Ghanaian actor William Lamptey, popularly known as Willie Chembez, has emerged winner of Season 3 of the Africa Monologue Challenge, marking a major milestone in his growing acting career and giving Ghana another moment of visibility on the continental creative stage.

William Lamptey finished ahead of actors from across Africa and the diaspora to claim the competition’s $1,000 grand prize. Kenya’s Douglas Mwenda Nyaga finished as first runner up, while Côte d’Ivoire’s Sara Loba placed second runner up. The final brought together 12 actors representing different African countries and the diaspora, with the continental showdown held at Ghana’s National Theatre.

The achievement is even more significant considering that this year’s competition attracted about 2,000 submissions, from which Lamptey was shortlisted among the final 12 contestants who competed for the ultimate prize.

For Ghana, however, the significance of the victory goes beyond the prize money.

William Lamptey becomes the first Ghanaian to win the Africa Monologue Challenge, and his victory has secured Ghana the hosting rights for the next edition of the competition. That means the country will not only celebrate its champion but will also have another opportunity to bring African actors, filmmakers, storytellers and creative industry stakeholders to Ghana.

The competition itself was created to bring African storytellers together through acting, cultural exchange and creative expression. It is co founded and organised by MK Casting, led by casting director Mawuko Kuadzi, in partnership with the African Chamber of Content Producers, with support from Ghana’s National Film Authority.

The third edition also placed considerable emphasis on cultural exchange. Participants stayed together as part of a Pan African programme involving performances, cultural activities, masterclasses and conversations around African identity, unity and the future of the continent.

William Lamptey’s victory was also backed by significant public support.

According to figures provided in connection with the competition, he received 70,825 public votes from Ghanaians and supporters around the world. Reports from the final stage confirm that public voting formed part of the scoring process, highlighting how audiences can now play a direct role in amplifying African creative talent.

His journey therefore became bigger than one actor competing for an individual prize. It became a campaign that drew attention to Ghanaian acting and demonstrated the ability of an individual performer to mobilise an audience around Ghanaian creative talent.

The competition has also created opportunities beyond the title. William Lamptey and the first runner up are expected to attend CANEX WKND 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria, from November 5 to 8. CANEX WKND, organised by Afreximbank, brings together creatives, investors, policymakers and industry leaders across Africa, the Caribbean and the diaspora. Its film programme specifically focuses on connecting filmmakers with financing, distribution, partnerships and international markets.

For an actor trying to move from recognition to a broader career, that kind of environment can matter as much as a trophy.

William Lamptey is not an overnight discovery.

He has built his reputation across television, film and theatre, with audiences particularly familiar with his portrayal of Flex in the popular Ghanaian youth television series YOLO. He also appeared in DStv’s RSM on Akwaaba Magic, earning recognition connected to a 2023 AMVCA nomination, and has an award winning performance in the short film Gem.

His film credits also include The Fisherman, a feature film that premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival. The film later earned 13 Ghana Movie Awards nominations, with Lamptey receiving a Discovery of the Year nomination for his performance.

His screen work extends to projects such as On February 14 and The Queen of Akra trilogy, while his theatre credits include Accra We Dey, Ghana Must Go, Potholes and Osofo’s Wahala among others.

Theatre has remained particularly important to his development as a performer. He has been a regular on the National Theatre stage and was previously recognised as Best Comedy Theatre Act of the Year at the Ghana Comedy Awards.

That background makes the Africa Monologue Challenge victory especially significant. Monologue performance requires an actor to hold an audience largely through voice, emotion, characterisation, timing and physical presence. For an actor with roots in theatre and screen performance, the competition provided another platform to demonstrate that range.

Perhaps the biggest question now is what Lamptey does with the attention.

Winning the Africa Monologue Challenge should not be treated as the end of his journey. It is a new platform from which a much bigger career can be built.

William Lamptey has already shown an interest in expanding beyond acting. During his experience at the Africa International Film Festival, he spoke about the need for greater support, unity and intentionality within Ghana’s creative industry. He has also established a production company and expressed ambitions of growing it into a significant force in African cinema.

That direction could prove important because the modern African actor increasingly has opportunities to operate across several parts of the creative value chain; acting, writing, directing, producing, theatre and content development.

Lamptey has also had opportunities to learn from industry figures. His recent journey has included participation in acting masterclasses and encounters with prominent personalities within the African creative space. He is also expected to meet a wider network of filmmakers and creative industry stakeholders through CANEX WKND.

Following his AMC victory, William Lamptey has further revealed that he met business executive Dr Ernest Ofori Sarpong and received a congratulatory call from veteran Nigerian actor Desmond Elliott.

He has also disclosed that all AMC participants will be involved in the production of a Pan African film intended to promote Ghana, giving the competition an additional dimension beyond the contest itself.

The Africa Monologue Challenge creates one avenue for that conversation because it connects performers from different African countries and the diaspora while giving them a shared creative platform. The competition’s Pan African structure also allows Ghanaian performers to engage with artists from countries whose film industries have developed different production, distribution and commercial models.