# West African Emojis 'Afro Emoji' Helps Africans Culturally Express Themselves in the Digital Age By Malika Renee Butss | Published 2016-02-08 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/afro-emoji References: [wvtm13](http://www.wvtm13.com/entertainment/e-make-brain-can-you-speak-afro-emoji/37834012) & [bossip](http://bossip.com/1279934/a-lil-positivity-imanagement-consulting-launches-afro-emoji-to-help-africans-express-themselves-on-social-media/) Emojis have become a little more cultural with the launch of Afro Emoji. This [collection of niche emoticons](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kitchen-emojis) feature a variety of emojis depicting West African culture. The app was birthed in Nigeria, though it is available worldwide. Afro Emoji consists of a very diverse set of emojis that focus on West African characters dressed in their traditional garments. Each character is accompanied by a familiar pan-African phrase in pidgin English. Some of these phrases include the iconic "abeg no vex," "e make brain" and "chai!" Afro Emoji is plugging into a key demographic that is usually ignored by the technology industry, while allowing African Millennials to [decorate their messages](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bubble-gum-emoji) with a taste of their own culture. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.3/10 - Popularity: 52% | Activity: 68% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Mobile](https://www.trendhunter.com/mobile) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Cultural Emojis:** The rise of niche emojis tailored to specific cultures presents an opportunity for developers to create diverse and inclusive digital communication tools. - **Localization of Emojis:** The development of emojis depicting specific cultural traditions and languages opens up possibilities for localized communication platforms that cater to different communities around the world. - **Representation in Technology:** The demand for emojis that reflect a wider range of cultures highlights the need for greater diversity and representation in the tech industry, offering opportunities for companies to create more inclusive products and services. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Mobile App:** Developing mobile apps centered around cultural emojis can tap into the growing demand for personalized and culturally relevant digital communication tools. - **Language Technology:** Advancements in language technology can enhance the development of localized emojis and communication platforms that cater to specific linguistic communities. - **Social Media Platforms:** Social media platforms can integrate culturally diverse emojis to foster inclusivity and enable users to express themselves more authentically within their communities. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Personalized Animated Emojis](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/omoji.md) - [Personalized Emoji Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/emojibu.md) - [Emotion-Driven Messaging Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/emochat.md) - [Tactile Braille Emoticons](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/braille-emoticons.md) - [Realistic Chat-Based Avatars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tems.md) - [AI Emoji Creators](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/iemoji-ai.md) - [Expansive Emoticon Libraries](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/amicons.md) - [AI Emoji Assistants](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/emoji-bot.md) - [Emoji-Inspired Customizable Web Browsers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/customizable-web-browser.md)