Today, Rolling Stone, the award-winning global authority on music, politics, and more, is proud to announce the launch of Rolling Stone Africa in partnership with MWANKOM, dedicated to championing quality Afro content. This collaboration marks a significant milestone as Rolling Stone expands its footprint in Africa with a goal of capturing its vibrant cultures and diverse voices.
“Expanding Rolling Stone's presence in Africa has been our long-term goal. We’re thrilled to give a platform to the rich music scene, culture, and stories that define the continent,” says Gus Wenner, CEO of Rolling Stone. “We look forward to working with MWANKOM and fostering global connections through the universal language of music."
Rolling Stone is renowned for its deep insights and fearless editorial stance in coverage of music, politics, entertainment, and popular culture. MWANKOM is poised to align with and support Rolling Stone’s mission by offering inclusive coverage of the same integrity across Africa’s culture, business, and technology landscape.
“Rooted in a rich multicultural heritage, our journey has been defined by a strong commitment to collaborating with trailblazing entrepreneurs from Africa and its global diaspora across various sectors,” says D. Romuald Bellegarde-Smeralda, CEO & Founder of MWANKOM. “This passion propels us to forge meaningful partnerships and transform remarkable visions into reality. The power of Afro-culture has now become mainstream. With a population in Africa well over 1 billion and a global diaspora of over 500 million people, including a large percentage below 30 years old, we understand the task. As a team of young and accomplished professionals all originating from the continent, we look forward to helping connect success stories from Africa with the rest of the world via the Rolling Stone Africabrand.”
MWANKOM’s diverse content portfolio reflects the multifaceted Afro experience and endeavors to elevate and celebrate Afro stories in a way that resonates with audiences worldwide. MWANKOM’s ultimate objective is positively impacting Africa by supporting educational projects and young entrepreneurs leveraging the global Afro diaspora.
The appointment process for the Editor-in-Chief and other senior positions is currently underway. The official launch date is forthcoming.
About ROLLING STONE:
Five decades since its founding, Rolling Stone today has evolved into a multi-platform content brand with unrivalled access and authority. Published in 10 languages, Rolling Stone has a global audience of over 75 million across 14 international editions. Staying true to its mission to tell exceptional stories that illuminate the culture of our times, Rolling Stone is an authority for music reviews, in-depth interviews, hard-hitting political commentary, and award-winning journalism across print, digital, mobile, video, social and events. Operated and published by Penske Media Corporation, Rolling Stone provides “all the news that fits.”
About MWANKOM:
MWANKOM is dedicated to becoming a leading provider of quality content championing Afro content and culture across the diaspora. MWANKOM aims to emerge as a premium provider of high-quality content celebrating Afro culture and experiences worldwide. By 2030, MWANKOM envisions reaching over 100 million devices globally, with wide distribution planned across Sub-Saharan Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, the United States, Canada, Europe, and the UK. With a commitment to excellence, MWANKOM aims to redefine storytelling by amplifying the voices and experiences of the Afro community.