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The massive opportunities in Atlanta’s cultural connection to South Africa

Atlanta has been culturally flirting with South Africa for a long time.
Party-goers dance and enjoy the local scene at Bamba Tuesdays, a premier amapiano dance party hosted by DJ Kash in Atlanta, on Oct. 15, 2024. (Olivia Bowdoin for the AJC)

Credit: Olivia Bowdoin

Party-goers dance and enjoy the local scene at Bamba Tuesdays, a premier amapiano dance party hosted by DJ Kash in Atlanta, on Oct. 15, 2024. (Olivia Bowdoin for the AJC)
4 hours ago

Bem Joiner is a cofounder of the apparel brand and civic-minded creative consultancy Atlanta Influences Everything. In his latest UATL contribution, told to Mike Jordan and edited for clarity and length, Joiner talks about the connections between Atlanta and South Africa and how an upcoming event overseas presents a chance for Atlantans to join a rising tide of intercontinental economic opportunities tied to Atlanta’s Black culture.

Atlanta has a history of solidarity with South Africa.

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Karl Carter of Snake Nation. (Courtesy of Snake Nation)

Credit: Courtesy of Snake Nation

Karl Carter of Snake Nation. (Courtesy of Snake Nation)

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htiw levart ot ot eht srekcits .edis tneserper rehto ytinutroppo ,tesdnim noitamrofni yppah ,stfig raeg morf morf .erutluc emoc ,snottub tub gniraeb dna dna na osla LTAU m’I secneulfnI I I gnihtyrevE atnaltA atnaltA dnA

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In-studio portrait of Bem Joiner, co-owner of Atlanta Influences Everything, a creative agency focused on harnessing the influence of Atlanta culture. (Tyson Horne/AJC)

Credit: TYSON HORNE /TYSON.HORNE@AJC.COM

In-studio portrait of Bem Joiner, co-owner of Atlanta Influences Everything, a creative agency focused on harnessing the influence of Atlanta culture. (Tyson Horne/AJC)

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… tsegnuoy gnuoy tnemyolpmenu ot eseht eht eht eht eht ,gnitirwgnos ,etar ,gnihsilbup snoitalupop .elpoep eno no fo fo sboj recneulfni sah erutuf rof ,gnitide gnitcerid evitaerc ,noitaerc tub ,gnidnarb era osla gnidrocca a yratenoM lanoitanretnI .dnuF htraE tnetnoC acirfA %2.83

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Atlanta Influences Everything co-founder Bem Joiner poses in Atlanta on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Atlanta Influences Everything co-founder Bem Joiner poses in Atlanta on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

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Party-goers dance and enjoy the local scene at Bamba Tuesdays, a premier amapiano dance party hosted by DJ Kash in Atlanta, on Oct. 15, 2024. (Olivia Bowdoin for the AJC)

Credit: Olivia Bowdoin

Party-goers dance and enjoy the local scene at Bamba Tuesdays, a premier amapiano dance party hosted by DJ Kash in Atlanta, on Oct. 15, 2024. (Olivia Bowdoin for the AJC)

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uoy tnaw su ot ot ,emit esoht ereht eht eht taht .seirots swonk ni woh evah tnemnrevog rof rof tsrif .ecnad emoc roivaheb gniksa gniksa dna a ,keeY keeY ehT htuoS .rebmetpeS roF snekciD erdnA dnA snacirfA

Atlanta native Fonzworth Bentley performs the "yeek" dance at the 2023 Yeek! Fest in the Atlanta suburb of South Fulton, Ga. (Courtesy of Melanie Patrick)

Credit: Courtesy of Melanie Patrick

Atlanta native Fonzworth Bentley performs the "yeek" dance at the 2023 Yeek! Fest in the Atlanta suburb of South Fulton, Ga. (Courtesy of Melanie Patrick)

htiw ot eht ytilatnem si detseretni ni rof gnikam-laed srotaerc sevitaerc redisnoc emoc .radnelac gnidnetta dna dna ecivda a keeW s’lraK emaF atnaltA acirfA

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ruoy gnikrow ecrofkrow .htiw tnaw sepyt .pirt ot ot siht eht eht eht ycilop elpoep yap nwo rehto fo gnihton erom ,sredael si otni ni ni rof ,esle cimonoce od :tnempoleved seirtnuoc strapretnuoc ssenisub noitnetta enoyna dna dna ecivda lanoigeR yM orteM naeL fI noissimmoC ,rebmahC atnaltA atnaltA

ot taht sdnes elpoep ruo ro fo edulcni puorg seod ?srotaerc ,yrtnuoc ycnegnitnoc ytic rehtona a nehW atnaltA

,semit .elpoep fo erom tol ti sedulcni ytiot-ytioh .t’nseod a ,oN tI

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uoy s’tahw nabru edart ot eseht eht eht taht .ecaps enoemos setaler ylgnimlehwrevo snoissim gnissim si ,ecneulfni ni ni raeg .erutluc evitaerc yltnetsisnoc semoc kcab ksa rewsna tuoba nehW secneulfnI gnihtyrevE tuB kcalB s’atnaltA atnaltA

dluow dlrow htiw ohw erehw nehw er’ew ,su ot eseht eht eht taht enoemos emos ees semuser elpoep tuo ruo no fo fo reven gnikool tfel si dah ,puorg gniog gnileef .dne larutluc noitasrevnoc .emac sgnirb eveileb gnieb kcab gnissessa era syawla a ehT ev’I elbaelgooG atnaltA atnaltA

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Atlanta producer and rapper Jermaine Dupri. (Tyson A. Horne/AJC)

Credit: Tyson Horne

Atlanta producer and rapper Jermaine Dupri. (Tyson A. Horne/AJC)

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ohw detisiv ,pirt eht eht no fo ton ym shtnom .gnivil denrael tsuj s’ti t’nsah lluf evif tsrif .srotaerc ,erofeb tcepsa enoyna ,oga tuoba tuoba htuoS s’tI I roF acirfA

krow htiw s’ohw ohw syaw desu ,pirt ot kniht ereht eht ecaep revo redlo ym tem em edam gnivil ni t’ndah dnuof ytivitcennoc .erofeb ta na tuoba ffeJ I I gniruD ,nosrekciD gnitcennoC kcalB natnaltA .CJA

gnikroW“ sraey htiw saw dlot sredluohs gnibbur .em ni ”,ronoh staerg taerg rof dna a sthgiR nosrekciD liviC atnaltA 04

tuB“ ruoy erehw yaw ylgu ot ylemit s’ereht eht eht naht ekat gniriter etipser scitilop ffo fo fo on evom erom erom sekam gnol tsuj ylgnisaercni ni morf ,esruoc reerac gnippac nac htaerb retteb ytuaeb ”.lufituaeb .yawa dna a a ,nwoT epaC atnaltA dnA s’aciremA acirfA

The stunning architecture of Cape Town, South Africa, with the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront as its centerpiece, is a sun-drenched working harbor that basks underneath Table Mountain. Natural wonders, culinary marvels and myriad cultures combine to make Cape Town a world-class vacation destination. (Mary Ann Anderson/McClatchy News Service)

Credit: Mary Ann Anderson / McClatchy News Service

The stunning architecture of Cape Town, South Africa, with the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront as its centerpiece, is a sun-drenched working harbor that basks underneath Table Mountain. Natural wonders, culinary marvels and myriad cultures combine to make Cape Town a world-class vacation destination. (Mary Ann Anderson/McClatchy News Service)

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About the Author

Mike Jordan is senior editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Black culture brand, UATL. A longtime culture journalist, his work has been published in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, National Geographic, Rolling Stone and others. Jordan won the James Beard Foundation’s 2024 Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award and was a 2023 finalist.