Tatler Africa
DarkSky International designates places across the world where land and sky are protected simultaneously from light and air pollution, recognising them as Dark Sky Parks, Sanctuaries and Reserves. Only 22 countries hold these designations globally, and two of them are in Africa: Namibia and South Africa. The night skies above these reserves are among the darkest and most spectacular on earth, offering a view of the Milky Way, the Magellanic Clouds and the southern hemisphere’s star-filled horizon that most people will never encounter anywhere else in their lifetimes. Save this post and swipe for where to go and where to stay. Images Courtesy of NamibRand Nature Reserve, andBeyond, Dark Sky, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, Lapalala Wilderness, Lenovo Lodges
Paradise Plains, The Wilder Group’s luxury safari camp in the Musiara region of Kenya’s Maasai Mara, reopened for the 2026 season with two significant additions: a Sky Walk elevated 4.2 metres above the ground and a new Coffee Bar opening in August 2026. The camp’s nine suites sit along the banks of the Mara River in one of the reserve’s most celebrated wildlife corridors, with an infinity pool, spa, gym and fine dining already among its offer. Swipe for a closer look at what’s new this season. Images Courtesy of Paradise Plains, Wilder Group, @wilder_group
Africa is the world’s most important gemstone continent, with rubies, sapphires, emeralds, tanzanite, tsavorite, alexandrite, aquamarine and tourmaline mined across dozens of countries and supplying the world’s finest jewellery houses. Cartier, Graff, Bulgari and Tiffany all source from African deposits, many of which are the sole origin of a particular stone on earth. Swipe for the stones and where they come from. Images Courtesy of Gemfields, Cartier, Gemmyo, Bulk Gemstones, Emily Chelsea Jewelry, Gem Rock Auctions, Emporia, Getty Images - Patrick AVENTURIER / Contributor, Thomas SAMSON / Contributor
1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair holds its 14th London edition at Somerset House from 15 to 18 October 2026, alongside Frieze London and Frieze Masters. Founded in 2013 by Touria El Glaoui, 1-54 is the first and only international fair dedicated to contemporary African art, with three annual editions in London, New York and Marrakech. This year’s edition features 35 exhibitors and a spotlight exhibition titled West Wind, curated by Nancy Dantas, bringing together pioneering modern artists from across Africa. Swipe for a closer look at the fair and the 2026 London edition. Images Courtesy of City Wealth, 1-54, SUTTON, Somerset House, Instituto de História da Arte, Getty Images - Dan Kitwood / Staff
Babylonstoren’s farm records date to 1692, making it one of the oldest Cape Dutch properties in the Franschhoek wine valley. The 8-acre edible garden, harvested daily by the kitchen team, determines what is served at Babel restaurant and in the farm shop. Guests stay in restored farm cottages and suites scattered across the working estate, with the spa, winery and garden walks completing an experience that has made Babylonstoren one of the most-visited farm stays in South Africa. Swipe for a closer look inside the suites, the garden and the farm. Produced by @harrisson.thane
On 18 August 2026, Angélique Kidjo received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Recording category, becoming the first African musician and first Black African to receive the honour in the landmark’s six-decade history. The ceremony was attended by Willem Dafoe, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., Djimon Hounsou and Adekunle Gold, among others. Dafoe, who spoke at the ceremony, described her as without a doubt the hardest-working woman in show business, comparing her energy on stage to James Brown, before adding that what moved him most was her humanitarian work through the Batonga Foundation. Swipe for a closer look at the moment and the career behind it. Images Courtesy of GettyImages - Frans Schellekens / Contributor, Jemal Countess / Stringer, Alison Buck / Stringer, Bill Tompkins / Contributor, Lionel FLUSIN / Contributor, JB Lacroix / Contributor, JB Lacroix / Contributor, River Callaway / Contributor
The supper club format has found a natural home in African food culture, where chef-led intimacy, communal eating and menus rooted in specific African food traditions have created evenings that extend beyond a restaurant meal. These experiences operate through curated tasting menus served at communal tables in private or rotating venues across the globe. Save this post and swipe for the full list. Images Courtesy of Midunu, Argenis Apolinario, ADJAA, Lerato Food & Naturals, Lámurén, @midunu @akwasibrenyamensa @chef.tayo @ebiayosupperclub @prekesse @nairobisupperclub @roots_afrique_
South Africa’s house and Amapiano scenes have given the world some of its most globally recognised DJ talent over the last two decades, with artists from Cape Town to Tembisa now holding residencies in Ibiza, headlining Coachella and filling stadiums across Europe and North America. These are the African DJs who have taken the continent’s sound to the world. Swipe for the full list. Images Courtesy of Getty Images - Jerritt Clark / Contributor, Mohammed Mahama / Contributor, @realblackcoffee @shimza.dj @kabelomotha_ @djmaphorisa Spotify
Mahali Mzuri, meaning ‘beautiful place’ in Swahili, was created in 2013 to protect the route of the Great Wildebeest Migration and reopened in June 2025 following its first full interior refurbishment, designed in partnership with Lynne Hunt London. The 12 luxury tented suites retain their peaked roofs but now feature floor-to-ceiling glass windows for panoramic views across the valley, with natural materials, an earthy palette and touches of red and black honouring traditional Maasai attire. Custom beadwork by The Maa Trust, artworks by East African artists Theresa Musoke and Dickens Otieno curated by Circle Art Gallery and furnishings sourced from Nairobi-based suppliers complete the camp that has never looked better placed to deliver a front-row seat to the Great Migration. Watch for a look inside. Produced by @harrisson.thane
The best coffee table books work as striking decorative objects, browsable visual references and conversation starters that reveal the taste and knowledge of whoever chose them. These eight titles spanning photography, art, history, fashion, design and travel across the African continent and its diaspora, belong on every well-curated coffee table. Save this post and swipe for the full edit. Images Courtesy of Amazon UK, Aperture, Marabouparken Konsthall, Institute Artist, Kunstmuseum Basel, Thames & Hudson
Gabon is 88 per cent forested and holds 13 national parks covering approximately 11 per cent of its land area, making it one of the most ecologically intact countries on earth. It is also one of the few places where hippos navigate Atlantic Ocean surf, where forest elephants walk beaches at sunrise and where western lowland gorillas and chimpanzees live in dense rainforest within a day’s travel of the coast. This is expedition travel, requiring commitment: carrying your own pack, following expert guides, spending five of eight days fully remote. Swipe for a closer look at what a Gabon expedition looks like. Images Courtesy of Lowveld Trails Co., Getty Images - by Cathy Withers-Clarke
From intricately beaded clutches that take hundreds of hours to complete to bags carved from solid wood and woven cane pieces fusing traditional craft with contemporary silhouettes, these Nigerian designers are creating statement pieces that will liven up any outfit. Save this list and swipe for the full edit. Images Courtesy of Daez Brands, Mulawwan, Hertunba, @shopkisara @mairachamp.ng @ywande.official @thosa.kraft @meraki_bead @wandeesan
Mahali Mzuri reopened in June 2025 following its first full interior refurbishment, designed by Lynne Hunt London, with 12 luxury tented suites now featuring floor-to-ceiling glass windows framing panoramic views across the Olare Motorogi Conservancy. Custom beadwork by The Maa Trust, artworks by Theresa Musoke and Dickens Otieno curated by Circle Art Gallery and furnishings sourced from Nairobi-based suppliers give the camp a visual identity specific to Kenya and the landscape it overlooks. Swipe for a closer look inside. Produced By @harrisson.thane Images Courtesy of Harrisson Thane, Virgin Limited Edition, Masai Mara
British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare CBE RA completed his MFA at Goldsmiths, University of London in 1991 and has spent the decades since developing an interdisciplinary practice that uses Dutch wax print fabric, Western art history and literary references to examine race, class and the relationship between Africa and Europe under colonialism and globalisation. His signature material, Dutch wax print fabric, carries its own colonial history from Indonesian batik through Dutch manufacturing to West African markets, his work living within that contradiction. Swipe for a closer look at the artist and his work. Images Courtesy of Etsy, MOMA, Fondation H, Yinka Shonibare, Getty Images - Tabatha Fireman / Stringer, @gasfoundation
Odio Oseni founded Odio Mimonet in Lagos thirty years ago with a clear conviction: that the fashion world was not making clothes that honoured women in their full complexity, their proportions, their presence and the cultures they came from. Three decades of sculptural silhouettes, Ankara and heritage textiles later, the house has announced international expansion, new collections and a CSR programme investing in Nigeria’s next generation of creative talent. Swipe for a closer look at the house and what this moment means. Images Courtesy of Odio Mimonet