30 Young African Storytellers Selected from 1,900 Applicants

A new generation of African storytellers is stepping into the spotlight, ready to reshape how the world sees their continent.

The KESSA program, led by UM6P Story School and the French-African Foundation, just announced its first class of 30 young creators. They were selected from nearly 1,900 applications submitted from every corner of Africa and its diaspora communities.

The chosen storytellers come from wildly different backgrounds. Some are filmmakers and journalists. Others are museum curators, fashion historians, and wildlife photographers. One is a 3D artist who creates figurines. Another teaches history while building a career as a content creator.

What unites them is a shared mission: telling authentic African stories that move beyond tired stereotypes. They want to show the innovation, creativity, and humanity thriving across their communities.

An international jury of media and cultural industry leaders reviewed the applications. The diversity of fields represented shows just how many ways modern storytelling happens. Social media content creation sits alongside traditional journalism. Tech entrepreneurship meets theatre and performance art.

The 30 laureates will gather in Rabat, Morocco, from March 23 to 28, 2026, for an intensive residency on the UM6P Story School campus. They'll participate in masterclasses and creative workshops led by mentors from international cultural and media industries.

The residency isn't just about learning. Each participant will create original work that will be shared through a pan-African campaign, giving their voices continental and global reach.

The Ripple Effect

When storytellers from a place get to tell their own stories, everything changes. These 30 creators will influence how millions of people see Africa, both on the continent and around the world.

Their work could inspire the next generation of African youth to pick up cameras, pens, and microphones. When young people see themselves reflected in powerful stories told by people who look like them and understand their context, they believe their own voices matter too.

The program also builds connections between creators who might never have met otherwise. A filmmaker from East Africa can now collaborate with a cultural strategist from South Africa. A Moroccan storyteller can learn from a Nigerian screenwriter. These networks often spark projects that outlast any single program.

The nearly 1,900 applications prove something important: African youth are hungry for platforms that take their creative ambitions seriously.