Based in Paris, it was founded in 1997 under the impetus of Olivier Barlet by journalists and academics such as Virginie Andriamirado, Gérald Arnaud, Tanella Boni, Sylvie Chalaye, Christophe Cassiau-Haurie, Fayçal Chehat, Soeuf Elbadawi, Boniface Mongo-Mboussa, etc.

Since 2012 the documentation produced by the magazine and its database made of over 45,000 biographies of artists and 55,000 description of books, music, films and institutions has been released under the open Creative Commons attribution share alike license.

[6] Since 2012, its entire database, entitled Sudplanète (spla / Southplanet), the largest in the world on the subject, of more than 80,000 biographies of artists and descriptions of books, records, films and DVD's, shows and cultural organisations and institutions, is published under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.

Furthermore, in co-publication with Africultures and Filigrane Edition, Afriphoto is a collection of 12x16.5 cm albums on African photographers, including Mamadou Konaté, Malick Sidibé, Abel Sumo Gayvolor, Isaac Bruce Hudson Vanderpuje, Ganiyu Owadi, Gerald L. Annan-Forson, Philippe Koudjina, Francis Nii Obodai Provençal, Paul Kabré, Germain Kiemtoré, Zaynab Toyosi Oduns, Bill Akwa Bétoté, Omar D., Emeka Okereke, Mathe Kebofhe, Philippe Koudjina, Fouad Hamza Tibin, Mohamed Yahia Issa, Bruno Boudjelal and Gabriel Fasunon.

The articles are written by journalists, and also cover, beyond arts and culture, more social and everyday issues like citizenship, fight against discrimination, employment, education, health, etc.