Elle Francophone Africa Debuts with Naomi Campbell Cover

Lagardère Group has launched Elle Francophone Africa, a new edition published under licence by Innsaei Sarl, dedicated to French-speaking African countries.

The magazine covers fashion, beauty, culture, society and lifestyle in Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon and Senegal, but is expected to be available in more than 20 African markets by the end of the year.

Led by Franco-Ivorian media entrepreneur Frédérique Nanan, the magazine will publish three print issues per year in March, June and November, along with nine digital covers, and maintain an online presence. The inaugural issue, which features supermodel Naomi Campbell on the cover, spotlights 24 African women shaping the continent across fashion, culture, entrepreneurship and innovation.

“I transformed Elle Côte d’Ivoire into Elle Francophone Africa, a premium pan-African platform covering five strategic markets [which makes] it one of the largest territories and therefore one of the most significant markets within the global Elle network,” said Nanan, formerly known as Frédérique Kragbé Leininger.

Previously editor-in-chief of Elle Côte d’Ivoire, Nanan is now chief executive and publisher of Elle Francophone Africa through her Abidjan-based firm Innsaei Sarl. Julie Yapo has been appointed editor-in-chief of the new title, with Patrick Edouart as head of operations.

Constance Benqué, chief executive of Elle International and Lagardère News, says the new magazine is helping Elle to strengthen “its long-term presence on the [African] continent.” In 2024, Lagardère introduced Elle Egypt, its second Elle launch in Africa.

While Yapo oversees content from the new venture’s headquarters in the Ivorian city, Elle Francophone Africa will soon have “a dedicated editorial lead in each [of the five launch countries] to ensure local presence, cultural relevance and seamless execution of events and partnerships across the region,” Nanan said.

Franco-Ivorian media executive Frédérique Nanan is the founder, chief executive and publisher of Elle Francophone Africa. (Elle Francophone Africa)

In addition to Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon and Senegal, other francophone countries in sub-Saharan Africa include DR Congo, Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Togo, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Rwanda and Djibouti. French is also widely spoken in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia in North Africa.

As the first edition of Elle “entirely conceived, produced and printed on the continent,” the magazine marks a significant milestone “at a time when global luxury houses…are increasingly focused on the continent’s rising power,” said Nanan, adding that she cast Campbell for the launch cover because it is “a powerful symbol of a turning point where Africa becomes not a subject but a true centre of creative and cultural influence.”

The magazine, branded Elle Afrique Francophone in French, is planning a series of touring events later this year across several major cities in the region.

Nanan, who is also the founder of women’s health NGO Think Tank Nanan, said her mission for the magazine is “to restore African women’s sovereignty over their own narrative, through beauty, intelligence and dignity.”

Signalling her future ambitions for the media company she leads, Nanan said that “francophone Africa is our foundation [but] the entire continent is our horizon.”

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