African Chemistry struggles with what it means to talk about African chemistry as imagined and practiced by Africans. Not simply western chemistry in African hands, but African-originated ideas and modes of chemistry, and the implications of taking these historical, philosophical, cultural, and technical understandings seriously with respect to Africa’s sustainable development. It starts from endogenous chemistry, through its encounter with incoming European influences, to the present in which young Africans are reclaiming indigenous foods, medicines, metallurgy, etc. and turning them into vibrant commercial product, value chain, and livelihood innovations. African Chemistry marks the beginning of an “African Science” book series which over the next decade will extend Chakanetsa’s research and writing to African physics, biology, medicine, mathematics/computation, engineering, science fiction, and digital innovation.
The African Kitchen as archive for studying African modes of chemistry. Source: Chakanetsa Mavhunga.