‘This Is Africa' Village Brings Pan-African Culture to the Heart of Casablanca
Casablanca – Casablanca's Place Rachidi has turned into a welcoming space, celebrating African culture thanks to 'This Is Africa Village,' an open-air exposition that opened on May 23, 2025, and will continue until January 18, 2026.
The event is a collaboration between agency ANYA and the Association Atlas Azawan in partnership with Casablanca Events & Animation.
The project is open six days a week, with the aim of attracting more than one million visitors over eight months.
The village is divided into four themed zones, including the Kids' Area , where children can create colourful zellige mosaics, and listen to daily stories from across the continent.
Just a few steps away, a food court featuring African street food and fresh coffee also exists, giving visitors an easy spot to rest and recharge before exploring more of the village.
In the Creators' Alley, 16 stands representing Morocco, Madagascar, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Côte d'Ivoire, and Benin. The stands sell hand-beaten jewellery, woven baskets, and Beninese Padonou embroidery alongside contemporary design pieces.
The fourth space, a covered stage, comes to life each afternoon at 4 p.m., with the program featuring Côte d'Ivoire's percussion ensemble Djarabikan Balafon, Casablanca's Assia Brass Band, and Beninese DJ EMos Djekomon before a rotating roster carries the music deep into winter.
In an exclusive interview with Morocco World News (MWN), project manager Sofia Boukhamsa said the marathon format is deliberate: 'Our goal is to bring every corner of Africa together under one roof so families can keep coming back to discover new traditions, crafts, and sounds each week. It's a real challenge, but it's also a rehearsal for the continental energy Morocco hopes to showcase during AFCON.'
Among the exhibitors is 26-year-old fashion designer Hajar Elkhattab , whose rail of cropped jackets and denim-meets- caftan skirts has drawn steady attention. 'Not many young Moroccans wear traditional garments anymore,' she told MWN, while straightening a clothing rack. 'So I've mixed modern cuts with classic motifs. Our culture is unbelievably rich, and we should feel that pride every day.'
On the main stage, the wooden keys of the balafon resonate under the mallets of Souleymane Coulibaly, the manager of Groupe Djarabikan Balafon.
Founded in Abidjan in 2007, the ensemble has toured Europe and North Africa but is performing in Morocco for the first time. 'It's a real pleasure to share our music here,' Coulibaly stated. 'Morocco's cultural diversity makes us feel at home.'
Visitors appear to agree. Ameen, a 21-year-old student, wanders between jewellery stalls and textile stands.
'I wanted to discover other African cultures and see Moroccan traditions from a fresh angle,' he said. 'The village lets you see a bit of each thing.' Nearby, Samira, visiting with her teenage daughters, calls the experience 'a living classroom that demonstrates how art and tradition connect the continent'.
Local businesses are already eyeing a windfall. Cafés and hotels within walking distance of Place Rachidi expect a surge in traffic as football fans begin arriving in December.
For artisans like Elkhattab, the extended timeline is an opportunity to gather feedback and fine-tune designs. 'Eight months is long enough to build a relationship with customers,' she notes, 'and to collaborate with other African creators I would never meet otherwise.'
With the first winter AFCON now confirmed for 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, 'This Is Africa Village' is poised to serve as Casablanca's cultural drumroll. Tags: 2017 Africa Cup of NationsAfrican culture
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