The Mason Africa Group

19/06/2026

Born in London, rooted in Sierra Leone and Ghana, celebrated around the world, and now recognised by a King.

Knighted by King Charles at Windsor Castle, the honour marks more than a career on screen. It recognises a sustained commitment to creating opportunity and empowering young people through the Elba Hope Foundation and a range of initiatives focused on Africa's future.

We had the privilege of working alongside Sir Idris on an African leadership initiative, bringing together voices from business, policy, investment, and civil society to explore the continent's next chapter of growth. It was a clear reminder that his contribution reaches well beyond entertainment.

He represents a generation of African leaders using global influence to create meaningful impact at home: proof that success is measured not only by personal achievement, but by the opportunities opened for others.

Congratulations, Sir Idris Elba.



Credit: PA Images

16/06/2026

Champs for Change hosted its second annual convening on 29 May in Kigali, on the sidelines of the Basketball Africa League Finals.

Two milestones from the evening: Kigali was officially announced as C4C’s East Africa Hub, and the softcover edition of the C4C and WWLA Sports Volume was unveiled to make career pathways in sport more accessible to young Africans.

Proud to support the work C4C is doing.

15/06/2026

What does it take for a 75-year-old Italian brand to feel completely at home in Johannesburg?

In the latest episode of Gauteng Live, Vikesh Deva of Diadora South Africa breaks it down. From the brand's legendary history on global football pitches, to its groundbreaking collaboration with the Gauteng Tourism Authority and the upcoming City Pack: a sneaker collection built to tell the story of Joburg and Pretoria to the world.

Building the tourism economy through fashion and culture.

Welcome to a high-octane episode of Gauteng Lifve. In this episode ...

15/06/2026

For 11 days this July, one town in the Eastern Cape becomes Africa's arts capital. The National Arts Festival returns to Makhanda from 25 June to 5 July for its 52nd edition, with more than 270 productions and around 2,000 artists.

This year's theme asks a question close to our own work: what does Ubuntu mean in an age of algorithms? The programme answers it live, from autoplay, Africa's first AI-informed opera composed in real time, to the Soweto String Quartet marking 30 years, the IGWIJO Competition and the 2026 Standard Bank Young Artists.

Image: The Cry of Winnie Mandela, on stage at the 2026 National Arts Festival. Courtesy of the National Arts Festival.

11/06/2026

On 16 June, the country marks 50 years since the Soweto Uprising. In 1976, young South Africans walked out of classrooms and refused to accept a future written for them without their consent. What followed changed the course of this country’s history.

Fifty years on, Africa’s youth are still at the centre of the continent’s story. As founders, practitioners, advocates, and leaders building the industries and institutions that will carry this continent forward.

The slogan for this year’s Youth Month is “Our National Commitment to the Future, for Freedom Lives in Every Generation.”
Freedom without economic participation isn’t freedom.

10/06/2026

The inaugural Fuels Industry Association of South Africa Imbizo is open, with South Africa’s fuel sector, policymakers, and energy experts convening for conversation around Clean Fuels II, the long-term transition roadmap, supply security.

For more than a decade, we have worked alongside leading energy and industrial organisations across Africa, helping create platforms that advance dialogue, strengthen ecosystems and drive industry progress. Today, we are proud to see the 10th Anniversary hashtag Conference underway.


hashtag hashtag

05/06/2026

Interesting stats from ACCA's Africa Talent Trends 2026 report:

•86% of finance professionals in Africa want to start their own business. That's the highest entrepreneurial ambition of any region in the world, for the second year running. The global average? Just 54%.
•87% feel confident they can learn the skills to adapt to AI, even as 50% are concerned about what it means for their roles.
•71% are dissatisfied with their pay. Africa ranks lowest for salary satisfaction globally.
•48% do not trust AI in hiring. Neither do 51% of board-level executives.
•Africa's finance professionals are building the future of work with clear expectations of the employers and institutions around them.

Africa's finance professionals are building the future of work with clear expectations of the employers and institutions around them.

02/06/2026

We are proud to share a milestone for Gauteng tourism.

The Visit Gauteng App made its debut at Africa's Travel Indaba - bringing the province's entire tourism ecosystem into one powerful digital platform.

Together with our digital innovation partners, Mind Interactive Communication, we helped bring this vision to life. The app connects tourists, local vendors, and industry stakeholders in one seamless experience:

- Tourism discovery and destination guides
- Gauteng Convention and Events Bureau
- Live social feed
- Local vendor marketplace
- Trip planning, heritage trails, transport and safety features

At the Travel Indaba, visitors explored the app live. Vendors tested the marketplace. Tourism board members saw the future - and they fully endorsed the digital-first direction.

This is Phase 1. A soft launch. But it is just the beginning.

Local designers, artisans, food brands, and tourism operators will soon have their own digital storefront, reaching visitors from across the world.

One App. Endless Discoveries.

01/06/2026

Our week in Kigali brought us to one of the most energising rooms we have been in this year.

On the sidelines of the BAL Finals, Champs 4 Change made its East Africa debut. Youth leaders, coaches, agents, broadcasters, and entrepreneurs, all in one room, for leadership panels and structured networking.

The hunger in that room was clear. Not just for opportunity. For a map. A clear picture of what the sports industry actually looks like, who the real players are, and how you actually get in.
That is what Champs 4 Change is building. The coaches. The agents. The broadcasters. The strategists. The entrepreneurs. The People Behind the Game.

Rwanda is fast becoming the sports capital of East Africa. The game is here. Now the people building careers around it are here too.