/ 3 October 2007

Capturing Jozi’s vibe

I've been waiting with bated breath for <i>The Afropolitan</i>, Kaya FM's new magazine. Kaya is my station of choice and I've always loved its African city vibe and its unabashed love for Jozi. Even though the station has gone through different incarnations it has always taken the continent seriously and its news programmes are slick and fast. The music is sublime and the vibe is very Jozi in the 21st century.

I’ve been waiting with bated breath for The Afropolitan, Kaya FM’s new magazine. Kaya is my station of choice and I’ve always loved its African city vibe and its unabashed love for Jozi.

Even though the station has gone through different incarnations it has always taken the continent seriously and its news programmes are slick and fast. The music is sublime and the vibe is very Jozi in the 21st century.

So I expected the same from The Afropolitan. Its slate of writers are as sublime as the station’s music. Editor Titetso Makube has lined up Fred Khumalo, Palesa Mazamisa, Sandile Ngidi, Rams Mabote and Eric Miyeni. It is an entertaining read and often thought-provoking.

Who could possibly ask for more? Well, I could. This may well be a case of the pot calling the kettle black (as the editor of the one of the country’s most serious newspapers), but I found the magazine too heavy. As an Afropolitan I think it should more closely replicate the radio station, with slots that are about lifestyle and aspiration.

Jozi is home to some of the country’s most successful designers, deco­rators, musicians and architects. The Afropolitan, with its defined footprint and market, is perfectly placed to capture this Afro-zeitgeist. The edition I read had only one fashion spread and it was quite passé. It’s a glossy and is perfectly placed to showcase a city that is happening.

The magazine also needs to take us inside the radio station more with profiles of DJs and people behind the scenes. Other than these minor quibbles (or suggestions), The Afropolitan has great potential as a stand-out on the already bulging magazine shelves.