• Google has partnered with the African Union (AU) on a new campaign titled #DiscoverMyAfrica.
• The campaign is being rolled out to coincide with Africa Month, with Africa Day happening on 25th May.
• #DiscoverMyAfrica aims to highlight cultural richness on the continent via Google’s two video platforms – YouTube and YouTube Shorts.

With many South Africans concerned with the national elections happening towards the end of this month, they may have forgotten that May is Africa Month, with Africa Day set for 25th May 2024. It is with this in mind that Google has partnered with the African Union (AU) on a new campaign titled #DiscoverMyAfrica.

As the name would suggest, the focus of the campaign is to have local content creators highlight the cultural richness on the continent, using two of Google’s video platforms to do so – YouTube and YouTube Shorts.

Here Google explains that the #DiscoverMyAfrica Shorts Challenge is a month-long initiative to celebrate the diversity, heritage, and spirit of the African continent. “Throughout May, YouTube creators across Africa are invited to share short videos capturing their unique perspectives, using the hashtag #DiscoverMyAfrica,” it shared in a release with Hypertext.

“#DiscoverMyAfrica empowers African youth to share their stories and rich cultural heritage globally. Partnering with Google fosters creative expression and dialogue on content responsibility, digital preservation, and AI’s impact on Africa’s creative industries. This aligns with our vision for a digitally-enabled Africa harnessing cultural wealth for economic growth and social progress,” added Chido Mpemba, the AU chairperson’s youth envoy.

Google also points out that the YouTube Shorts Challenge will encourage creators to showcase various facets of African life, including music, art, food, fashion, and local landmarks.

On top of this, Google will also have YouTube Music Nights in Nigeria and South Africa, which are designed to showcase the wildly popular Afrobeats and Amapiano genres that have been embraced the world over. 

“Two dedicated playlists, ‘Africa’s Next Wave‘ and ‘Africa Superstars,’ will highlight both emerging talent and iconic voices that have made the continent a global music powerhouse,” the release concluded.

With South Africa’s, as well as other nations’ elections, proving divisive, here’s hoping these initiatives will at least help people remember to which continent they belong at the end of the day.

[Image – Provided]