Bridging Culture and Technology Through Design

My Web3 Journey: Building Bridges Between African Culture and Blockchain

 

From Vision to Movement

In December 2020, I founded the African NFT Community (ANC) out of necessity.

As a Zimbabwean artist entering the Web3 space, I saw a glaring gap - African creators were largely absent from the rapidly evolving NFT conversation. What began as a simple Twitter group chat became something extraordinary: a thriving ecosystem that would onboard over 1,000 African artists into Web3.\

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Building Community Through Education

I designed ANC's programming with accessibility and education in mind.

Our weekly shows - from "NFT Basics" for beginners to "Tezos Tuesdays" featuring 10 artists per episode - consistently drew 200-340 listeners.

"Just Girly Things" became our platform for empowering women in Web3, while "In Conversation" provided bi-weekly deep dives into artist stories and blockchain education.

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Evolution and Innovation

By June 2023, I co-founded ancurated alongside Ayesha Kazim and Nygilia, transforming from community building into strategic cultural curation. This agency became our vehicle for bridging traditional curatorial practices with blockchain technology, taking African stories to international art fairs and global audiences.

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Creating Cultural Archives

Under ancurated, I launched ANCOLLECTIVE - a Web3 guild dedicated to preserving African culture on-chain. Through initiatives like our Mavambo curations (meaning "the beginning" in Shona), we hosted three major digital events that showcased artists from across the continent. Partnering with Zora, we ensured every participating artist received meaningful support, with minimum guaranteed mints that empowered creators to share their visions globally.

 

Media and Storytelling

I spearheaded Rug Radio Africa in partnership with Rug Radio, producing over 50 episodes that celebrated African cultural narratives and diaspora connections. This platform became our megaphone for authentic African voices in the Web3 media landscape.

Through the Community Chronicle, I art-directed three editions of digital publications that documented our journey, preserving these cultural moments on-chain for future generations.

 

The Next Chapter

Today, I'm developing UBU (Ubuntu Blockchain Union) - the evolution of ANCOLLECTIVE into an independent platform that embodies the African philosophy of "I am because we are." UBU represents our next step in bridging Web2 and Web3, ensuring African creators don't just participate in the digital revolution - they lead it.

Recognition and Impact​: Our work has been featured in major publications, including TASCHEN's "On NFTs" book, where Cyber Baat stands as one of only two African collectives highlighted. We've exhibited across four continents, participated in events from NFT Paris to Art Dubai, and built a movement that proves African narratives belong at the center of Web3's future.

Each project represents my commitment to ensuring that as we build the future of digital culture, African voices aren't just included - they're essential, preserved, and celebrated for generations to come.