Storytelling has always been Africa’s superpower. Long before code was written or algorithms trained, African societies were powered by words — passed from generation to generation by griots, elders, and community storytellers. Around the fire, in the marketplace, and under the shade of the baobab tree, stories were more than entertainment. They were data banks of culture, lessons, and innovation.

Today, the fireside has been replaced by the glow of our screens. The village square is now a social media feed. And while the medium has changed, the power of the African story has not.

African oral traditions were the original “open-source” systems — freely shared, remixed, and improved with each telling. In a way, these storytellers were early UX designers, ensuring each listener left with a memorable experience.

Now, technology allows these same narratives to travel further than any drumbeat could reach. Podcasts carry folktales to diaspora communities in London. YouTube animations bring Anansi the Spider into the hands of Gen Z. Blockchain archives preserve languages at risk of disappearing.

Africa’s tech growth is often measured in terms of startups, funding rounds, and mobile penetration. But behind every app or platform is a story — the “why” that drives innovation. Storytelling in tech helps:

• Humanize products: People don’t just buy features, they connect with a vision.
• Preserve identity: Our tech can carry our culture instead of erasing it.
• Inspire innovation: Local problems are best solved with local context, and stories hold that context.

AI models can now generate folktales in Yoruba or Swahili. Virtual reality can transport a child in Nairobi into the middle of the Great Zimbabwe ruins. Mobile games can gamify ancient proverbs to teach values.

In essence, technology is becoming the new griot — a keeper of stories that can adapt and scale without borders.

If Africa is to lead in the digital age, our tech must speak our languages, reflect our histories, and tell our stories. Whether it’s fintech apps designed with local metaphors, or e-learning platforms that teach science through folklore, the blend of code and culture will shape the next wave of innovation.

The question isn’t whether African storytelling will survive in the tech era. It’s whether tech will survive without it.

💡 Overite’s Take: At Overite, we believe African tech isn’t just about the hardware and software — it’s about the stories that power them. Every app, every startup, every line of code can be a modern folktale that shapes our continent’s future.