About us


Africa Interactive is a young, dynamic and fast growing online media company with 1500 local reporters in 48 African countries.  Our reporters tell the African story in text, photo or video.

We produce tailor made 'High-end' videos and 'Simple Video Reports' to showcase your activities in Africa. On africanews.com our reporters have their own news platform. Besides, Africa Interactive organises and runs business-to-business media or/and communication projects either on the ground in Africa or online through website building, maintaining and feeding with content.


Today, Africa Interactive has become a specialist in African related communication projects.

Africa Interactive specializes in three things:

Local Content

Africa Interactive is building the largest Pan African news agency, a conglomeration of hundreds of local reporters and journalists. Currently we have a network of 1500 local media professionals in 48 African countries but this network is growing week by week. We also invest in training and educational programs for our African reporters who want to further their media careers.

International Community

Africa Interactive is the publisher of www.AfricaNews.com, a fast expanding community for people who share an interest and a passion for Africa. We daily reach thousands of people who want to be kept updated with news, blogs, videos, photography from an African perspective, first hand from local sources !

Creative Communication Tools

Africa Interactive has access to advanced technology -mobile reporting, multiple user applications, online publishing tools, digital magazines and electronic mailing possibilities.

Using mobile phones as a reporting tool is unique in Africa. We build dedicated websites for our clients and offer them more reach and impact by using their African stakeholders as communicators.

With these 3 components Africa Interactive works on creating awareness for your projects in Africa. But furthermore, your support enables us to empower media talent in Africa and that will greatly contribute to more awareness and improve democracy.

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Africa Interactive History


Africa Interactive was founded in 2006 by two Dutch journalists (Bas Vlugt, Peter Vlam) and an entrepreneur (Pim de Wit) with a passion for Africa. They felt that Africa was too often portrayed as a lost continent. They looked for ways to reveal Africa's great potential and to show the existing opportunities the continent has to offer. The founders are eager to give a more balanced view of the continent. To do so, they wanted African media talent to participate.

In 2004 already, the two journalists started the online newsletter Afrikanieuws. They started without a budget, spending their free time and effort. They published their own stories and photo’s, but mostly they used their network and asked media professionals to join them and share their work.

They were on a mission: why is this continent mostly portrayed as helpless, brutalised and war-torn. That wasn’t the Africa they knew: the fascinating, complex, dynamic continent as it is. The online magazine became a big success. In less than a year they created an enthusiastic community.

In the meantime Dutch publisher and Africa lover Pim de Wit read the newsletter and saw in it a business and a goal. The three started a company: Africa Interactive. An online publisher was formed. Today, Africa Interactive has become a specialist in Africa related communication projects.

In 2007 the company launched www.AfricaNews.com. In a span of several months the website has been able to attract a network that consists of 250 African media professionals spread across 32 African countries (end of April 2008). Two to five reporters register a day and their combined contribution can be seen on www.AfricaNews.com.

One important detail: the word Africa means nothing as such. We are aware of that. Let us quote journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski: “The continent is too vast to be described. It is a true ocean, a planet on its own, a rich and varied cosmos. For the sake of taste, we can simply say: Africa. In reality, Africa does not exist. It is only a geographic entity”.

Currently Africa Interactive maintains a network of 1500 local reporters in 48 countries.

About the photo's on this page: The Ghanaian AfricaNews-photographer Nana Kofi Acquah attended the CAN final between Egypt and Cameroon on 10 February 2008. Egypt won the match and they were crowned as African football champions for the second time in a row.

See the complete series on AfricaNews.com.

Africa Interactive publishes Africanews.com


AfricaNews.comAfricaNews.com, published by Africa Interactive, is an independent news platform for African reporters. Visit

Africa Interactive also publishes the Dutch website AfrikaNieuws.nl, a community website for Dutch people travelling to Africa. Visit

Africa Interactive Team


Pieter van TwiskPieter van Twisk
Managing director of Africa Interactive. Graduated in philosophy, Pieter chose for a career in media. He was until recently self employed as a media consultant.  Before that he was editor-in chief of Planet Internet and Manager Content Production at KPN Television and Media.
Favorite place in Africa: Being a passionate diver, I have spent my best experiences underwater in the spectacular Red Sea!

Peter VlamPeter Vlam
Co-founder of Africa Interactive / Content Development Director. He studied Social Sciences at the Free University of Amsterdam. Before that he worked as freelance journalist for various Dutch media such as Internationale Samenwerking, Vice Versa, OnzeWereld, DIF, NRC Next, NCDO and the Evert Vermeer Foundation.
Favourite place in Africa: Football field in Mathare, Nairobi.  Watch the video about Metro Sports, a football team in Mathare.

Bertil van VugtBertil van Vugt 
Project manager / editor. Bertil studied journalism in Utrecht and International Relations at the University of Amsterdam.  He lived six months in Cape Town, South Africa, where he worked for the Cape Times newspaper.
Favourite place in Africa: Lion's Head, the mountain on the right side of Table Mountain. From its top, you have a fantastic sight of the the city. From there you can also see Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent his years in jail.

Tchitula TeunsTchitula Teuns
Partnerships Manager. After studying Development Studies (MA) and Account Management (BA), Tchitula has gained working experience regarding Africa at organisations like Unicef and NiZA. She is passionate about bridging the gap between the perception and reality of her beloved continent.
Favourite place in Africa: all places where random acts of kindness are practiced.


Annamara HamersmaAnnamara Hamersma
Project manager. Annamara studied Journalism in Utrecht, worked as editor/ reporter for Dutch television (SBS6 Shownews). She lived in Shanghai for few months and worked for a Glossy Magazine.
After traveling, she studied Political Science/ International Relations in Amsterdam and researched issues such as Chinese oil companies working in Sudan and Angola.

Lucia Galindo MartinezLucia Galindo Martinez
Video-editor





 
Kent MensahKent Mensah
Editor of AfricaNews.com and part of the editorial team in Ghana. Kent holds a diploma in Journalism from the University of Education’s affiliate, Jayee Institute in Accra, Ghana. He owns a certificate in online journalism and multimedia. Kent has eight years working experience in print and online journalism.
Favourite place in Africa: Axim Beach, Western part of Ghana


Joseph Appiah-DolphyneJoseph Appiah-Dolphyne
Editor of AfricaNews.com and part of the editorial team in Ghana. Joseph's interest in journalism developed when he was young. He entered the Journalism school to study a two-year Diploma programme in Journalism. He has worked at many different Ghanaian media organisations.
Favourite place in Africa: Nzulezu, Ghana’s water village


Esme AtsyornuEsme Atsyornu
Video-editor for Africanews.com. She holds a BFA Degree in Editing, awarded by the University of Ghana, Legon. Esme has gained lots of work experience from several media houses and television stations in Ghana. She loves to read and watch films of all genre.



Saidou DialloSaidouDiallo.
Database development. Saidou studies computer sciences at theAmsterdam Institute. He is responsible for the development of the reporter database. Saidou is involved in Africa Interactive since June 2007.
Favourite place in Africa:Guinea



Ailin HaijerAilin Haijer
Secretary at the Amsterdam office. Ailin has a bachelor-degree in business and is now doing her masters in communication science. Besides that she is following a minor in international development studies. She spent six months studying in China and is planning on discovering the African continent.



René SchoffelmeerRené Schoffelmeer
Bookkeeper of Africa Interactive






Marian Beringen. Marian has been working for Africa Interactive as Office and Sales Manager since March 2006. She is the publisher of  Trade Channel magazine, which is also read in Africa. She has visited Northern Africa many times.

Favourite place in Africa: North Africa