Afrikan Alphabets

Often the images and fonts meant to Africa are stereotypical and reduce the diversity and complexity of a vast continent to simplified imagery and types. Like Rudolf Koch’s typeface Neuland, used in the logo for Disney’s The Lion King, which wasn’t even supposed to be representative of anything other than Koch’s own religious fervor. The origin and development of typography in Africa is far more diverse and interesting. It is also, unfortunately, inextricably tied to the colonization of the continent. Alphabets and syllabaries were largely efforts to resist colonization while preserving languages and cultures. The first and most influential of these was King Njoya’s syllabary of the Shu-mom language of the Bamum people of western Cameroon. King Njoya created this written language in 1869 while Germany was occupying Cameroon. Following Njoya’s lead, many other African peoples developed written languages and for similar reasons. Dualu Bukele developed the Vai syllabary. Kisimi Kamara designed the Mende syllabary. The list goes on. The idea of a written language as an act of resistance to western colonization produced wonderfully fluid letterforms free from the western regimented grid system and a written record of languages, cultures, and their people. 

1820 – Dualu Bukele is credited with first recording the Vai syllabary, the specific origins of  are unknown

1884 – Berlin Conference, European countries drew up various “Protection” treaties with African nations

1896 – at the age of 25, King Njoya invented the Shu-mom writing system

1896 – the Ethiopian army defeated Italy

1900s – the majority of Africa colonized by 7 European Powers

1904 – King Njoya built a museum to house the artifacts and books in theShu-mom language

1921 – The Mende Syllabary was created by Kisimi Kamara

1922 – the Somali alphabet was created by Cismaan Kenadid

1923 – Neuland designed in 1923 by Rudolf Koch

1931 – King Njoya was exiled 

1945 – marked the beginning of the end of colonization in Africa 

1960 – the “year of Africa” with 17 territories gained independence

1973  – an alphabet was created for Somali using latin characters

1990s – everywhere in Africa (except South Africa) were ruling independently

1999 – Saki Mafundikwa founds ZIVA, Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts

2004  – Saki Mafundikwa publishes Afrikan Alphabets

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