Sierra Leonean-British journalist Isha Sesay is on a mission to reshape global narratives about Africa. As CEO of Areya Media—parent company of OkayAfrica, Okayplayer, and OkayShop—Sesay is investing deeply in platforms that amplify authentic African and diaspora voices. “I’m playing a long-term game with Africa,” she said. “That’s why I’m doing this.”
Sesay’s leadership builds on a celebrated journalism career that included more than a decade at CNN, where her coverage of the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping in Nigeria earned a Peabody Award. The fleeting global attention that followed, she says, revealed how quickly the world moves on from African stories. “If 276 white girls were abducted, the world would still be championing that story,” she reflected. The experience inspired her book Beneath the Tamarind Tree and solidified her belief in persistent storytelling.
At Areya Media, that conviction drives productions like Afrobeats Intelligence, hosted by Nigerian journalist Joey Akan, and Bird’s Eye View, featuring Seun Kuti. The podcasts target both African and diaspora audiences, though Sesay prioritizes the former. “My primary audience is the people on the continent,” she said. “They’re siblings, but not one and the same.”
Sesay is taking a long-term approach to revenue, focusing on engagement and brand trust over quick profits. Afrobeats Intelligence has drawn more than 2.2 million YouTube views, which she views as a sign of growing loyalty. “We know it’s a longer road to maturing the market,” she said. “We’re OK with that.”
While global companies scale back in Africa, Sesay is doubling down—confident in the continent’s potential and its expanding youth population. “I’m not frightened by that,” she said. “I’m African.”
Beyond advertising and sponsorships, Areya plans to expand into live events and community engagement to strengthen audience connection. For Sesay, the goal is clear: build a trusted, enduring media ecosystem that tells African stories with authenticity and independence. “I want to be the media house they make part of their daily habit,” she said.
