Africa day commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), on May the 25th in1963. In 2002 the heads of state and government of African countries replaced the OAU with the African Union (AU).
It is a public holiday in some African countries such as Ghana, Gambia, Mali, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe and is widely celebrated across Africa and also throughout the week in some countries.
There are also global celebrations held to mark the historical day in international cities, such as London, Dublin, New York, Washington and Melbourne, with academic gatherings and cultural showcases.
Themes are set for each year's Africa day. The Theme for 2021 is Arts, culture and heritage.
Facebook has joined the celebrations by launching a Facebook Africa page in a new campaign dubbed ‘Made by Africa, Loved by the World’. The new series is dedicated to showcasing and honouring African people.
Idris Elba will host the Africa Day Concert which is an event that is a partnership between him, MTV Base and YouTube.
The concert will be held virtually, on May 25th and is set to be a pan-African event, with artists performing on multiple stages from Lagos to Johannesburg, streamed to a global audience on YouTube and broadcast across MTV channels.
This Africa day, we raise our coffee cups to the African farmers who keep us primed and energised throughout the year. Enjoy the day.
Asante - Thank You.