The Biggest Misconception of Africa – BUSTED

“Most people write me off when they see me.

They do not know my story.

They say I am just an African.

They judge me before they get to know me.

What they do not know is

The pride I have in the blood that runs through my veins;

The pride I have in my rich culture and the history of my people;

The pride I have in my strong family ties and the deep connection to my community;

The pride I have in the African music, African art, and African dance;

The pride I have in my name and the meaning behind it.

Just as my name has meaning, I too will live my life with meaning.

So you think I am nothing?

Don’t worry about what I am now,

For what I will be, I am gradually becoming.

I will raise my head high wherever I go

Because of my African pride,

And nobody will take that away from me.”

Idowu Koyenikan

Africa is a beautiful continent. Yes, a continent!

Africa is a continent. NOT A COUNTRY.

It is amazing to see so many people unaware of such a small fact. So here below is a list of all the 54 countries and 4 dependencies of Africa organized according to location in an alphabetical order.

Northern Africa

• Algeria
• Egypt
• Libya
• Morocco
• Sudan
• Tunisia

Eastern Africa

• Burundi
• Comoros
• Djibouti
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Mauritius
• Mozambique
• Rwanda
• Seychelles
• Somalia
• South Sudan
• Tanzania
• Uganda
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

Western Africa

• Benin
• Burkina Faso
• Cabo Verde
• Côte d’Ivoire
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Liberia
• Mali
• Mauritania
• Nigeria
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• Togo

Southern Africa

• Botswana
• Eswatini
• Lesotho
• Nambia
• South Africa

Middle Africa

• Angola
• Cameroon
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Congo
• DR Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Gabon
• Sao Tome & Principe

Dependencies of other Countries:

• Réunion – France
• Western Sahara – (disputed)
• Mayotte – France
• Saint Helena – UK

There are so many myths about Africa, none of them true. Africa is a beautiful continent and is much more than what the news and documentaries show us. Below, I will attempt to bust as many myths as I can.

• Environment: Thanks to movies like Blood Diamond, we think of Africa as unsafe, poor and completely backward. NOT TRUE. Travel through the beautiful continent to experience how complex, multi-layered and breath-taking it actually is.
• Business: Africa has huge businesses and great employment opportunities. Some of the self-made millionaires owe it to their start in Africa.
• Africa is a relatively expensive place to travel to.
• Africa is safer than prominent tourist spots like Paris and New York
• African leaders are no more corrupt than any developed and developing country.
• Africa is just as advanced technologically and culturally as any other. They have access to 4G and WiFi!
• Africa has a lot of poverty stricken places, but as a whole is a not a poor country.
• The continent is not a dessert! They have mountains and beaches.
• Africa is home to a huge Art Industry
• Africa is not an illiterate country
• Most Africans speak English
• Africa is a huge continent!
• Not Everyone in Africa has AIDS – Africans might be most affected. But this is simply not true and is racist and offensive.

Facts about Africa:

• Africa is the oldest populated continent
• It’s the second largest continent
• Most of the European continent’s ancestors are local to Africa – Many African countries gained independence from the European continent post the WWII.
• South Africa has some of the finest beaches
• Wildlife is only part of all that you could experience in Africa.
• There are over 2000 native languages spoken across the continent
• All of the African cultures and parties and traditions are beautiful and festive.

Africa is a continent like any other. For centuries, and even now, just judging by the colour of their skins, we assume the worst about Black people. They are no better than us, nor are we better them. We are all people living on the Earth. No one reserves the right to make another feel like they don’t belong. Africa and Africans are beautiful and are just as human as the rest of us!