5 Misconceptions About Africa

A lot of people in the United States surprisingly have a common perception of the African continent: war, starvation, safari and naked village tribes. While this may be true in few isolated places in Africa, asking your African colleague at work or school if he ever got attacked by a wild animal is equivalent to assuming every American is a Hollywood actor.

To avoid some self-embarrassment either during your travel to any part of Africa or in relating with people from Africa, here are some general facts you should know about Africa:

1. Africa Is Not A Country!

This might sound a bit ridiculous to you if you already know this, but you’ll be surprised how many people still think Africa is one huge country with one culture and language. On the contrary, Africa consists of 53 countries each with very diverse languages and cultures. South Africa alone has 12 official languages while Nigerians speak over 300 languages.

2. Lions, Zebras and Elephants

Contrary to what you may have implied from watching documentaries on National Geographic and Hollywood movies, wild animals are not roaming the streets of Africa. The population dynamics of wild animals and humans in Africa is the same as every part of the world: animals live in wild life parks and zoos. Although, few isolated human settlements still exist in places with wild animals, however, this phenomenon is not unique to Africa.

3. Not Tribes and Villages

First time visitors to Africa normally expect the landscape to be what you see in Hollywood movies: village huts, wild forests and people walking around without clothes. However, the reality is that just like the United States; all countries in Africa have urban, suburban and rural areas. Yes, you wouldn’t see as many skyscrapers in Lagos or Cape Town as you’ll see in Manhattan; neither would the infrastructure in Nairobi be as high-end as what you get in Los Angeles. But expect everything from dance clubs, movie theatres, five-star hotels, Blackberry phones to Mercedes cars in African cities.

4. Different Races and Colors

While it is true that majority of Africans are dark skinned, a large proportion of Africans are not. Caucasians, light skinned, Arab-like and biracial people are also a major part of the population demographics, so don’t expect every African to look like retired NBA star Dikembe Mutombo.

5. Wars and Hunger

While certain parts of some countries in Africa are war-torn, that does not mean that the entire country or continent is at war. Those pictures you see of starving children in Africa are actually the unfortunate victims of war and civil unrest who rightfully (just like any war-torn place on earth) require some aid. Most African countries are actually major importers of food products, and the typical African diet consists of fresh, minimally processed foods.

Third world countries might not be as developed as downtown Manhattan, but it’s really not a jungle out there!