IS AFRICAN FOLKTALE DEAD?

This paper explores the dynamic relevance and vitality of African folktales in the context of the digital age. While traditional oral storytelling practices may appear to have declined, folktales have not disappeared; rather, they have evolved, adapting to new media forms, including books, films, animations, podcasts, and social media platforms. Drawing on cultural evolution theory, which posits that cultural elements, like biological traits, survive through adaptation and relevance, this study demonstrates how folktales continue to thrive by transforming their form while retaining their core functions. These modern adaptations not only make folktales accessible to a wider and more diverse audience, but they also preserve their foundational roles as vessels of moral instruction, cultural identity, and communal memory. Folktales thus remain a critical conduit for connecting contemporary societies to ancestral knowledge and belief systems. As such, this study concludes that although the mode of storytelling has evolved, the essence, significance, and impact of African folktales remain alive, echoing across generations