Modern and authentic African emojis for your communication.

In 2018, I started Zouzoukwa to address the lack of authentic African representation in digital communication. What started as a daily Instagram challenge became an internationally recognized project.
My work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, CNN, The Guardian, and other major outlets, and two of my emoji designs were officially added to the Unicode standard and are now used by millions worldwide.

O’Plérou

Founder

licensing info

Zouzoukwa offers licensing for businesses, apps, and marketing campaigns that want to use authentic African cultural designs. Each emoji pack represents specific aspects of African cultures , from traditional foods to cultural celebrations.

Licensing structure

Our licensing model is designed for businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises. Licenses are subscription-based and scaled by company size, covering most commercial uses including web, apps, social media, marketing materials, and print.

Quality and authenticity

All emojis are hand-designed and delivered at 1024px 300dpi resolution for maximum versatility. Each design is researched and created to authentically represent African cultural elements, moving beyond stereotypes to showcase the continent’s true diversity.

Supporting representation

When you license Zouzoukwa emojis, you’re accessing high-quality design assets while supporting continued creation of authentic African digital content. This helps bridge the representation gap in global digital communication.