Culture Craze
Doja Cat to headline Move Afrika 2026 in Kigali and Pretoria
“From my South African roots straight to the world stage, we’re bringing energy, purpose, and real change to Move Afrika in Kigali and Pretoria. This isn’t just a tour, it’s a movement that creates jobs and opportunities that last,” said Doja Cat. “I’m proud to be part of something that celebrates Africa’s creativity, invests in its future, and shows the world that Africa isn’t coming, it’s already here.”
“We are honored to welcome Doja Cat as the headliner for Move Afrika 2026,” said Hugh Evans, Co-Founder & CEO, Global Citizen. “She has delivered unforgettable performances at some of Global Citizen’s most defining moments, from Paris to New York to the historic FIFA Club World Cup™ Final Halftime Show. Now she joins us as we expand across the continent, from Johannesburg to Accra, Kigali to Lagos, and now Pretoria. Move Afrika is redefining global touring by placing Africa’s creative excellence at the center of the international circuit, creating jobs, strengthening local creative industries, and driving long-term economic growth powered by culture.”
“We’re excited to welcome Global Citizen and Move Afrika back to Rwanda. Move Afrika’s return reflects our continued dedication to elevating Africa’s creative industries and using the influence of global entertainment to drive meaningful progress across the continent,” said Jean-Guy Afrika, Chief Executive Officer, Rwanda Development Board. “This partnership supports our vision of Rwanda as a premier destination for live entertainment, one that creates jobs for young people, unlocks new economic opportunities, and delivers lasting benefits for Rwanda and the continent as a whole.”
Since its inception, Move Afrika has created over 2,500 jobs in Kigali and Lagos, with more than 90 percent of crew and production roles filled by local talent. In Kigali, the proportion of local crew increased from 75 percent in 2023 to 90 percent in 2025, with 95 percent of audio and lighting equipment sourced locally. The program also expanded youth training initiatives in rigging, security, and hospitality. Youth training was further strengthened through the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, providing 50 young people with paid, hands-on experience in production and event operations.
Move Afrika: Lagos employed 90 percent local crew and utilized 95 percent locally sourced equipment, awarding contracts to local vendors across technical production, staging, and event design. Ahead of Move Afrika 2026, plans are underway to create additional employment opportunities and expand the youth employment accelerator scheme.
The 2026 edition of Move Afrika builds on last year’s citizen-led advocacy campaign calling for stronger health systems across Africa. Harnessing the power of live music to grow the creator economy while advancing access to healthcare, Global Citizen will campaign alongside local partners ahead of each event to urge African nations to strengthen primary care, sexual and reproductive health and rights, invest in health resilience, and reduce financial barriers to public health.
To coincide with Move Afrika 2026, the Music Economy Development Initiative (MEDI), launched alongside last year’s campaign, will release new research, in partnership with Global Citizen, Universal Music Group and IFC, aimed at driving music policy reform and positioning music financing as a key driver of sustainable growth in Africa’s creative economy. MEDI provides data, evidence, and insights that simplify understanding of the music industry and how to support it. The initiative works to leverage music’s economic potential worldwide, support targeted investments to empower creators, amplify communities that have been underrepresented, and bring more local music to global audiences
Move Afrika is Global Citizen’s pan-African touring initiative designed to address the world’s inequities by creating job and entrepreneurship opportunities for the continent’s emerging generations through an annual series of live music events. Showcasing the best of Africa to the world, Move Afrika drives transformative investments within local communities, engaging local artists, vendors, agencies and crews, while creating opportunities for on-the
job skill development and training. Move Afrika will set a new gold-standard for entertainment touring events, increasing demand from international and regional artists to tour in the region and building local capacity within host cities across the continent. The tour will continue to expand annually, with additional countries joining the circuit as Move Afrika scales across the continent over the next five years
Global Citizen is grateful for the support of leading media companies, including: BellaNaija, EIB Network, Rolling Stone Africa, TIME Africa, TimesLIVE and Vanguard Media.
The 2026 installment of Move Afrika builds on Global Citizen’s previous campaigns and events across Africa, including the 2025 installment of Move Afrika: Kigali and Move Afrika: Lagos, headlined by John Legend; the inaugural 2023 edition of Move Afrika: Rwanda, headlined by Kendrick Lamar; Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100, which featured Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Ed Sheeran, Usher, Eddie Vedder, and Chris Martin of Coldplay in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2018; Global Citizen Live: Lagos, with performances by Davido, Femi Kuti, and Tiwa Savage at Fela Kuti’s New Afrika Shrine in 2021; and Global Citizen Festival: Accra, which brought Usher, SZA, Stormzy, and TEMS to the Black Star Square in 2022.
For more information, visit moveafrika.org.
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