The first few months of 2024 were spent in my beautiful village of Doonga, Uttarakhand, nestled in the Himalayas. It was a time for reflection, meditation, and immersing myself in the natural beauty of the countryside through long treks. A highlight was celebrating reggae music and culture in India at Goa Sunsplash 2024, an international reggae festival that brought vibrant energy to the start of the year.
I had the honour of visiting Vantage Hall School several times during my stay. I marked India’s 75th Republic Day, delivered a career talk alongside my husband, Professor Julian Henriques, and celebrated Vasant Panchami with the students and staff – moments of connection and inspiration.
In April 2024, I celebrated a decade of my engagement with African entrepreneurship. It marked ten years since I took on designing and implementing the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme as its CEO in Lagos, Nigeria. To commemorate this milestone, I spotlighted the remarkable staff members from my time at the Foundation (2014–2021), celebrating their roles and the significant strides they have made since.
Looking back at the last decade, I also explored the future of African entrepreneurship in the context of emerging global geopolitics and the “new scramble” for Africa. I shared these reflections in a thought leadership article examining the continent’s challenges and opportunities.
In May, I was privileged to attend an early screening of Queenie, the much-anticipated series adaptation of Candice Carty-Williams’s bestselling novel. Meeting the author, showrunner, and talented cast members added a personal touch to this must-watch production.
Early June brought London Tech Week, where I was invited to speak at Africa Ignite. I also connected with the inspiring team behind the London African Network, a growing community for creatives and professionals investing in Africa.
Later in June, I returned to Libreville, Gabon, for the 10th edition of Les Sambas Professionnels. Reconnecting with the ONG Sambas Labs team, who remain committed to providing growth opportunities for young professionals, was deeply rewarding. I shared my reflections on this enriching experience.
In June, the Zikora Media & Arts African Cultural Heritage Initiative launched “Decolonizing Beauty”. This ambitious campaign, running until 2025, seeks to educate and celebrate the diverse beauty traditions across Africa. The campaign showcases Africa’s rich tapestry of Indigenous beauty through initiatives like “Roots on Reels”, a short film contest, poetry and photojournalism competitions. I encourage African creatives to engage and share their stories.
August brought me back to Uttarakhand for a productive summer, including time spent at the Himalayan Writing Retreat.
My website was relaunched this year, featuring a new look and updated content. It will be a repository of my archive, career insights, and experiences spanning over four decades in arts and culture, film production, and African entrepreneurship.
Terser Adamu invited me to share my perspectives on African entrepreneurship and the “new scramble for Africa” on his Unlocking Africa Podcast. Craig Zelizer invited me to speak on my multifaceted career and strategies for social impact on the PCDN Social Change Career Podcast. I invite you to listen and share your thoughts on these episodes.
October was a poignant month as I revisited my film career through the retrospective series “Image, Music, Power: Julian Henriques and Parminder Vir’s Work in Film and Television”, curated and presented by Oliver Fuke and Matthew Barrington at the Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image. Over four Fridays, I re-watched and reminisced on the years spent producing stories that needed to be told. I captured my thoughts on the retrospective here.
In mid-November, I travelled to Cape Town, South Africa, for the Africa Tech Festival 2024. Over three dynamic days, I engaged with AI experts exploring the technology’s potential in Africa and participated in the inaugural, closed-door ministerial summit. This landmark gathering convened African ministers to assess ICT policy’s role in building tech-driven economies.
December brought me back to Lagos, Nigeria, for a deeply meaningful reunion with the Tony Elumelu Foundation. I met with the team behind the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme. Meeting familiar and new faces—including Somachi Chris-Asoluka, now CEO—was a reminder of the foundation’s enduring commitment to empowering African entrepreneurs. I also met with the HelpMum team, leveraging AI tools to combat maternal mortality across Nigeria. Meeting the leadership at The Marcelle Ruth Cancer Centre & Specialist Hospital and witnessing their transformative healthcare work was inspiring.
As the year comes to a close, I remain deeply grateful for the opportunities to reflect, reconnect, and continue contributing to the fields I care so passionately about – art, culture, film, African entrepreneurship, and social impact.
Here’s to an inspiring 2025!
About Parminder Vir OBE
Over a 40-year distinguished career, Parminder Vir OBE has passionately devoted her life to amplifying untold narratives and resourcing the skills and imagination of underserved communities. At the core of her mission lies an unshakable faith in the transformative potential of ideas and stories to ignite profound change. Her diverse expertise spans African entrepreneurship, an impressive portfolio as an award-winning film and television producer, and unwavering advocacy for the arts and culture.
Currently, Parminder Vir lends her strategic insights as an Advisory Board Member of Mamamoni Limited and HelpMum, and contributes as a Narrative Advisor at Mustard Venture Agency. She is also a director at Zikora Media & Arts Cultural Heritage Initiative, an inspirational cultural institution for Africa.
In her prior role as CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation and Advisory Board Member, she masterminded and executed a comprehensive entrepreneurship programme, impacting over 10,000 African entrepreneurs across 54 African nations from 2014 to 2021. Her tireless commitment to championing entrepreneurship as the keystone for Africa’s social and economic advancement continues to be a resounding call to action.
