Hello, I’m Tega, CoFounder and Creative Director – Operations here at TheReplayMAG. I also wanted to use this medium to address you all directly and wish everyone a happy new year.
2025 was a difficult year. We lost momentum. We lost important team members. Some of the plans we set for ourselves never came to life. I want to acknowledge that honestly. It was a year that reminded us how fragile progress can be when too much rests on too few shoulders.
I also want to thank everyone who has been part of this journey so far – the creatives, contributors, and community members who have shared their work, their ideas, and their time with us. Where we are today is because of you, and your energy and talent continue to inspire everything we do.
As Kwame Nkrumah said, “We face neither East nor West; we face forward.” This is exactly what 2026 is about. Looking ahead. Building back. Creating the conditions for the work that matters most.
We have three major initiatives we are rolling out this year, each designed to make TheReplayMAG stronger, more consistent, and more supportive of the creatives we exist to serve.
The first is FRONTLINE, our submission service for creatives across music, fashion, culture, and the arts. It gives a clear way to submit work for editorial review while maintaining the quality, intention, and cultural relevance of everything we publish. Every submission is reviewed by a real person. Not everything makes it through. Free and paid submission options coexist so we can dedicate the right resources to publishing and storytelling without compromising integrity. The tagline is simple: Be Seen, Be Heard. Learn more about FRONTLINE
Next is Operation Beacon, our upcoming events initiative. Beacon is a central home for creative events, from gigs and exhibitions to showcases and community experiences. Creatives and organisers can submit events to be published on our platform. Select events will be amplified across our website, social channels, and email. Beyond visibility, it lays the groundwork for analytics, structured promotion, and future monetised listings. It positions TheReplayMAG as a cultural connector and helps make the creative scene more discoverable. Learn more about Operation Beacon
Finally, there is CreativePot, our community-focused initiative designed to reinvest back into the creative ecosystem. Launching later this year, it will support emerging creatives across five areas: collaboration, growth and development, education and access, recognition and rewards, and social impact. CreativePot is about growing together with the community and ensuring that as TheReplayMAG expands, the people who make culture possible are supported and empowered. Learn more about CreativePot
These initiatives are part of a larger editorial revamp. The goal is simple. Build a structured editorial team to remove bottlenecks and enable consistent output. The team will be led by a Chief Editor, supported by section editors, volunteers, and contributors. Together, they will manage our mini-mag production, curated stories, interviews, and all content across Music, Arts and Culture, UNDSCVRD, Interviews, and Opinion.
We are looking for a Chief Editor to lead this team and volunteers to help produce high-quality content. We’ll be sharing more about these vacancies later this month, so if you’re interested in being part of this, keep an eye out. This structure allows me to step back from hands-on editorial work and return to the things I enjoy most. Making cool graphics. Discovering and networking with creatives. Writing articles. Building the tech systems that make it all possible.
As always, we are open to anyone who wants to learn more or get involved. There is space here for anyone who wants to contribute, grow, or just watch how we do things behind the scenes.
2026 is about structure, opportunity, and momentum. It is about creating systems that allow us to focus on the work that matters. It is about making TheReplayMAG a place where creatives are seen, heard, and supported.
As Thomas Sankara said, “We must dare to invent the future.” With intention, honesty, and room to grow, this year is ours to shape.
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