Naomi Campbell

Digital and multimedia journalist and founder covering diaspora, culture, foodways, and investigative reporting for social impact. 

Published Work

Daily Maverick •

Community meets coworking space – Kọ Cafe in Jersey City is a ‘hub for builders’

The modern coffee shop that your parents grew up loving serves your basic coffee flavours like black and French vanilla, the simple yet perfect grab-and-go order. But the shop serves more than coffee — it is a comforting, coming of age experience that transformed the traditional coffee shop. From new trends and flavour additives like matcha and embracing coffee origins from countries like Ethiopia, the 21st century coffee shop is a third space.
Ko Cafe in Jersey City is among the new wave of cof...
Daily Maverick •

Highlights from the second annual SA Chef Conference & Expo, from local flavours to global trends

Chefs, caterers and culinary enthusiasts gathered in Johannesburg in August for the second annual SA Chef Conference & Expo. The conference was held at Capital Empire in Sandton, Johannesburg. Attendees included sponsors, leading suppliers, exhibitors and speakers who gathered at the hotel for two days. Individuals got a glimpse of some culinary conversations from AI to crafting cuisine from some of the leading chefs and partners in South Africa.
On the way to the venue in Sandton, I had a full...
Daily Maverick •

Yeoville Dinner Club’s Sanza Sandile brings pan-African cuisine to the States

Jozi is not just home to the historical Apartheid Museum. In the vibrant inner city of Yeoville, African immigrants and refugees create markets and build community. The city also boasts a dining experience that brings locals and tourists together over pan-African cuisine. 
Before becoming a self-proclaimed “gastronomy smuggler”, who sources natural ingredients and recreates dishes from childhood memories of his grandmother’s cooking or the auntie in Yeoville, Sandile was a boy living in Soweto....
Daily Maverick •

The artistry of the brew is being transformed on the streets of Mzansi

Flat white, red cappuccino and cortado are just a few of the speciality coffees available in South Africa, the country that is transforming the artistry of the brew. 
While the Rainbow Nation is known for its amapiano, braai, rugby and wine, coffee is becoming part of the country’s culture as evidenced by the increase in Black-owned coffee companies and shops.The cultural hub of Fox Street in Maboneng, Johannesburg, is the site of the perfect coffee shop to fuel your walks around the block. Two...
Daily Maverick •

How two food vendors serve culture, community and cuisine

South Africa’s street food and truck culture is rooted in creativity and community. From sourcing local ingredients from farms, networking with other small business owners and perfecting the most fiery braai for locals and tourists, street food and trucks provide a fast tasting experience of a country’s or city’s most popular cuisine. 
At the CoCreate Hub located in Stellenbosch, food vendors experiment with recipes while locals and tourists discover local cuisine. Whether it’s halaal heaven or...
Daily Maverick •

Nabeelah and Wardah Cassiem: culinary passion with community spirit

Nabeelah Cassiem is the founder and owner of Creamy Creations, based at the CoCreate Hub in Stellenbosch, while her sister Wardah Cassiem is the founder of Wadi’s Kitchen. The Hub is a space for locals, tourists and professionals to grab a bite, shop and even get a haircut. 
The entrepreneurial and community collective is located on the corner of Victoria Street near Stellenbosch University. It is also where I had the amazing opportunity to intern during the first half of my reporting experience...
Daily Maverick •

Aslina Wines challenges Western culture through winemaking

The Cape Winelands are fertile grounds for innovation and promotion of industrial-scale wine production. In the largest wine-producing region in South Africa, the Western Cape is home to winemakers, wine brands and wine lovers. As much as 70% of the wine sold in South Africa comes from this region and continues to entice tourists and empower locals to support the vineyards vying for international recognition. 
While wine tasters sip to strengthen the local economy, winemakers are behind the scen...
Daily Maverick •

Proudly South African flavours at Jozi Local Wine Expo

Bubbly, citrus, sweet, and dry wine flavours were packaged in 30 different bottles at the beginning of the fourth annual Local Wine Expo sponsored by Proudly South African last weekend at the Prison Break Market in Johannesburg. 
The member-based organisation was established in 2001 after the 1998 Presidential Summit with hopes of creating an advocacy campaign to promote local consumerism. The three-day free event was an opportunity for local winemakers to display their products to the public, m...
Daily Maverick •

Dine like Madiba: Culture and cuisine in the shoes of two great men

My family’s dining room table in our home in Jersey City is not only reserved for plates and utensils, but for my father’s copy of Long Walk to Freedom. For as long as I can remember, the historical text has had an assigned spot on the table right next to his laptop, his unofficial workspace. The 500-page book chronicles Nelson Manelda’s road to liberation before, during and post apartheid. The autobiography details his childhood until adulthood, with his continued fight for freedom. 
In Novembe...
Daily Maverick •

Township dining in In Stellenbosch and Soweto

Street vendors line up to their stations preparing for a day of braaing assorted meat from boerewors and chicken to Cape snoek. A kota shop employee opens a fresh bag of spinach while another restocks the condiments to squeeze onto the signature-style sandwiches in the township.
A few blocks from the entrance in Kayamandi is Amazink, a restaurant that challenges the perceptions of townships by inviting customers to explore traditional African cuisine.In Xhosa, Kayamandi means “sweet home”. In th...
Daily Maverick •

In rural Stellenbosch at Beker en Bord

In Kylemore village on the Helshoogte pass between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, Beker en Bord is the entrance to the South African version of Alice in Wonderland. Instead of the White Rabbit, stuffed bears hang from the exposed wooden ceiling in the outdoor garden. Instead of the mischievous Cheshire Cat following you around, the dog struggles to decide which is her favourite companion. And instead of the quirky Mad Hatter, we have a vibrant older woman hosting us who everyone in the village of...
FUSION Magazine •

Asake set the vibe in Madison Square Garden

When Jennifatu Crowther found out that Asake was performing at Madison Square Garden, she wasn’t going to miss the Lungu boy’s performance for the second time in a row.“I love Asake. I’m African as well. I’m not Nigerian, I’m Sierra Leonean so I love his music. I love how he creates his music,” said Crowhter.Her cousins from Sierra Leone joined her in the Big Apple to cheer the Nigerian artist on.“The opportunity that they (African artists) have had to expand globally and for him (Asake) to be a...
Daily Maverick •

Daytime dining meets Dusk delicacies in central Stellenbosch

The country that loves to braai is eager to show you its culture, so your introduction to a new environment has to be intriguing. It might include coffee and some other treats along the way – perhaps a meal and shopping with your editor? I mean, who gets to say that they were able to accompany Tony Jackman on not just a walking food tour, but a stroll through Stellenbosch looking for a hat on a sunny day? Your first day as an intern can’t get any better than that. 
My first meeting with Tony was...
Daily Maverick •

EDGE X VUE: Dine and wine where history meets heritage

In a restaurant that challenges culinary customs and experiments with flavours, on Shortmarket Street in Cape Town, five plates were placed on the table in a moody dining hall. Small vases adorned the table and menus were laid next to each plate.
Five guests – two Americans and three South Africans, of different ages and professional backgrounds – sat down to enjoy the same meal. Well, except for the pescatarian that is.A woman with high cheekbones, a colourful hair scarf with a knot in the midd...
Daily Maverick •

How an American learnt to love the braai

In the States, we refer to cooking over a flame as a barbecue. I have fond memories of going to my aunts’ homes in either Piscataway, New Jersey, or Easton, Pennsylvania, for an evening barbecue. Whether it was a birthday party, or my favourite, just an excuse to get together or what my Trinidadian family would say, lime. 
The car ride to Piscataway is about 40 minutes from my family’s home in New Jersey and then another 40 minutes to Easton. My pre-teen brain couldn’t keep up with all of the hi...
Daily Maverick •

Buy, feast and connect at the CoCreate Hub

I know what you might be thinking — how did Daily Maverick convince a retired supermodel to write an introductory piece. Tony Jackman must be quite the negotiator. 
Unfortunately, I am not a famous British model. I sometimes wonder if she would ask me to change my surname, but being named after a supermodel has carried me quite far in life. Of course, that’s not why I am here, but it does cause the occasional eyebrow raise, smile, and introductory icebreaker. Naomi Campbell, if you happen to rea...
FUSION Magazine •

What's color got to do with it?

Thanks to my ex boyfriend, I have an Instagram screening process for new love interests. I stalk his Instagram page looking for potential red flags, e.g., a birthday post that reveals he’s a Scorpio. Or God forbid, he follows OnlyFans models.I save the best for last. I take a deep breath and go straight to his follower list and begin what I call the “skin color scroll,” to see if my new suitor follows brown-skinned girls that look like me.If I see one brown-skinned girl in a pool of caramel or p...
The NewsHouse •

Power of Podcasting

“Welcome back to another episode of ‘With a Grain of Salt.’ I am your host, Isaiah Salter, and I appreciate every one of you for tuning in for yet another week,” Salter said.


Isaiah Salter closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. The room is silent except for the echo of the fan overhead. The lights shine on his face, and he purses his lips before exhaling. He claps his hands together before opening his eyes. His lips form a smile. The podcast begins. 


According to a 2023 report by Statist...
The Daily Orange •

Black-owned restaurants bring authentic culture, homemade feel to Syracuse

Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.
Chefs from the Black diaspora in Syracuse cook flaky chapati, brown stew chicken and baked mac and cheese, fostering a diverse cuisine center in central New York. Diners walk in seeking a taste of home or hoping to expand their palates.
One of these chefs, Riyaq Dukous, heats oil in a stainless steel pan at Somali Restaurant on North Salina Street at 8 a.m.. Muslim prayer calls softly play as Dukous p...
The Daily Orange •

Seydou Diao’s grillz flaunt style, recognize Black culture with mouth art

Syracuse University senior Seydou Diao designs grillz sets while also balancing his studies as a mechanical engineering student. All of his orders go through his Instagram account, @imakegrills.
Collin Snyder | Staff Photographer
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.
UPDATE: This post was updated at 12:57 p.m. on April 1, 2025.
Seydou Diao unlocks his iPhone for one reason.
Not to respond to text messages or check the...
The Daily Orange •

African & Caribbean Central Market satisfies cultural cravings of origins

The owner of the African & Caribbean Central Market, Roselinda Abbey, moved from Ghana to the United States in 1994. She always had aspirations to become a business owner, and eventually opened her market in Syracuse.
Ella Chan | Asst. Photo Editor
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.
The aroma of smoked fish fills the storefront as gospel music plays from speakers. Cultural goods are stacked on every shelf, from canne...
The Daily Orange •

Barner-McDuffie House hosts Black Health Professional Panel

For Black History Month, Black women in healthcare discussed the importance of representation and diversity in the field, sharing personal experiences and advice. They emphasized mentorship and resources available at SU.
Brycen Pace | Asst. Photo Editor
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.
In the social lounge of the Barner-McDuffie House, surrounded by Afrocentric artwork, Black women working in the healthcare industr...
The Daily Orange •

Kelsey’s Coffee and Friends focuses on community after rebrand

Peaks Coffee Company recently rebranded to Kelsey’s Coffee and Friends in January. The shop now includes more merchandise from local artists, warmer colors and a new logo.
Leonardo Eriman | Asst. Video Editor
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.
Through the glass windows overlooking East Genesee Street, Kelsey Ball invites customers both new and old into her newly-rebranded coffee shop for a journey into coffee culture...
The NewsHouse •

Faith & fashion

Her chocolate skin glows against the cloth of her hijab. Only her arched eyebrows, full lips, and silver nose stud revealed features.  


Awa Seck is a Senegalese American student from Harlem, New York, studying business analytics at Syracuse University with a minor in information management and technology.


Seck traveled to Senegal for the first time when she was just three years old. More than a decade later, she visited again as a high school graduation present from her parents. 

Senegal...
Load More