Forgotten Epic Ghana Digital Stories Paint a Future Picture of African Storytelling

It was a bold idea. An unprecedented African collaboration. In the mid-90s, the dream of a new form of African storytelling in form and content was a hot topic. It still is.

But we didn’t just talk about it — we built it. The first collaboration between Ghana TV and South Africa's state broadcaster that international press hailed as a groundbreaking collaboration and one of the first to use digital and videojournalism.

I was entrusted by Ghana and South African executives to helm the project, as the producer and director delivering stories that would resonate with African and International audiences.

Dubbed The United States of Africa, when it aired it would lead to a request from Ghana's presidential office to be repeated, and greater collaboration between the two countries.

The films went missing for thirty years, but have recently been found and restored by the global archive body FIAT/IFTA for being historically important.

Now, as an Associate Professor in Innovation, film and Storytelling and a pioneer in Cinema Journalism I'm  looking forward to bringing this piece of history and stories to celebrate with a wider audience.

The Original Collaboration

In the mid 90s, Ghana launched its Breakfast Show making presenters Akushika Acquaye and Earl Ankrah national figures.

I was a former BBC, Worldwide Television News producer and videojournalist who'd previously reported for the BBC World Service and made films in South Africa, such as Through the Eyes of a Child .

I was brought in to train Ghanaian filmmakers and journalist and revamp the show and would subsequently take the crew to South Africa. Management were expecting a single 60 minute documentary.

Instead, as series producer and director I trained the crew to become videojournalists to often shoot their own stories themselves.We returned with a staggering seven 45-minutes episode for the series.

The films offer a rare glimpse into a historic collaboration, featuring a diversity of stories, such as Ghanaian PhD students chasing dreams of wealth in South Africa, but living in crowded rooms, and selling farm produce in the markets.

In the montage below you'll find a lineup of iconic figures: 

* Quincy Jones
* Godfrey Moloi, the “Godfather of Soweto”
* Basetsana Makgalemele, Miss South Africa and Miss World runner-up
* Politician Frene Ginwala
* Advertising guru Dimape Serenyane
* Ghanaian musician George Larynoh

Why This Matters Today

The need for African stories is paramount towards forging identities and common values, and creating new narratives.

Ghanaians in South African posits the idea of more cross country collaborations. These historical films are available for viewing by contacting Dr David Dunkley Gyimah.

Below is a 10-minute snapshot of this ambitious project. It’s a testament to what’s possible when we dare to think big and a crucial historical document that’s ripe for a revisit.

What do these tapes tell us about the last 30 years?

What have we gained, and where do we go from here? David says he's excited to share this material at conferences and spark new conversations about the future of media in Africa.

You can find me here or on my website for more info

A ten-minute