10 wrong perceptions about Africa people have, though are mere opinions of how other countries like USA, China, Spain, Germany, etc. see the ‘Dark Continent, yet could discourage tourist interests or investment choices from the good African peoples and its lands. This cause also has a long way in the extent to which it will affect the economic life and hopes of Africa.
Needless to say is the dangerous reflections into which these wrong perceptions have sunk the African peoples; they even hold them against reality and believe Africa is after all what they call it or believe it is in the world. Let us therefore dive into familiarizing you with some of these wrong perceptions about Africa people have.
10 Wrong Perceptions about Africa People Have.
Africa is the next largest continent in the world both in size and population, following Asia. It is the most centrally located continent in the world, and the youngest amongst all the continents. Africa is unarguably rich in natural resources, fertile lands, adaptable climate, and so many more.
However, the only void left has been filled by many negative narratives coming from outside this blessed continent, and it has created a distorted, one-dimensional view that are eagerly embraced by the west, but also by many Africans themselves who like every other enemy and ignorant people see the continent only through a prism of war, disease, political failures, poverty, starvation, illiteracy and corruption.
Here are the 10 wrong perceptions about Africa people have:
1. LACK OF CREATIVITY
It is common belief that since Africa is economically considered as underdeveloped and has the highest numbers of third world countries which are still grappling with a lot of misfortune, then Africans are possibly blunt and suffering from the lack of creativity to rise above their own waters. But we should remember in 2019/2020 when the former president Donald Trump bent on closing the borders against Nigerians and other Africans as well as send off the residents, it was then realized that African formed the highest numbers of their intelligentsia and that US cannot do without them.
Also, for many of these so-called developed countries, Africa is the treasure-pond from which great talents and potentials are ‘harvested’ and respected for their immeasurable power of creativity. This is one of the 10 wrong perceptions about Africa people have.
2. POVERTY
It is internationally propagated about Africa that 47% of people in Sub-Saharan Africa live on less than $1.25 a day. The accuracy of this statistics remains untrue. One in three Africans are defined as ‘middle class’. Whilst many western economies are in crisis, Africa’s economy continues to grow. Undoubtedly, things are not easy just like in any other human communities where things constantly change due to many common causes. This is also one of the 10 wrong perceptions about Africa people have.
3. UNFAVORABLE WEATHER
This is another one of the 10 wrong perceptions about Africa people have. Africa is a diverse continent with a huge variety of landscapes and temperatures. It is no longer to be doubted that many tourists from different Europeans and westerners visit Africa frequently to relish its very adaptable weather conditions. Unlike in certain European countries where the weather is always at odds with the likes of volcanoes, earthquakes, flood, heavy and uncontrollable rain and cold, Africa’s weather is naturally amplified to fit adaptability.
4. UNCIVILIZATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT
Technology in Africa is actually an incredibly fast growing market, with many global technology giants making big investments in the continent. Did you know that people in Kenya are 4 times more likely to own a mobile phone than to have access to a toilet or latrine? As of 2013, 80% of African people had access to a mobile. And as of 2020, the Kenyan government announced the launching of its Nano-satellites and rocket in 2021.
Mobile technology is also being used in very innovative and exciting ways to help end extreme poverty across Africa. Many foreign software companies rely heavily on the creative assistance of many technologically savvy African youths in the build up of Apps and other software work. This is also one of the 10 wrong perceptions about Africa people have.
5. BAD BUSINESS ORIENTATION
Another popular one of the 10 wrong perceptions about Africa people have is the deceived understanding that Africans are dry and unknowledgeable when it comes to business orientations, and this is because many of those who believe are either intentionally ignorant or are not conversant with happenings across the world. One of the internationally respected telecommunications company is MTN and many other known companies like it. Well-known African business tycoons are widely recognized by Forbes as being one of the richest in the world. why then would anybody believe that Africa lack orientation in business.
6. LAZINESS
The stereotype of African people as helpless and ABSOLUTELY dependent on Western help is one that has been built by decades of well meaning but arguably dangerous charity advertisements in the West. Bombarded by images of sad, dirty children with eyes that call you to urgently donate money, it’s no surprise that this is a common belief. The belief that many African youths and elderly ones are lazy is rooted in the rumors and propaganda that Africa is full of the morally depraved and has further fueled the perception that Africa can do nothing other than sleep and scam.
That is not true. Many Africans are useful and diligently contributing to the development of the whole world across all countries without shame. This truth also lies in the ability and resilience that Africans possess to live in any other conditions.
7. MILITANCY AND INSURGENCY
Another one of 10 wrong perceptions about Africa people have is that the whole of Africa is the field for militancy and insurgency. This is not so. Just like in the western and eastern countries of the world, militancy and insurgency are only extant in some small parts of Africa and not as propagated otherwise.
8. BAD GOVERNANCE
Bad governance is one of the 10 wrong perceptions about Africa people have. While this may be partially true, it is however not totally the case as we can also point at typical examples of bad governance in France and many other countries where poverty and corruption are pointable factors.
9. LANGUAGE
This perception is borne out of the general misconception about Africa as being just a country and not a continent. Meanwhile, there are over 2000 languages spoken across the African continent, and ‘African’ is not one of them. This is the equivalent of presuming that people who live in Europe speak ‘European’.
English is also an official language in 24 African nations and taught to a high level in schools across the continent.
10. WILD LIFE AND SAVAGERY
Some years ago, Delta airline, a major US carrier, made a huge mistake on social media. Whilst congratulating the US World Cup team on a victory over Ghana, they used a photo of a giraffe to represent the African nation. Unfortunately for Delta there are in fact no wild giraffes in Ghana, and the Twitter community was quick to alert them to this.
Slammed by accusations of racism and stereotyping, Delta have since apologized for the image used. However, this highlights how widely such stereotypes are still accepted and perpetuated in Western media. Yes, there are a whole host of exciting wild animals, and gorgeous savannahs, in some regions of Africa. However, there are also huge cities, rolling beaches, historic ancient monuments and more. One region of Africa is not identical to another, and we shouldn’t stereotype a whole continent and its peoples as being savage and only living like wild animals. This too is one of the 10 wrong perceptions about Africa people have.
