A new Africa based website is challenging widely held stereotypes about the continent, the website called DailyAfrika.com has been operating for more than 3 months, and was founded by UMEH Group under its Umeh Media brand.
The website is edited by Mr Collins Hinamundi, a journalist with over 10 years experience covering Subsaharan Africa, and is focused on telling the good African story, while at the same time challenging widely held stereotypes about the continent.
According to Mr Hinamundi, Daily Afrika will be focusing on good news, and the growing innovations on the continent. “This means that more often than not, we want to be looking out for stories that most new platforms would ignore.” He says.
“ We will do stories on interesting facts about Africa, data journalism, run stories that explain the news, even when its breaking news, we will provide context, and explains the nuances that inform the news’’ Mr Hinamundi adds.
Mr Hinamundi a soft spoken Ugandan journalist has told stories about Africa, and was in Tanzania, where he tells an interesting anecdote of Masai Warriors whose culture was turned on its head when the country discovered Tanzanite.
“One warrior went to a Toyota car dealer, asked for a Double cabin truck, they thought he didnt have money, they told him their highest price, he opened his masai shuka and paid them cash, they ask if he knows how to drive, he said no, they told him to pay a trainer, he learnt in a day, and drove his car” He says.
“That is the Africa we want to tell the world about, an Africa that is not afraid to take risks, in the face of growth” Mr Hinamundi adds.
The website will seek to walk in the footsteps and maybe succeed where, News websites like Africa Review owned by the Nation Media Group, News24Africa.com and the Mail and Guardian Africa failed.
It will also seek to challenge Quartz Africa a western owned Africa focused website.
To do this, Daily Afrika will according to the CEO of UMEH Group Mr Xolane Ndhlovu, have the group’s backing.
“In my management consulting experience, 5 years is the longest horizon you need to plan for in a business plan, but we have 10 years strategic plan for Daily Afrika and we are financially backed by a well capitalized parent organization” Mr Ndhlovu says.
