What comes into your mind when you hear the word "Africa"?

Question

I ask this because I am an African living in Africa although I have travelled to developed countries before. And I know that the foreign media portrays Africa in the worse possible light.But I also know that life in developed countries are not as PERFECT as they portray,else people wont die in the cold during winter.
So as an African it is pretty annoying when the media keeps broadcasting stories that make the rest of the world wonder if there is anything good at all in Africa or the continent if full AIDS,famine and war knowing how they love to exagurate just to make the stories breaking news or catch public's attention.

And those of you who have been to Africa before what were your thoughts before you visited?
Had they changed positively or negatively after your visit or vacation?
What led to the change of perception?

Answer 1

um
jungles and monkeys

Answer 2

It's not always portrayed in an awful light. There are plenty of shows that show the beautiful, historic side of it. HELL Tyra took America's Next Top Model contestants season 4 I think to South Africa and it was beautiful. Then there are shows that want people to be fully aware of what is going on in the country and to help raise awareness because if they don't know then how would they be able to help. Honestly I think your question is just full of ignorance. Oprah goes all the time to help build and show the positive side of Africa.

Answer 3

South Africa if I had the money now I'd be there tomorrow cheap place to live and friendly people great climate good surf.Johannesburg immigration typical government employees slow and lacking as with all government there lazy and lax especially baggage handlers as the local news admits (high theft rate).Other than point of entry crime is rife but one does survive looking at the beauty of the different culture and land scape .Depending of the vote next year we might see a great improvement or they might go the way of Zimbabwe..hope not.South Africa's next bump in the road

Answer 4

I spent last year in Ghana (mostly in Accra) and the thing I remember best is the buzzling street vendors, full minibusses shouting destinations, the sound of pounding fufuo (traditional food), the hip life beats, prayers from churches nearly every evening fusing in with the muslim calls for evening prayers, taxi drivers honking their horns just for fun or complaining about that I knew too well the correct fare somewhere.

The city looks very much like a maze, that only the tro-tro minibuss drivers know how to navigate. Kumasi, in central Ghana, is much calmer, having a more laid back culture (besides the central market), so I suggest very much a visit to Kumasi if you are in Ghana. Somehow central kumasi looks less developed, but to be honest the wealth is in the residential neighbourhoods, so that's why, the government is quite weak and can't provide much for the people. So there are no impressive public monuments, the royal palace is quite small, and churches are maybe the most notisable land marks.

Ghana is full of life, there were beggars but maybe that was attracted by the fact that I was a foreigner 'obruni' a white guy, who are seen as all being rich. Poverty exists, people live in crowded housing, but the worse off were people from outside the country (for example refugess from Sudan I was told).

Outside Accra, the landscape is very different, more jungles that are cocoa cultivation areas, only very few national parks are created. In all my time there, I didn't see any elephants (as I didn't venture to the North of the country for a long time), and only passing by did I see some monkeys or other animals. I guess I went to see the people and do my research anyway. I hate zoos, I wouldn't visit them for anything, not in Europe or in Africa... no way, I'll travel to Kenya to see them in real life, and one day I hope the see the Gorillas in Rwanda.

The most impressive monuments in Ghana are the European trading fortresses, that later became the centre of the slave trade, they are huge, and number in about 20. In other parts of the world (the caribbean, brazil) they are mostly forgotten as times have moved on or these areas were more heavily settled, but in Ghana they are a living testament to what went wrong in history, how Africa lost about 20 million of it's people. There are many traditional slave markets around Ghana, and they are also tourist spots, and some parts of the country are just empty of human habitation still due to the slave raids.

Of course my image of Africa as a whole is shaped by this experience, I stayed for 9 months, met very nice people, and got along with just about everyone. I can't say that all of Africa is like Ghana, having visited Burkina-Faso, Ghana seems like a rich man's heaven. Mali has more of an understanding of their past, and they have kept more traditional architecture, music and crafts than Ghana, which wants to modernise very quickly and leave behind some of the past. I think Mali is for the romantics, and Ghana is for business, this is my impression of the two places. The problem of Mali of course is it's geography far away from the sea, though the Niger river that flows through it should provide for their needs in river transport. Maybe in the future. The niger river is lovely in Bamako I have to say, and I wish I would have had time to venture down stream a bit.

I didn't see any famine while in Ghana, so that is more regional depending where crops fail (Ghana had it last in the 1980s and only in Northern Ghana). AIDS must have been there, but it went unnoticed while my travels in West Africa, and war was present in current stories of neighbouring Ivory Coast or Togo (which had a short coup d'etat while I was there) and past stories of Sierra Leone and Liberia (Ghana hosts 42,000 of them in a camp outside Accra).

Answer 5

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Answer 6

To be honest...the first thing I think of is all the starving Children and the people who have nothing but the clothes on their backs. I believe every human being should have their own piece of land to grow their own food.And a roof over their head. No child should ever have to go to bed starving. The world is changing and I believe that in the future no one on earth will ever go hungry again. With our loving God this will come about,because he has promise it. No more sickness, no, hunger, no wars. And true PEACE for mankind. I also think about how beautiful Africa must look. I would love to visit Africa someday.

Answer 7

Tarzan, Maureen O'Sullivan. Robert Ruark. Diane Fossey,Albert Schweitzer, Desmond Tutu and The National Geographic.
That's right - Never been to Africa and if I ever go and am on limited time schedule I'll have to make Egypt first stop.

Answer 8

i have lived in africa all my life what do i think well the most beautifull place in the world unfortunately that is rapidly changing due to power hungry politicians ( MUGABE BEING THE MAIN CULPRIT )an almost uncontrollable AIDS problem throughout africa worse in east and southern africa but that is mainly due to better stats and open house policies and less game viewing mainly due to over exploitation and poaching.there is still nothing in the world to beat a sunset on lake kariba ABSOLUTELY AWESOME NO-MATTER HOW MANY YOU SEE !!!!!

Answer 9

A perfect honeymoon I had in March 2006 - South Africa, Seychelles and Mauritius for a month. I was overwhelmed with natural beauty and beautiful people (I mean souls).Outstanding!

Answer 10

Amazing textiles, wonderful colors, patterns. designs. diamonds jewelry, gold. Some the most beautiful art and riches in the world. The worlds richest soil. Wonderful sounds, music. Land, land, land.
One day I will see for myself what others have told me from their travels. They talk of the graciousness of the people, the kindness and the gentle spirits.

Answer 11

Africa as i was taught in my school was like a dark continent,different tribes,dangerous people, backward type of people, no civilization..............but...........
when i heard about the experience of the people who travelled to the the continent to different countries....it's like i am wrong in the beginning , the books are wrong.. i learnt that unless you know personally anything you cannot judge it.. i heard that african continent is very much like my own country[ i am from india] nice and friendly people,,developing like my own country. i made a wish that day once when i travel to any place on vacation some of the african countries are on my mind..
i want to apologize to people of africa for my wrong opinion and i am very much changed ..
thanks to all people of africa and thanks to you for asking this good question and changing the way people thought of your continent,,, hats off to you!!!
bye!