bspiritmagazine


Running man Paul Tergat is the first man to have run 26 miles (42.1 km) in under two hours and five minutes. Josh Sims has the pleasure of talking to one of the finest distance runners ever to grace the planet Paul Tergat is a serving soldier in the Kenyan […]

Running man


Capitals of (multi)culture Europe’s 21st-century cities are bustling with multicultural activity – Matthew Priest takes a look at the vibrant African-town life to be found on the streets of its most famous capitals Brussels: Matongé Named after the commercial district of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Matongé’s busy streets […]

Capitals of Multiculture


60 seconds with…Marcel Brekelmans, general manager at the Hôtel des Mille Collines in Kigali Most guests know that the film Hotel Rwanda is based on events that occurred in our hotel; this place served as a kind of shelter during the 1994 genocide. Some people book rooms with us because of our historical […]

60 seconds with..



All eyes on Africa How the rise of CCTV coverage on the continent is bringing opportunities for the business community Closed-circuit TV might seem like the ultimate first-world indulgence, but the use of CCTV is becoming increasingly widespread in African towns and cities. And earlier this year, in response to the […]

All Eyes on Africa


Eastern Promise The jury’s still out on the subject of China’s investment in Africa. Just how beneficial are Beijing’s trade arrangements? Daniel Howden weighs up the evidence and reveals how this economic superpower is contributing to the continent’s development in the 21st century To the casual visitor, the most obvious sign of […]

Eastern Promise


London Shopping Spots The top Congolese model tells Tabitha Lasley about her favourite London shopping spots Born in the DRC and raised in South Africa, Joelle Kayambe now divides her time between Johannesburg and London. She’s one of Africa’s most sought- after models, with Cosmopolitan, FHM and GQ covers to her name. “When I’m in London, I […]

My city



Helping build a new life Brussels Airlines supports Italian non-governmental organisation COOPI which runs rehabilitation programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo Ituri is a northern region in the Democratic Republic of Congo whose formidable beauty belies the dramatic problems faced by its inhabitants. Until 2002, Bunia, Ituri’s capital, had […]

Airline News


King of the castles They’re the seat of government as well as a hangover from colonial rule, and a humbling draw for presidents and genealogists alike. Kate Thomas visits Ghana’s coastal forts and discovers a country that’s accepting its past to embrace a brighter future When President Obama toured Ghana’s Cape Coast […]

King of the Castles


Life boats European scientists have ventured along the Congo River once more, but this time they’re leaving their findings with the locals Boatloads of pith-helmeted Europeans venturing into Africa’s interior sounds like a colonial relic rather than a means for modern scientific enquiry. Yet in April, to mark both the […]

Life boats



Reinventing the wheel The problem: in Rwanda, fuel costs are high, roads are hilly and only one person in 50 owns a bicycle. The solution? Founded in 2005 by American pro-cyclist and designer, Tom Ritchey, this scheme promotes a national cycling team, hosts bike tours, organises bike events and offers […]

Reinventing the wheel