Today, 25 March, is Africa Day, the annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity, the precursor to the African Union (AU), on 25 May 1963. South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, is also AU chairman until February 2021.
This year’s AU theme for Africa Day is “Silencing the guns: creating conducive conditions for Africa’s development to achieve the goal of a conflict-free Africa”.
Here at Flow, we love Africa and, to prove it, here are our shoutouts to the birthplace of humanity:
Welile Phakathi, business developer:
Shoutout to Africa – the diversity and the FOOOOD!
Cara Wares, designer:
Shoutout for Africa for its diversity, culture and innovation. In Africa, we are always finding solutions to problems in a unique way!
Elmarie Nel, head of graphic design:
Shoutout to this wonderful, colourful, inspiring place – with the kindest people, best weather and most beautiful nature!
Mercy Moyo, finance manager:
I love the resilience of the African people – they‘ve gone through so much, but are still happy and very cheerful. I love the beautiful weather and the diversity of African cultures.
Chuma Siswana, account director:
No matter how cold it is, the sky is always bright. “Hello Africa, tell me how you doin’.”
Thrishni Subramoney, head of training:
A shoutout to the birthplace of humans and humanity. A shoutout to our true home.
Calvin Milazi, senior digital designer:
Shoutout to Africa: strong, resilient people who love and believe in one another.
Gail Cameron, head of project management:
My shoutout: our incredible wildlife and natural diversity. Lions, leopards, wild dogs, gorillas, the jungles, the Serengeti, the coastlines. SO MUCH! We must protect it to keep it as amazing as it is!
Richard Frank, head of digital:
Warm weather and warm hearts.
Sarah Campbell, project manager:
Shoutout to Africa’s smiles, passion and resilience!
Daya Coetzee, account director:
Shoutout to Africa’s space, beauty, access to nature and the most amazing, warm and diverse people.
Ella Marren, project manager:
All in one – the beauty, nature, sunshine, the weather, the people and the warm feeling.
Ros Caboz, project manager:
I love your sunshine, space, wildlife, storms, diversity in nature.
Sarah-Jane Viljoen, Cape Town manager:
Africa: the warmth and smiles of the wonderful African people who can make you feel welcome, regardless of how much they have and how many hardships they face.
Kerry Robertson, content producer:
Shoutout for Africa: our beautiful, tough, spacious, ever-changing mother. I love living on this continent! It’s difficult to describe the warmth of the African people – it’s something that needs to be felt.
Edwina van der Burg, content director:
I am proudly African, and proud to be an inhabitant of the true cradle of humankind. Culture, diversity, resilience, humility – these are all words that the people of this beautiful continent espouse.
Nadia Moore, content writer:
I love the people of this beautiful continent! I’m so proud to be a woman of this land. Happy Africa Day!
Refiloe Mothapo, project manager:
Africa – I love its diversity, melting pot of cultures and traditions, abundance of love.
Tinashe Gunda, web developer:
Love my Africa. Everything began in Africa.
Fabio De Abreu, web developer:
Shoutout to this awesome, diverse and colourful place.
Libby Peacock, senior writer and subeditor:
Africa will always be home. I love its smell, its soil, its sky, its people, its mountains, its oceans, its rivers, its majestic animals.
Klaus Alusa, web developer:
Africa! There’s no place like home.
Lynzi Herbst, executive assistant:
It’s a wonderful place to call home. I love its natural beauty, people and cultures.
Ally MacDonald, account director:
Shoutout to Africa! Elephants. Martial and bateleur eagles. Cheetahs. Great white sharks. Hippos. Hyenas. Leopards. Pangolins. Zebras. Honey badgers. Bee-eaters. Black mambas. And rhinos. Especially rhinos. Most especially rhinos. These are things to love and take care of.
Sue Blaine, senior writer and editor:
Dust in the sky, dust in my veins … I love Africa, and especially South Africa. It’s a place that always challenges you and your perceptions. Also, sunsets.
Ayanda Siswana, account manager:
Africa, my continent, Africa filled with richness, diversity, love and authenticity. I’m a proud African and, today, I stand together with all my African brothers and sisters to celebrate our continent. Ndi ngumAfrika.
Tiffany Turkington-Palmer, managing director:
As international travel will be almost off the cards for a long time and people will be doing a lot more domestic travel, how incredibly lucky we are to live in a country where domestic travel is so varied and such a joy! Mountains, beaches, bush, desert, we have it all!
Caroline Smith, head of public relations:
The sky is the right height, the ground is the right colour and the smell is of home.
Janet Berger, strategist:
Shoutout for African light and warmth and sunshine and space.
Tara Turkington, CEO:
I count myself so lucky to live here in Africa, where the people are the warmest, the sunsets are the most spectacular, the animal and birdlife are the most abundant, and the land is the most beautiful.