Endorphin Expeditions

21/06/2026

Exploring the rocky shores of the south-easter coast of South Africa

19/06/2026

Learning more about storytelling through traditional African music

Storytelling sits at the heart of African musical tradition, blending rhythm, narrative and communal memory into a living oral archive.

For example, traditionally performed at Zulu ceremonial gatherings, Ingoma uses call-and-response singing, layered percussion, and expressive dance to communicate stories about identity, migration, conflict, love, and social values.

While early forms were dominated by vocal harmonies and drums, the style evolved over time as new instruments entered southern Africa through trade, mission stations and colonial contact.

One of the most interesting additions is the accordion and concertina, instruments introduced to southern Africa by European settlers in the 19th century. Initially associated with Boeremusiek and Afrikaner folk traditions, these instruments were gradually adopted by African musicians who recognized their ability to carry melodic lines over rhythmic accompaniment
Zulu musicians incorporated them into indigenous frameworks, adapting European tuning and phrasing to fit pentatonic and harmonic structures found in local song traditions.

This cross-cultural exchange is most famously seen in maskandi music, where guitar-driven storytelling dominates but the accordion and concertina still appear in some regional styles. While artists like Johnny Clegg popularised Zulu-influenced fusion music internationally, he himself used guitar and sometimes concertina-inspired textures rather than fully traditional ingoma instrumentation.

Earlier rural musicians, including travelling maskandi performers, were more likely to experiment with concertina as a portable “singing instrument” for storytelling on journeys and in community gatherings.

The lyrical themes of Ingoma and related styles often revolve around everyday life: cattle and rural labour, courtship and family tensions, respect for elders, migration to cities, and reflections on hardship and resilience. The songs act as both entertainment and social commentary, preserving history in poetic form.

Together, Ingoma storytelling and adopted instruments like the accordion reveal a living tradition, one that absorbs outside influences while remaining deeply rooted in Zulu cultural identity.

17/06/2026

The streets of Kitwe on a public holiday in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province during the recent WhyAfrica Business Trip which was operated and organised by WhyAfrica’s sister company tour operator Endorphin Expeditions.

WhyAfrica Leon Louw

17/06/2026

What can you hear?

We saw some huge snail shells in Eswatini recently.

These are the shells of the Giant African land snail, which can grow to more than 20cm long and are most active during the warm, wet summer months.

They play an important role in the ecosystem by breaking down dead plant material and recycling nutrients, and although they look tough, they are very sensitive to drought and habitat disturbance.

WhyAfrica Leon Louw

16/06/2026

Traditional Swazi drums are crafted from natural materials sourced from the environment. The drum body is typically carved from hardwoods such as marula or other indigenous trees, while the drumhead is made from stretched animal hide, often cowhide or goat skin.

10/06/2026

Methembeni Moyo, Head of Africa Practice at NSDV Law, admiring expansion work being done at Barrick’s Lumwana copper mine in Zambia.

Methembeni joined Leon Louw, founder of WhyAfrica and Marilize de Jongh, Business Development Manager and Principal Consultant at ProjectLink, on the WhyAfrica Business trip to Zambia recently.

The trip included several site visits and interviews with stakeholders in Zambia’s mining, energy, agricultural and tourism sectors.

We visited, amongst others, First Quantum Minerals’ Kansanshi mine in the Copperbelt Province and Barrick’s Lumwana mine in the North-Western Province.

WhyAfrica will do several business and investor trips to a number of African countries over the next two years in collaboration with our sister company Endorphin Expeditions.

Endorphin Expeditions is a specialist tour operator focused on guided, niche, small-group road trips, adventures and expeditions across southern Africa.

We still have seats available for our 2027 investor trips so give us a call if you are interested in being part of the most unique and insightful expeditions into Africa.

Leon Louw Endorphin Expeditions

08/06/2026

Today we are taking it slow. We do not always rush on our Endorphin Expeditions trips across Africa. There is a lot of time to slow down and enjoy watching the small gems in nature that makes the biggest impacts.

Leon Louw WhyAfrica

07/06/2026

Very useful travel tip if you travel through Africa, you love geology and like collecting rocks. Don't be fooled by the bright metallic lustre and brass-yellow color.

07/06/2026

WhyAfrica on a site visit to First Quantum’s Kansanshi copper mine near Solwezi in the North-Western Province of Zambia during the recent WhyAfrica Business Trip to Zambia.

Kansanshi is one of Africa’s largest copper mines.

It is an open-pit operation that has been producing copper since 2005 and has undergone major expansions, making it a key contributor to Zambia’s copper output and one of the most important assets in the global copper supply chain.

The 2026 WhyAfrica Business Trip to Zambia was organized and operated by WhyAfrica’s sister company tour operator Endorphin Expeditions.

Leon Louw Endorphin Expeditions

03/06/2026

The photo was taken during the 2026 WhyAfrica Business Trip to Zambia, which was organized and operated by WhyAfrica's sister company tour operator Endorphin Expeditions.

Great vantage point in Zambia.

Wonder what created those ruts in the soil at Barrick's Lumwana copper mine in the North Western Province?

Any guesses?

The photo was taken during the 2026 WhyAfrica Business Trip to Zambia, which was organized and operated by WhyAfrica's sister company tour operator Endorphin Expeditions.

Leon Louw Endorphin Expeditions Barrick