Dear Readers,

Abiola here, you can call me Abi, CEO at Okayafrica. A lot has happened so far in 2016, including a few changes to our lineup. First off, we’re very excited to welcome Antoinette Isama to Okayafrica as our new Associate Editor.

Antoinette is a dynamic reporter and editor with an interest in the intersection of African youth culture, arts and the diaspora. Hailing from the Washington DC area, she recently graduated with a master’s degree specializing in interactive journalism and magazine writing from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Before joining Okayafrica, she was a visiting reporter at the Weekend Argus newspaper in Cape Town, South Africa. She will be based out of our Brooklyn offices, working with our team to take Okayafrica’s coverage to the next level. You can follow Antoinette's work here.

Antoinette arrives just in time for the departure of our long-time Content Manager Alyssa Klein who will be moving to Johannesburg to spearhead the launch of our South African offices alongside Okayafrica’s Brand Manager, Sanele Xolo. This is a return to SA for Alyssa who spent 2012 studying at the University of Cape Town. She will be taking on the role of Okayafrica’s South Africa Editor. Stay tuned for more info on the official launch of our South Africa office and the new South Africa edition.

We’ve also brought on man-about-town, Abel Shifferaw as a contributing writer. His provocative take on Kendrick’s use of “Negus” and Ethiopianness in pop-culture has already struck a nerve with readers, becoming one of the most read stories on our site. Read more of his work here. He’ll be taking-over for longtime contributor Patrice Peck who has left to focus on her awesome new tech startup Fussy.