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AfroSurf: Forget blonde hair and blue eyes, here's the untold story of African surf culture

Global surf culture is dominated by the old blonde hair, blue eyes narrative. Now a new limited-edition book by Selema Masekela and African surf brand Mami Wata hope to change all that by celebrating surfing and related street culture in Africa.

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People on motorcycles with large red and yellow striped surfboards stand on a beach with ocean and mountains in the background

Afrosurf, currently on Kickstarter, will focus on Africa's unique history of "wave riding", as well as its own diverse and original expressions of indigenous surf culture. What's more, sales of the book will raise money for African Surf Therapy projects Waves for Change and Surfers Not Street Children.

The book aims to explore the unique surfing lives and experiences of Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, Mozambique, Sao Tome, South Africa, Liberia, Somalia, Nigeria, Cote DíIvoire, Cabo Verde, Sierra Leone, Madagascar and more. As Selema Masekela puts it: "This is a book that I believe will redefine and expand how the world looks at surf culture."

Featuring some of Africa's finest photographers, writers, creatives and surfers, you can help bring Afrosurf to life by supporting the campaign on Kickstarter.

Shirtless surfer carrying a yellow surfboard walking into the ocean waves on a beach
Green silhouette of a person's head in profile with a paper plane and star inside, against a cream background with colourful text reading "We live in the game of love
Shirtless surfer holding a yellow surfboard with a sun logo, looking over their shoulder against a grey sky
Vibrant graphic illustration with stacked portrait panels featuring African faces, a banana, and woven baskets on a pink background, evoking Afrosurf book imagery
Open book showing a surfer holding a yellow board on the left page and a green and yellow patterned cover design on the right page from the AfroSurf book
Open book spread showing "Cabo's Surf Passport" text on green pages with a photograph of a surfer in water on the right side
Mami Wata logo featuring a stylised woman figure in a circular frame surrounded by geometric and celestial symbols in yellow on red background
Person carrying a large fish over their shoulders in a street with ruined colonial architecture in the background
Young man holding a white surfboard while standing on a beach, featured in the Afrosurf book celebrating African surf culture
Yellow and black patterned watch with text reading "Rolli on my wrist", "Mami Wata Surf" and "But I gal no time", alongside a green elephant illustration on a pink background
Afrosurf book cover featuring a Black surfer holding a gold surfboard against a white background, bordered with red and yellow text
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