African Arguments

What this publication wants

This is BRYME's summary of the publication's focus — not a copy of their website. Type of writing: Analysis, Opinion, Journalism, Essays, Interviews. Official guideline: African Arguments guidelines.

Topics, themes and styles they look for

• Original angles on African politics, social issues, economics, development, gender, environment, culture — a story, not a topic.
• Clear, evidenced, engaging writing for a pan-African, non-specialist audience.
• Pitch or full draft. Tell them who you are, why now, how you will report it, and why you are the person.
• April 2026 official relaunch: contact africanarguments@soas.ac.uk.

Subjects they avoid

• Vague general pitches.
• Do not treat payment as guaranteed. Do not invent a naira or dollar fee.
• Do not submit the same piece to both the main site and Debating Ideas.

Key requirements

• Email africanarguments@soas.ac.uk
• Who you are, why now, reporting plan, clips if you have them

Who can submit

Official: they prioritise writers of African descent based on the continent, but are open to articles from anyone who meets their editorial standards. Payment priority is separately stated as African journalists based in Africa.

Rights

Published under a Creative Commons licence that allows non-commercial republication with attribution and a link, text unchanged, free to read.

AI policy

Not stated in the guideline

How to write for them

Official requirement: always follow the publication's own guideline exactly.

BRYME's practical advice: write for the publication's audience, use a clear structure, keep paragraphs short, lead with a specific angle, and confirm the word count before submitting. These are practical suggestions — they are not the publication's official rules.

How to pitch

Where a pitch is required, this is the general pattern BRYME recommends — always adapt it to the publication's guideline.

1. Research the publication and read several recent pieces.
2. Choose a specific idea that fits their beat and audience.
3. Write a concise subject line naming your idea.
4. Introduce yourself in one or two lines (who you are, where you publish).
5. Explain the proposed piece in a short paragraph — angle, structure, length.
6. Say why it fits this publication.
7. Include 2–3 relevant clips or links.
8. Close professionally and thank them for their time.
9. Send through the official channel only.

Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.

Track this pitch

How to submit

Email a pitch or a draft

Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.

• Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
• Submission: Email a pitch or a draft
• Submission email: africanarguments@soas.ac.uk

What the guideline asks you to prepare

• Read https://africanarguments.org/write-for-us/.
• Email africanarguments@soas.ac.uk with a pitch or draft.
• Debating Ideas is separate: debateideas@africanarguments.org.

What happens after submission

Expected response: If no reply after a week, assume it is not a fit. They aim to answer emails in 2–4 working days.

If the publication does not state a response time, BRYME records that it is unknown. A follow-up is generally reasonable after a couple of weeks; if there is still no response, treat that as a likely non-acceptance rather than a rejection. Acceptance is normally communicated by the publication. If they accept, they will tell you exactly how to submit the final piece and, for most, how and when payment is made.