New chapter every Wednesday

Africa, told the way a grandmother would.

A free app for African history and storytelling: biographies of real lives and folktales from across the continent. Five minutes a day. Built with historians, narrated by native voices.

Read a story Get the app

49Lives published

4Tales, new pillar

5minA day, on the bus

Read Chinua AchebeFeatured from the catalogue ->

Chinua AchebeWilliam KamkwambaIyinoluwa AboyejiTutankhamunThomas SankaraSteve BikoWaruhiu Itote - General ChinaStanley MathengeDedan KimathiMusa Mwariama Mũthoni wa Kĩrĩma General KagoEllen Johnson Sirleaf — HighlightDavid Walker — HighlightWhy Hyena Laughs at NightThe Monkey Who Could Not Keep SecretsChinua AchebeWilliam KamkwambaIyinoluwa AboyejiTutankhamunThomas SankaraSteve BikoWaruhiu Itote - General ChinaStanley MathengeDedan KimathiMusa Mwariama Mũthoni wa Kĩrĩma General KagoEllen Johnson Sirleaf — HighlightDavid Walker — HighlightWhy Hyena Laughs at NightThe Monkey Who Could Not Keep Secrets

Stories to read. Tales to discover across the continent.

Lives · Tales

49 published

Real lives.

Short biographies of African and diaspora figures: queens, poets, scientists, freedom fighters. Written with historians.

49->

Just launched

African Tales.

Folktales from across the continent: Anansi, the Tortoise, the Hare. Oral traditions retold for the next generation.

4->

49 lives. One library. Growing weekly.

Explore real stories from the live catalogue across 12 regions.

See all 49 ->

Chinua Achebe

1930-2013 / West Africa - Nigeria

William Kamkwamba

1987-Present / Central Malawi - Wimbe village, Kasungu

Iyinoluwa Aboyeji

1991–Present / Nigeria and Pan-African Tech Ecosystem

Tutankhamun

1332–1323 BCE / Ancient Egypt – Thebes and Amarna

Thomas Sankara

1949–1987 / West Africa – Burkina Faso

Steve Biko

1946-1977 / Southern Africa - South Africa

Waruhiu Itote - General China

1922-1993 / Central Kenya - Nyeri, Mount Kenya and the Aberdares

Stanley Mathenge

1919-1955 / Central Kenya - Nyeri and the Aberdare Forests

African tales for short vertical watching.

Folktales, tricksters, animals, morals, and regional stories made for quick sessions in the app.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf — Highlight

From prison and exile to the presidency. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became Africa’s first elected female president and led Liberia after years of civil war. Her journey is one of education, resilience, and rebuilding. Step into her full Story.

1 min

David Walker — Highlight

1829: A banned pamphlet. Hidden in sailors’ clothes. Searched for in Southern ports. David Walker’s Appeal challenged slavery at its core—and authorities answered with crackdowns and rewards. Discover how one printed voice shook the South.

1 min

Why Hyena Laughs at Night

An East African folktale explaining why Hyena’s eerie laughter echoes through the night, telling of his greed and foolishness that led to embarrassment and regret.

East Africa / Kenya / 2 min

The Monkey Who Could Not Keep Secrets

A lively folktale about a talkative monkey who cannot resist sharing secrets entrusted to him. When his loose tongue causes trouble among the other animals, he learns a difficult lesson about trust, responsibility, and the consequences of gossip.

West Africa / Ghana / 2 min

From the BrytaAfrica family