At a Glance
- UNESCO added African music, rituals, fashion and cuisine to its 2025 Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
- Ghana’s Highlife, Ethiopia’s Gifaataa festival and Egypt’s Koshary were among the recognized traditions.
- The listings highlight culture’s role in identity, tourism and Africa’s growing creative economy.
Africa’s cultural presence expanded on the world stage in 2025 as UNESCO added a new group of the continent’s music, rituals, crafts and foods to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The decision was announced Dec. 10 at the 20th session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee in New Delhi.
The additions reflect how traditions rooted in daily life continue to shape identity and social bonds across Africa.
Rather than relics of the past, these practices remain widely used, passed down within families and communities, and adapted to modern life.
The latest recognitions also come as African governments and cultural groups place renewed focus on heritage as a source of pride and opportunity.
Music, fashion and food are increasingly linked to tourism, education and creative industries, helping local traditions reach wider audiences.
UNESCO’s list, officials say, aims to protect these practices while keeping them visible and relevant.
The 2025 entries show how culture remains a living force, connecting history to the present.
Music and ritual at the core
At the center of this year’s announcement is Ghana’s Highlife music and dance, one of West Africa’s best-known sounds.
Built around brass instruments, layered rhythms and storytelling lyrics, Highlife has long reflected everyday life, touching on love, migration and social change.
Its influence can be heard in newer genres such as hiplife and Afrobeats.
Elsewhere, UNESCO recognized Madagascar’s Tsapiky, a fast-paced music style tied to celebrations and community gatherings in the country’s southwest.
Ethiopia’s Gifaataa, the New Year festival of the Wolaita people, was inscribed for its role in marking renewal and strengthening social ties.
Kenya’s Mwazindika spiritual dance of the Digo community was also added, highlighting the link between music, movement and belief.
Food, fashion and shared life
The 2025 list also spotlighted culinary and artisanal traditions.
Morocco’s Caftan was recognized for the skills, symbolism and craftsmanship behind the garment, worn for major life events.
Egypt’s Koshary, a popular street and home-cooked dish, earned a place for its close connection to urban life and social interaction.
UNESCO also added the Garuna practice of the Massa people in Chad and Cameroon, tied to pastoral life and artistic retreat, as well as the Zaffa wedding procession observed in Djibouti, Comoros, Mauritania and Somalia.
Together, the new inscriptions underline Africa’s cultural range and resilience.
By recognizing these living traditions, UNESCO aims to support their transmission to future generations while strengthening their place in the global cultural and creative economy.
