Once Upon an African Future: Vodacom Durban July 2019

With Afrofuturism at the forefront of his approach, photographer and digital artist Osborne Macharia brought Vodacom's #VDJ2019 campaign to life. Considered the founder of the contemporary Afrofuturism movement, Osborne Macharia blends folklore, urban legend and fantasy into vibrant, visual stories that inspire viewers to challenge their own notions of Africa and the African cultural narrative. Described as “creating a future based on a reimagined past”, Afrofuturism explores the idea of liberation through the exploration and celebration of African culture & heritage in a future-modern setting – and set the tone for the Durban July, like none other.

For the 2019 Vodacom Durban July, Vodacom embraced the theme “African Stars” and envisioned a creative direction Once Upon an African Future.

The Kenyan-based, world-renowned Afrofuturist, photographer and graphic artist, Osborne Macharia and his creative partner Kevin Abraham, took on the task of bringing South Africa's most prestigious and oldest horse racing event into an African-inspired vision for Vodacom’s sponsorship materials and marketing campaign.