As part of its Africa Day celebrations on May 25, Meta, a social technology company, on Monday, May 23, 2022 announced the return of its global campaign, ‘Made by Africa, Loved by the World’, which was first launched in 2021.
The campaign is aimed at amplifying the voices and stories of people and businesses from across Africa that are impacting the world. This year’s campaign spotlights eight creators, innovators and Small and Midsize Businesses (SMBs) who are making a name for themselves not only in Africa, but globally, and are changing the way Africa is viewed on the international stage.
As part of the on-platform and marketing campaign, Meta has partnered with local filmmakers to bring to life eight phenomenal stories. Alongside, Meta will run a dedicated global and local Instagram campaign featuring partnerships with African content creators and the development of a specially designed Augmented Reality (AR) filter inspired by #AfricaMade.
There will also be a series of free open virtual training sessions via the Meta Africa page (https://bit.ly/3PAWGt4), dedicated to all SMBs and Creators from across Africa.
Speaking about the campaign, Kezia Anim-Addo, Communications Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, said “I’m truly excited to be bringing back ‘Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ for the 2nd year running”.
“This campaign is about showcasing the incredible talent we have here on the continent, and the African people and businesses that are not only contributing to the global agenda, but are forging their own paths. At Meta, we remain invested in Africa, and know that this is home to some of the world’s most talented and inspired individuals, and we look forward to heroing just some of these stories through our ‘Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ campaign”.
Kezia Anim-Addo
Short Films: Made by Africa, Loved by the World
Partnering with five local filmmakers – Tarryn Crossman (South Africa), Kofi Awuah (Ghana), Joan Kabugu (Kenya), Bardia Olowu (Nigeria) and Nelson Makengo (DRC), these series of inspirational and beautifully shot short films will be live on a dedicated Africa Day microsite (https://bit.ly/3Nsansz).
The short films will focus on stories of Trevor Stuurman (South Africa); Ferre Gola (DRC); Mosope Olaosebikan (Nigeria); Rich Mnisi (South Africa); Selina Beb (Ghana); Black Rhino VR (Kenya); Bonita Foods (Nigeria); and Pixel Chefs (South Africa).
Celebrating Africa Day on Instagram
As a platform for self-expression, in the lead up to Africa Day and beyond, Instagram will be celebrating and highlighting the incredible talent and diversity of the African continent, Meta disclosed.
On the ‘Instagram AR Filter’, Meta disclosed that it is partnering with a South African immersive digital solutions company (Pixel Chefs) to create an interactive AR filter to provide the Instagram community with a tool to celebrate the occasion, with the vibrancy and liveliness of Africa at the heart.
According to Meta, Instagram will launch a Reels community challenge under the hashtag #ShareYourAfrica, to encourage its community to celebrate and share with the world what’s uniquely authentic and African to them, whether fashion, music, food or dance. This will be done in collaboration with content creators from across Africa and the diaspora.
Another program on Instagram, lined up for the AU Day celebration, is the African Designers Guide. Throughout the week of Africa Day and beyond, Meta disclosed that Instagram has invited @mizliz, the founder of @offtomag, to highlight 12 African designers and artists who are forging their own paths and redefining culture in the process.
Free Virtual Training Sessions
As part of Meta’s continued investment across the continent, it will also be hosting a number of free open training sessions throughout the week and post Africa Day via the Meta Africa page (https://bit.ly/3NwfZ4Y), focused on providing other upcoming creatives and entrepreneurs with the digital know-how to take their ideas global.
The Training will focus on five major topics which include:
Reels school- which helps trainees tolearn all about Reels on Facebook and Instagram, as well as top tips and best practices to help connect with more people.
Cross Border Business – helps discover how to explore different markets, reach new customers, localize marketing and optimize campaigns.
Monetization 101- will help traineesto discover ways to monetize owned content on Facebook and Instagram, as well as learn more about best practices and eligibility requirements.
Branded Content – Get future-ready, enables users to find out more about creator marketing on Meta platforms including best practices, creative tips, and media and measurement guidance.
Step into AR– will help trainees to dip into the world of the Metaverse through the lens of Augmented Reality (AR) and explore “the what, why and how of AR to help create incredible AR experiences people will love”.
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