Creativity Knows No Borders

In this candid conversation, Mozambican creative entrepreneur Iria Marina shares her journey crossing multiple African borders—from Mozambique to Swaziland, South Africa, Kenya, and beyond. Born in Mozambique but educated across Southern Africa, Iria offers thoughtful reflections on how movement shapes creative identity and business opportunities.The episode explores both triumphant moments and challenges of cross-border entrepreneurship, with Iria detailing how logistics costs eventually forced her to close her successful fashion company despite surviving COVID. "If a product costs 3,000 rand, then to ship that product is 4,000 rand," she explains, highlighting the practical barriers to creative business across Africa.Particularly insightful is Iria's perspective on border closures between Mozambique and South Africa, revealing the deep economic interdependence between neighboring countries. "You need us. As much as we need your food and stuff, you need us to be buying," she observes, demonstrating how border politics impact both creative industries and broader economies.From the challenges of being perceived as South African while maintaining Mozambican identity to the revelation that "I can be a leader, but I don't want to be a boss," Iria's story captures the complex realities of building creative work across African borders.This content is created as part of the Move Africa project, commissioned by the African Union Commission and supported by Africa No Filter (ANF) with funding from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the GIZ, the African Union or ANF.

In this episode, I speak with Modupe Oloruntoba, a Nigerian writer and content consultant who has navigated Africa's borders since childhood. From crossing daily between Lesotho and South Africa for school to building a career in Cape Town's fashion scene, Modupe offers a unique perspective on how borders shape Africa's creative industries.Our conversation explores the current state of African fashion as it transitions from "ecosystem" to "industry," while examining how fragmentation across the continent limits scaling opportunities. Modupe shares fascinating insights about the logistics challenges of cross-border business, noting it's often "easier to ship fashion from Nigeria to London than to Cape Town."We delve into the nuances of identity, connection, and technology's role in fostering or hindering creative community. Rather than rejecting our inherited borders, Modupe suggests asking the more productive question: "This is us, this is what we have, this is what we've inherited, good and bad—what now?"Her vision of a borderless Africa includes easier movement, more experimentation, and cultural exchange that would unlock innovation and scale currently hampered by policy restrictions. As she powerfully observes, "We have our physical borders, but policy is the real border" that shapes what's possible for everyone.This content is created as part of the Move Africa project, commissioned by the African Union Commission and supported by Africa No Filter (ANF) with funding from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the GIZ, the African Union or ANF.

For episode 2 I had an amazing conversation for Creativity Knows No Borders - this time with Cinthia Sifa Mulanga! As a fellow foreign creative, our chat hit close to home as we explored her journey from Lubumbashi to becoming one of Africa's most exciting artists.You know what's wild? Despite collaborating with Gucci and having solo shows in London, Cinthia can't attend her own international exhibitions because of the same documentation challenges many of us face. We got real about the early days - learning new languages, navigating taxis while trying to hide your accent, and finding community through art.What really struck me was how Cinthia never actually planned to be an artist. She wanted to be a journalist! But through community art programs and her brother's influence, she found her voice in painting. Now she creates these powerful works about Black women and space, even as she navigates her own limitations on physical movement.We dug into the real talk about being "foreign" while representing South Africa globally, using social media to transcend borders when you can't travel, and that constant feeling of growing beyond spaces you can't physically leave. Cinthia's story shows both the incredible possibilities and frustrating limitations of being a creative in Africa right now.This episode is for anyone who's ever felt stuck between spaces or wondered how creativity finds a way despite borders. Give it a listen and let me know your thoughts on borders and creativity.This content is created as part of the Move Africa project, commissioned by the African Union Commission and supported by Africa No Filter (ANF) with funding from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the GIZ, the African Union or ANF.

On this first episode, I chat with Allen Coleman, who perfectly represents what this podcast is about - African creatives making it happen across borders! Allen's not just a financial guy, he's also a self-taught illustrator who's been moving between Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, seeing the continent through both corporate and creative eyes.We get into the real talk about African passports and how they shape our movement. Allen shares his excitement about the new Ghana-South Africa visa-free agreement (90 days without stress!), while breaking down how different it is traveling as a creative versus having that corporate backing.The conversation gets particularly interesting when Allen talks about falling in love with Johannesburg's creative scene. Through a missed flight and a Facebook friend's invitation, he discovered Braamfontein and saw what he calls an "African version of downtown New York." It's these kinds of unexpected connections that show us why being physically present in different African cities hits different from just following them on social media.We also dig into the stuff that matters - how we can better support creative work across borders, why we need to make it easier to move money around, and how traveling across Africa helps us see both new possibilities and fresh appreciation for home.As Allen perfectly puts it: "Sometimes I wish I could just hold people by their shoulders and be like, need you to see the other places and you might find a new love for where you're from."Let's keep this conversation going:Hit subscribe on Spotify, Apple, and YouTubeFollow my journey @dillionsphiri on Instagram and TwitterShare your border stories with #CreativityKnowsNoBordersTell me about your favorite African creative citiesDrop your cross-border travel experiencesThis content is created as part of the Move Africa project, commissioned by the African Union Commission and supported by Africa No Filter (ANF) with funding from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the GIZ, the African Union or ANF.

In this introductory episode, host dillion s. phiri shares his vision for "Creativity Knows No Borders," a podcast exploring how migration shapes creative expression in Africa. As a Zimbabwe-Malawian creative based in Johannesburg, dillion draws from his personal experience and extensive work with Creative Nestlings to examine how foreign creatives navigate borders, bureaucracy, and building communities across the continent. He introduces the inspiration behind the series and previews conversations with photographers, artists, musicians, filmmakers, and designers who are creating impactful work while navigating life as African creatives in different countries. The episode sets the stage for exploring how creativity truly transcends boundaries and why free movement across Africa is crucial for cultural and economic growth.This content is created as part of the Move Africa project, commissioned by the African Union Commission and supported by Africa No Filter (ANF) with funding from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the GIZ, the African Union or ANF.