima Sila: loosely 

translates to “this is exactly how these 

things end” in ChiNyanja is part of an 

unreleased project exploring the 

exploitative and predatory nature of 

social institutions within our current 

society. 

Photo Assistant: Caleb James Latreille, 

Styling - Maingaila 

Greener: (next page): An image 

showcasing the results of self 

introspection surrounding navigating my 

environment and the need to dumb 

down or silence my physical appearance. 

This is all in an effort to live through 

each day with minimal confrontation. 

This piece created a space within to be 

free without the chaos of self doubt. 

Us by Us: 

An idea developed 

with a fellow 

photographer 

Shilika to highlight 

the importance of 

telling your own 

stories. 

The artistic 

practice is self 

portraiture heavy 

to reinforce the 

need to be the 

first point of 

contact in idea 

conception. 

Maingaila Muvundika | Us by Us, 2023, Lusaka Zambia 

Model - Shilika, Styling - Shilika 

35



artist 

Maingaila Muvundika 

statement 

Most of my work is 

biographical and seeks to 

understand relationships 

between things like class, 

religion, gender etc and 

how people navigate that 

within the Zambian 

context. 

There’s a high focus on 

how people present (the 

physical attributes such as 

hair, clothes, piercings, 

tattoos etc and what 

environments these things 

are allowed or not). 

As a young person, there’s 

so many different niceties 

that i’m being afforded 

that generations prior had 

no access to. There’s a gap 

in our hierarchy of needs 

and principles that births 

an array of problems. 

Photography has the 

power to arrest one’s 

attention and with the 

work I create and the 

topics I dissect, I hope to 

bridge these gaps. 

Maingaila Muvundika | Greener, 2022, Lusaka Zambia 

36



Maingaila Muvundika| Bacci, Zambia 2021 

Model: Bacci, Styling: Bacci. 

This portrait came out of a shoot for his promotional work as an artist. It’s special to me because he 

wholly put his image in my hands. In a country where most are camera averse, I'm always reminded how 

delicate of a task it is to portray people for public consumption. 

37



Developing a 

Creative Business 

Strategy 

Starting a business as a creative can be 

challenging, but partnering with a 

business development program can 

help you turn your passion into a 

profitable business. A business 

development program targeted 

specifically at addressing the needs of 

creative business can provide one with 

the tools, resources, and support they 

need to succeed in their creative 

business. 

As Akayi, we were honoured to offer 

our support in terms of business 

principles and tools to enhance creative 

businesses. Akayi is an ecosystem 

enabler focused on fostering 

entrepreneurship and it is based in 

Harare, Zimbabwe. We currently run a 

business development programme 

called BizBuild which has successfully 

incubated 3 cohorts over the past 6 

months. 

We hosted a business development 

workshop which focused on educating 

the participants on monetising and 

differentiating their business in the 

market. This workshop was based on 

the “Purple Cow” theory. A concept 

developed by Seth Godin on 

AKAYI 

how companies must build things 

worth noticing right into their products 

or services. A "Purple Cow" creative 

business is one that takes a product 

that typically find difficulty in 

differentiating and uses product 

development to transform it into a fun 

and quirky brand that people actually 

want to talk about and share with their 

friends. 

The workshop was followed by 1-on-1 

business development consultations 

where the participants shared the 

current state of their businesses and 

their goals to monetise and reach the 

next level be it client, marketing or 

product focused. Some concepts that 

were shared included offering 

specialised services and collaborating 

with SMEs to grow their distribution 

network. A common consideration 

amongst participants was the notion of 

looking and finding another job or 

means of income in order to support 

their creative pursuits. Though this can 

be helpful, the time and attention 

removed from the business could 

hinder the progress of the creative’s 

efforts. More often than not, a business 

38



is reliant on the active engagement of 

the founder. One common solution to 

this was automation. Businesses were 

advised to list the mundane and 

repetitive tasks they engage in and to 

automate them in order to free up time 

to pursue leads and generate sales. 

Some additional benefits that creative 

businesses gained from engaging with 

a business development consultant 

from Akayi or module in a program 

such as the Creative Business Studio 

included: 

Business training and education 

Mentorship and guidance 

Networking opportunities 

Access to funding and resources 

Accountability and support 

One of the primary Sustainable 

Development Goals (SDGs) that we 

strive to achieve is SDG 8 - Decent Work 

and Economic Growth. As an 

entrepreneurship focused entity, we 

believe that empowering people to 

create jobs for themselves and their 

communities is one of the ways to end 

financial exclusion and the poverty 

cycle in many countries - including 

those in Africa. Programs that actively 

tackle challenges in securing and 

sustaining decent work are great as 

they not only address the challenge but 

they actively seek to understand it so 

that it does not perpetuate in our 

39



Maingaila Muvundika | Movement, 2022, Lusaka Zambia 

A self portrait from a transitional point in my life during a vacation with friends. The constant push and pull of life 

was heavy on my mind. The never ending thought of “what’s next?” ringing like my 6am alarm. I was escaping and 

leaving that all behind but just for a minute. 

40

Bantubahle Khotso Mahlangu | Passion, Pretoria State Theatre, South Africa, 2022



Bantubahle 

Mahlangu 

A South African documentary and 

portrait photographer born committed 

to documenting Jazz in his home 

country. Bantubahle's photography 

career began in 2012 studying 

photography at the Market Photo 

Workshop and then Umuzi. 

This began a journey which has found 

him working with BBC Africa, Standard 

Bank South Africa, Redbull Australia 

and South Africa., and Investec just to 

name a few. Batubahle has also had his 

work exhibited at Pikicha GAllery in 

Zimbabwe and is committed to telling 

stories through his chosen medium, 

photography. 


42


BANTUBAHLE KHOTSO MAHLANGU 

Bantubahle Khotso Mahlangu| Solitude, Bushfire festival, Swaziland, 2022. 

43


BANTUBAHLE MAHLANGU 

artist 

Bantubahle Mahlangu 

statement 

I am a portrait and documentary 

photographer with a keen 

interest in sharing stories about 

misrepresented narratives. 

I began my photography journey 

over ten years ago and while I 

have explored different types of 

photography, and styles I decided 

to focus on an industry I have 

been working with. 

Jazz is often seen as a genre for 

my parents generation, but asI 

engaged with the music industry 

in South Africa I realized that that 

is a false narrative. The young 

artists are writing, composing, 

singing and performing Jazz. 

Sometimes it is fused with what 

younger generations would relate 

to but what is even more 

interesting is that the youth 

attend these performances. I 

want to capture, and document 

this -- something I believe is 

growing and will possibly catch 

many off guard in a few years. 

The South African artist and more 

specifically the South African Jazz 

artist will have their story told. 

Bantubahle Khotso Mahlangu| Are you ready, 

Pretoria State Theatre, South Africa2022. 

44


THE UNPUBLISHED STORY 

Unpublished is a 

platform that was 

initially created to simply 

share everyday Zimbabwe 

in photography form. 

Today, it has grown into a platform 

working to encourage, showcase and 

promote documentary photography. 

We are committed to creating and 

facilitating events and activities that 

encourage the sustained advancement 

of (documentary) photographers and 

their invaluable work. This is while 

prioritizing the growth of the African 

emerging visual storyteller. 

Creative 

BUSINESS 

Studio 

Unpub 

lished 

Creative Business Studio is a six week 

virtual program created and facilitated 

by Unpublished. 

The program assists African emerging 

visual storytellers, and organisations 

supporting artists, as well ar creatives 

ready to professionalize their craft. The 

Creative Business Studio is a platform 

to build and 

improve a 

business built 

around core 

skills that rely on 

the individual 

being creative. 

Today, Unpublished is a publisher of 

documentary photography that 

collaborates with storytellers in order 

to find new and creative ways of 

uncovering and telling the African story. 

We empower communities in and 

around Zimbabwe by having 

conversations and asking questions 

where we were encouraged to follow 

the directive blindly. This is all while 

providing a space for like-minded 

creatives to build a community that 

encourages collaboration, curiosity, and 

confidence. 

The program facilitates the following 

Business training and education 

Mentorship and guidance 

Networking opportunities 

Access to funding and resources 

Accountability and support 

follow Unpublished 

45


THE UNPUBLISHED STORY 

Our Participants 

David Addo-Gyan (Ghana) · Nancy Afua Agyeman (Ghana) · Faith Mudiwa 

Chipangura (Zimbabwe) · Nomashawekazi Damasane (Zimbabwe) · Derrick Kagena 

Magezi (Uganda) · Bantubahle Mahlangu (South Africa) · Peter Mukhaye (Kenya) · 

Farai Mudzingwa (ZImbabwe) · Tanatswa Mukwacha (Zimbabwe) · Maingaila 

Muvundika (Zambia) · Richard Tentone (Zimbabwe) 

Our Facilitators 

Chido Dzinotyiwei (Akayi) · Benjamin Makono (Top Legal) · Anesu Chikumba (The 

Created Creative) · Mark Mtombeni (The Finance Guy) · Namukolo Siyumbwa (Eness 

Photography) 

Our Partners 

46

Collaborating with creators for 

the African narrative. 

Unpub 

lished 

hello@unplished.africa

Africa Published Volume 1: For Our Story

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