The African Union consists of the 55 member states that make up the countries of Africa. It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity, turning 20 years old this year.
Every year on 25 May, we observe Africa Day to acknowledge the Union’s fight against colonialism, celebrate its achievements and reflect on the challenges our continent still faces today.
This year’s theme centres around addressing malnutrition and food insecurity in Africa. ‘These [challenges] are amplified by global crises, including COVID-19 and climate change,’ said Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th United Nations General Assembly in a statement on Africa Day. ‘And they interconnect with ongoing difficulties caused by such issues as changing weather patterns, drought, poor sanitation, and crop-destroying insects – all of which have strong local consequences.’
In South Africa, the government has put in place the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan and the Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan in alignment with the National Development Plan for 2030 to fight food insecurity.
In addition to learning more about and contributing to the battle against food insecurity in Africa, we also take today to celebrate our continent and its rich cultures, natural environments and food, glorious food.
Here are five ways you can celebrate Africa Day this year
1. View local art
Africa has produced some of the world’s best artists, and we suggest visiting an art gallery that exhibits African artwork. We recommend the below, but there are numerous fantastic institutions across South Africa.
Johannesburg: Wits Art Museum
Pretoria: The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria
Cape Town: Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa
Durban: African Art Centre
2. Support local craftspeople
In most major cities, as well as popular holiday towns, you’ll find craftspeople selling their goods on sidewalks. Most of these artists handmake their items with fascinating skill. The items range from beaded wire items to wooden sculptures and other decorative items. Supporting them means both uplifting the locals who try to earn an income and getting your own authentic piece of Africa to display at home.
3. Visit a Unesco site
Africa is home to 98 Unesco World Heritage Sites, and South Africa to 10:
- Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa
- iSimangaliso Wetland Park
- Robben Island
- Maloti-Drakensberg Park
- Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape
- Cape Floral Region Protected Areas
- Vredefort Dome
- Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape
- Khomani Cultural Landscape
- Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains
4. Enjoy African cuisine
If you’re a foodie, dig into some traditional African cuisine. The list of various traditional foods in Africa is long, but we urge you to try something new. A fun idea might be to close your eyes and point on a map to choose a country other than South Africa, and look up restaurants that serve its cuisine. You can also try out some interesting recipes at home.
Check out these traditional dishes.
5. Visit a history museum
Museums are no longer the dark, dusty old rooms we couldn’t wait to get out of as kids on school trips. South Africa has an array of captivating, lively and well-maintained museums with loads to see. They are a great place to learn about a certain place, era or theme and to engage with our country and continent’s history. We recommend:
Johannesburg: Soweto Inspirational Home Museum
Pretoria: DITSONG National Museum of Cultural History
Durban: Durban History Museum
Cape Town: Iziko South Africa Museum
Picture: Unsplash
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