The REMAIN group at VOLTA, seated and standing in front of the VOLTA lettering
Three women in conversation in front of a large painting, one holding a microphone
Two women hugging in a doorway, snow and fir trees outside
A guest talking in the theatre at Schauspielhaus Zürich, the audience behind her
Two guests in conversation at Schauspielhaus Zürich
Guests on a sofa applauding during the evening
Two women seen from behind in a doorway, arm in arm, looking out at the snow
Zürich · founded 2023 · Connect, Heal, Grow, Thrive

By Afro-descendant women. Open to everyone.

REMAIN · VOLTA · Basel

Afro, Swiss, sisters, and more: AfroSwissters is a non-profit association led by Afro-descendant women, founded in Zürich in 2023 and open to everyone who shares our values. It is about participation in cultural, professional and social life: we organise events and programmes, share practical knowledge about life in Switzerland and publish essays and portraits. Our base is Switzerland, and we build ties across the African diaspora worldwide: friends and members abroad can take part in our online events, connect with our network and follow Afro-Swiss stories from anywhere.

Our story →
What we do

Events, knowledge, writing and a network.

Events and programmes

Cultural evenings and conversations, for example at Schauspielhaus Zürich, Kunsthaus Zürich or the Zurich Film Festival. Meet-ups and brunches, workshops and retreats, and online talks on careers and business.

REMAINCONNECTHealing HorizonsBreaking Barriers
See all events
A guest laughing at the Vineyard Brunch in Lavaux
A guest by Lake Geneva at the Vineyard Brunch
Two friends in front of the lake at the Vineyard Brunch
Two guests greeting each other at the Vineyard Brunch
A talk among the vines in Lavaux

Vineyard Brunch in Lavaux

Since 2023
400+participants across our events
45+events since 2023
DE · FRa network across German- and French-speaking Switzerland, and growing
Four pillars

Everything we do rests on four words.

Connect01 Meet-ups, brunches, dinners and outings, in person and online: occasions to meet and exchange.
Heal02 Retreats and day workshops with therapist Patricia Kafwamba Oguey, and the Ancestor Circle: time for reflection and wellbeing.
Grow03 Talks, workshops and a book circle for personal and professional development, including the online series Breaking Barriers and the Legacy Roundtable.
Thrive04 Visibility and long-term flourishing. Still a young pillar: so far with HE.ART.BEAT, evenings of art, music and conversation.
Events

Events across the four pillars

Talks and panels, workshops, retreats, dinners and cultural visits, for example at Schauspielhaus Zürich, Kunsthaus Zürich and Theater Basel. Online, Breaking Barriers is about careers and the Legacy Roundtable about business and investment. Each event has its own page with details and, for upcoming dates, registration.

All events →
Moments

AfroSwissters, in pictures.

Gatherings, retreats, cultural evenings and quiet in-betweens: since 2023.

The Spectrum

Essays, portraits and conversations.

Read The Spectrum →
Live music at an AfroSwissters evening: a singer and pianist performing
Ways to belong

There's more than one way in.

You do not need to know exactly where you fit yet. Choose the entry point that feels closest.

A large group of AfroSwissters guests together under a pergola above Lake Geneva
Together in Lavaux.

An open door

This may be for you if…

Women together at an AfroSwissters gathering
Shared moment at an AfroSwissters event
You are an Afro-descendant woman in Switzerland.You are Black Swiss, African, Afro-European, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latin, mixed heritage, diasporic, recently arrived, long settled, born here, returning, searching, building, resting or restarting.You came here for love. For work. For study. For family. For safety. For refuge. For possibility. Or because life brought you here in a way that still does not fit neatly into one sentence.You are navigating a new beginning, an uncertain season, a changing status, or a life in transition.You are a man who cares about this work and wants to show up with respect.You are a partner, friend, parent, sibling, colleague, neighbour or ally.You are not Black, but you understand that solidarity is not about taking centre stage. It is about listening, contributing, learning and helping build better spaces.You work in an institution, company, foundation, cultural space, university or public body and want to engage in a thoughtful, non-extractive way.
Conversation at an AfroSwissters gathering
Guests smiling together at an AfroSwissters gathering
A warm moment at an AfroSwissters gathering

You want connection without pressure.

You want visibility without tokenism.

You want connection without performance.

You want growth without having to become someone else.

You want spaces where complexity is allowed.

You are welcome here.

We are also honest about what we are: a volunteer-run association, not a legal, migration, asylum, housing or social service. We cannot resolve paperwork or provide casework. For specialised support, our Resources page points to organisations that do that work well.