Typography Specimen

Zilla Slab

OFL · 5 weights + italics · Latin ext. Slab, not condensed. Current default.

A new class of Kenyan beatmakers is trading session fees for publishing splits.

For years, the measure of success was visibility. Today, the more interesting question is who holds the rights, who controls distribution and who captures the value when a song, a garment or an idea travels across borders — from Lagos to London, Nairobi to New York.

Culture · Entertainment · Business · 14 min read

Rokkitt

OFL · variable 100–900 · narrow-set geometric slab — the closest genuinely narrow slab available.

A new class of Kenyan beatmakers is trading session fees for publishing splits.

For years, the measure of success was visibility. Today, the more interesting question is who holds the rights, who controls distribution and who captures the value when a song, a garment or an idea travels across borders — from Lagos to London, Nairobi to New York.

Culture · Entertainment · Business · 14 min read

Roboto Slab

OFL · variable 100–900 · NOT condensed; wide, sturdy, very legible.

A new class of Kenyan beatmakers is trading session fees for publishing splits.

For years, the measure of success was visibility. Today, the more interesting question is who holds the rights, who controls distribution and who captures the value when a song, a garment or an idea travels across borders — from Lagos to London, Nairobi to New York.

Culture · Entertainment · Business · 14 min read

Bevan

OFL · single heavy weight + italic · not condensed; strong poster character, limited flexibility.

A new class of Kenyan beatmakers is trading session fees for publishing splits.

For years, the measure of success was visibility. Today, the more interesting question is who holds the rights, who controls distribution and who captures the value when a song, a garment or an idea travels across borders — from Lagos to London, Nairobi to New York.

Culture · Entertainment · Business · 14 min read

Newsreader Italic

OFL · optical sizes · keeps us at three families if Newsreader is the body face.

“Talent Was Never the Problem. Infrastructure Was.”

The next great African exports will be rights, not raw materials.

DM Serif Display

OFL · one weight + italic · high contrast.

“Talent Was Never the Problem. Infrastructure Was.”

The next great African exports will be rights, not raw materials.

Playfair Display

OFL · variable 400–900 · high contrast, widely used.

“Talent Was Never the Problem. Infrastructure Was.”

The next great African exports will be rights, not raw materials.

Newsreader

OFL · optical sizes 6–72 · designed for news reading. Current default.

For years, the measure of success was visibility. Today, the more interesting question is who holds the rights, who controls distribution and who captures the value when a song, a garment or an idea travels across borders — from Lagos to London, Nairobi to New York. For years, the measure of success was visibility. Today, the more interesting question is who holds the rights, who controls distribution and who captures the value when a song, a garment or an idea travels across borders — from Lagos to London, Nairobi to New York.

Literata

OFL · optical sizes · built for long-form e-reading, slightly wider.

For years, the measure of success was visibility. Today, the more interesting question is who holds the rights, who controls distribution and who captures the value when a song, a garment or an idea travels across borders — from Lagos to London, Nairobi to New York. For years, the measure of success was visibility. Today, the more interesting question is who holds the rights, who controls distribution and who captures the value when a song, a garment or an idea travels across borders — from Lagos to London, Nairobi to New York.

Instrument Sans

OFL · variable widths · crisp, contemporary. Current default.

Home · Culture · Entertainment · Business · Society · Ideas · People · Discover · Real Talk · Voices

By Wanjiru Kamau · 28 October 2026 · 14 min read

Archivo

OFL · variable width + weight · grotesque, slightly more industrial.

Home · Culture · Entertainment · Business · Society · Ideas · People · Discover · Real Talk · Voices

By Wanjiru Kamau · 28 October 2026 · 14 min read