What do you think?
Rate this book
[The Bright Continent] [Author: Dayo Olapade] [September, 2014]
An exciting new voice offers a fresh portrait of Africans thriving in the face of adversity, showing the way forward for development on the continent and beyond.
Paperback
First published March 4, 2014
91 people are currently reading
1335 people want to read
About the author
Dayo Olopade
1 book17 followersDayo Olopade is a Nigerian-American journalist covering global politics and development policy. She has reported for the New Republic, the Root, the Daily Beast, the New York Times, and many other publications. Dayo is currently a Knight Law and Media Scholar at Yale Law School. She lives in Chicago.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
March 2, 2014
There is a lot to like about this book, which sets out to correct misperceptions of Africa as a place of hopeless misery waiting for Western saviors. Olopade covers the African spirit of resilience, the way in which living in "fail states" (as opposed to "failed states) which do not provide the safety nets or supports that we in the West expect from our modern government, has led to innovation and small scale development. She highlights the development of resilient business practices and the development of creative solutions, such as software development, to meet modern challenges. However, I feel like the last couple of chapters fall back on old formulas. Suddenly, it seems the author cannot really quite envision the development of Africa without some kind of intervention from outside, although she is careful to qualify what types. I found myself frustrated by her cheerful endorsement of NGO based development as opposed to govt. to govt aid. When she gets around to praising the paternalistic African Leadership Academy, I got beyond irritated and had to quit reading for a while. Lots of good stuff here, but don't let your guard down.
Read
December 14, 2022Read the majority of this so I am counting it
April 28, 2014
It may be easy to read this book as a libertarian celebration of hustling, hacking, and free-form development in sub-Saharan Africa. And it is. (page 232)
Last summer, at 4 AM on an overnight layover, I struck up a conversation with a French-South African woman, a choreographer, also stuck in the aeroport. We didn't have all that much in common, but it was a pretty awesome (technical term) conversation -- scattered, wide-ranging. Politics and dance and Justin Bieber and food banks and diversity.
This book reminds me of that -- not the people so much (I've never met the author and only spent a few hours with the choreographer; they're both connected to multiple cultures, but as far as I know, the similarities end there), but the fascinating-scattered feel. You know that sense, when you read something, that the author has all this knowledge and all this passion and if you sat down and had a conversation, you'd leave with your head bursting with new things and it would be a highlight of your month? Yeah. That.
I say 'scattered' for a reason -- there are a ton of ideas and anecdotes in here. Some of them could be developed into books of their own. (Some of them probably have been.) The author's a journalist who's had the opportunity to see a lot and travel a lot; she sees a great deal more hope and possibility in sub-Saharan Africa than many other writers. She talks here about the things that are working -- often in the shadow of, and because of, those that aren't.
It's interesting to consider how some of the things that she describes as working would be viewed elsewhere: the Bridge school model, for example (pages 131-134) -- which basically works because Bridge teachers are told exactly what to teach and how to teach it -- would be decried elsewhere because it limits individual teachers' creativity, etc., etc. But in Kenya it's a positive thing because many kids' other options are much worse, and because Bridge takes the uncertainty out of teaching. She also points out some (perhaps controversial) criticisms of concepts such as microfinance -- which, done right, can improve situations, but by how much?
Sometimes it's the briefest mentions that pique my interest: in this case Makoko, which I'd never heard of. (Kibera, yes, but not Makoko, a slum in Lagos consisting of buildings on stilts in a lagoon.) Or the age differences between heads of state and the average citizen -- in Europe and North America, the average political leader is 55 and the median age of the public 39; in sub-Saharan Africa, the numbers are 62 and 19. (Okay, I might not read a book about politicians and ages. But I'd love to know more about Makoko.)
Olopade points to that which works, much of which is on a smaller scale than you see in, say, Dead Aid (sorry -- comparisons are inevitable, and anyway I just read Dead Aid). These solutions can't touch a number of problems on a broader scale, but it's a very interesting run through patchwork problem-solving.
I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.
Last summer, at 4 AM on an overnight layover, I struck up a conversation with a French-South African woman, a choreographer, also stuck in the aeroport. We didn't have all that much in common, but it was a pretty awesome (technical term) conversation -- scattered, wide-ranging. Politics and dance and Justin Bieber and food banks and diversity.
This book reminds me of that -- not the people so much (I've never met the author and only spent a few hours with the choreographer; they're both connected to multiple cultures, but as far as I know, the similarities end there), but the fascinating-scattered feel. You know that sense, when you read something, that the author has all this knowledge and all this passion and if you sat down and had a conversation, you'd leave with your head bursting with new things and it would be a highlight of your month? Yeah. That.
I say 'scattered' for a reason -- there are a ton of ideas and anecdotes in here. Some of them could be developed into books of their own. (Some of them probably have been.) The author's a journalist who's had the opportunity to see a lot and travel a lot; she sees a great deal more hope and possibility in sub-Saharan Africa than many other writers. She talks here about the things that are working -- often in the shadow of, and because of, those that aren't.
It's interesting to consider how some of the things that she describes as working would be viewed elsewhere: the Bridge school model, for example (pages 131-134) -- which basically works because Bridge teachers are told exactly what to teach and how to teach it -- would be decried elsewhere because it limits individual teachers' creativity, etc., etc. But in Kenya it's a positive thing because many kids' other options are much worse, and because Bridge takes the uncertainty out of teaching. She also points out some (perhaps controversial) criticisms of concepts such as microfinance -- which, done right, can improve situations, but by how much?
Sometimes it's the briefest mentions that pique my interest: in this case Makoko, which I'd never heard of. (Kibera, yes, but not Makoko, a slum in Lagos consisting of buildings on stilts in a lagoon.) Or the age differences between heads of state and the average citizen -- in Europe and North America, the average political leader is 55 and the median age of the public 39; in sub-Saharan Africa, the numbers are 62 and 19. (Okay, I might not read a book about politicians and ages. But I'd love to know more about Makoko.)
Olopade points to that which works, much of which is on a smaller scale than you see in, say, Dead Aid (sorry -- comparisons are inevitable, and anyway I just read Dead Aid). These solutions can't touch a number of problems on a broader scale, but it's a very interesting run through patchwork problem-solving.
I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.
June 10, 2014
I wanted to like this book, truly I did. I kept reading long after I was done with it hoping I would find something that I could appreciate. Parts of it are almost stream of consciousness writing jumping from example to example and country to country of things that are kind of alike, but not really. The first worst error throughout the book is generalizing from anecdotes, illustrating preconceived ideas with hearsay from one person or place or another. Superficial, not grounded in accurate history or social sciences, it rambles on coining new terms for long known concepts. "Kanju" attempts to assert that scams or urban hustling is evidence of innovation. No, it is evidence of urban hustling in environments where traditional value systems have broken down, little education or opportunity is available for large numbers of urban youth and "kanju" does not contribute to either development or improved quality of life. The comparison of Mozambican women who fish in a group with one woman watching all the children while others fish, with Kenyan prostitutes who refer clients to other prostitutes really missed the complexities of both situations making a very faulty comparison of two groups of women helping each other out. I can say, though, that the examples and illustrations from many different countries could have been interesting had they been organized and told more as a travelogue or richness of experience on the continent; however, presenting them without analysis, or exploration of the complexity or the "why" of the experience made them a real jumble.
August 21, 2019
This one was another book read at work slowly over time on breaks. So I’ve probably forgotten a lot of it.
But, overall I really enjoyed it. I think it provides a great balance to many narratives about Africa that focus on the negative or the ways that states are failing. This one looks at how states are failing, but more at how people are succeeding and thriving despite that. It presents, I think, some really good ideas and anecdotes on how people are making real change in some areas of the continent. I marked a lot of pages that had interesting ideas or thoughts that I want to explore more. That’s a sign of a pretty good book to me.
Some star level removed because it was somewhat myopic in its view (but, like I said above, I can forgive most of that since many other narratives are too, but negatively) and I think it relied a lot on anecdotes and single stories to draw sweeping generalizations about the continent as a whole - and really, the majority of stories were from about 5 or 6 countries. The examples given were great, but not enough to draw conclusions for 54 countries.
But either way, I think this book does exactly what it sets out to do - gives hope and brings new light to a continent that too often gets a bad wrap (sometimes fairly, but more often unfairly). And I can appreciate it for that lone, but it was also quite well done in my opinion.
But, overall I really enjoyed it. I think it provides a great balance to many narratives about Africa that focus on the negative or the ways that states are failing. This one looks at how states are failing, but more at how people are succeeding and thriving despite that. It presents, I think, some really good ideas and anecdotes on how people are making real change in some areas of the continent. I marked a lot of pages that had interesting ideas or thoughts that I want to explore more. That’s a sign of a pretty good book to me.
Some star level removed because it was somewhat myopic in its view (but, like I said above, I can forgive most of that since many other narratives are too, but negatively) and I think it relied a lot on anecdotes and single stories to draw sweeping generalizations about the continent as a whole - and really, the majority of stories were from about 5 or 6 countries. The examples given were great, but not enough to draw conclusions for 54 countries.
But either way, I think this book does exactly what it sets out to do - gives hope and brings new light to a continent that too often gets a bad wrap (sometimes fairly, but more often unfairly). And I can appreciate it for that lone, but it was also quite well done in my opinion.
November 1, 2019
I though Dayo Olopade's overarching narrative of changemakers in Africa was powerful and an important way of looking at the future of the continent. As such, I think it's a good read for anyone working/interested in international development.
However, a friend pointed out that she uses largely once-off examples to make her point and I found that to really be true. It's not a strong data-driven approach to the arguments she is making, but more a compilation of case studies.
However, a friend pointed out that she uses largely once-off examples to make her point and I found that to really be true. It's not a strong data-driven approach to the arguments she is making, but more a compilation of case studies.
September 10, 2022
Good modern look at “Africa.” Skimmed a lot of it though.
June 27, 2018
Olopade’s many experiences all over Africa as a journalist provide many interesting anecdotes and personal quotations from important people. Her genuine first person perspective on African life should not be as rare as it is in America popular reading, yet it is, and is uniquely valuable. It is a collection of stories, mostly true, that have value despite how they are organized or interpreted.
I don’t agree with her personal opinions on economics and modern capitalism. Charity and “assistance” may “distort the market” but that doesn’t make it net-bad. Though she is right that it may be bad to the degree it validates, entrenches and empowers fail state strongmen. “Investment” is equally distorting, whether from Chinese infrastructure or from export market tastes, and the author doesn’t look down on this... or trade that entrenches big businessmen often connected to failing political powers.
General statements like “the African middle class is booming” (p122) may or may not be misleading, because regions vary, and inequality may still be increasing. Booming as measured by what, purchasing power? And who’s data is trustworthy? And Dayo contradicts herself.. um, flexibly, by crying for people being left behind on p148 and the huge losses of youth potential in Ch 9.
The author celebrates kanju and flexible entrepreneurial spirit, even when the outcomes just barely work. The “beds” locally produced on p125 would be rejected even in the local market if Chinese manufacturers were available, and this means her “clusters” economy may not be a distinguished characteristic, but only a phase in modernization, as it almost certain will be in India.
Africa is just bigger, transportation harder.
In the sense of local clean energy being necessary because fail states can’t run power cables “the lack of effective organization at the state level may be the best thing that ever happened to Africa.” (p164). This literally true statement is just so meaningless. What if African governments instead could invest billions into distributed solar generation? (Perhaps in conjunction with energy requiring cellular infrastructure.) Chapter 10 completely contradicts this narrative with the recent government effectiveness in Rwanda, conveniently interpreted as an exception. (But then what about Botswana or even Tanzania.)
For every Dahadshiil or M-Pesa there is a Jumia or Mxit where the local tech obviously failed to scale. Picking winners must be even harder, whether as an author or an investor. The celebration of unregistered and unaudited entrepreneurial private schools is just depressing.. really can she ignore the almost certain low quality standards? Or compare brick by brick building (p143) with Chinese government investment in skyscrapers or even empty cities for future urbanization.
My favorite chapter was ch 9, the Youth Map. The median age in Africa is 19, and 600m people are under 25. The average class size in Malawi primary schools is 100 kids. Of these a majority do not have primary school education... though massive gains have started in the last decade. Formal economy jobs don’t exist, often even for graduates. My mind spins thinking what could be done for and along with them. I appreciate and value Olopade’s Africa-optimism.
I don’t agree with her personal opinions on economics and modern capitalism. Charity and “assistance” may “distort the market” but that doesn’t make it net-bad. Though she is right that it may be bad to the degree it validates, entrenches and empowers fail state strongmen. “Investment” is equally distorting, whether from Chinese infrastructure or from export market tastes, and the author doesn’t look down on this... or trade that entrenches big businessmen often connected to failing political powers.
General statements like “the African middle class is booming” (p122) may or may not be misleading, because regions vary, and inequality may still be increasing. Booming as measured by what, purchasing power? And who’s data is trustworthy? And Dayo contradicts herself.. um, flexibly, by crying for people being left behind on p148 and the huge losses of youth potential in Ch 9.
The author celebrates kanju and flexible entrepreneurial spirit, even when the outcomes just barely work. The “beds” locally produced on p125 would be rejected even in the local market if Chinese manufacturers were available, and this means her “clusters” economy may not be a distinguished characteristic, but only a phase in modernization, as it almost certain will be in India.
Africa is just bigger, transportation harder.
In the sense of local clean energy being necessary because fail states can’t run power cables “the lack of effective organization at the state level may be the best thing that ever happened to Africa.” (p164). This literally true statement is just so meaningless. What if African governments instead could invest billions into distributed solar generation? (Perhaps in conjunction with energy requiring cellular infrastructure.) Chapter 10 completely contradicts this narrative with the recent government effectiveness in Rwanda, conveniently interpreted as an exception. (But then what about Botswana or even Tanzania.)
For every Dahadshiil or M-Pesa there is a Jumia or Mxit where the local tech obviously failed to scale. Picking winners must be even harder, whether as an author or an investor. The celebration of unregistered and unaudited entrepreneurial private schools is just depressing.. really can she ignore the almost certain low quality standards? Or compare brick by brick building (p143) with Chinese government investment in skyscrapers or even empty cities for future urbanization.
My favorite chapter was ch 9, the Youth Map. The median age in Africa is 19, and 600m people are under 25. The average class size in Malawi primary schools is 100 kids. Of these a majority do not have primary school education... though massive gains have started in the last decade. Formal economy jobs don’t exist, often even for graduates. My mind spins thinking what could be done for and along with them. I appreciate and value Olopade’s Africa-optimism.
July 19, 2014
This is an interesting yet often frustrating read. Its stories of innovation and collaboration around the continent are a wonderful antidote to the tales of death and woe that dominate the news about Africa, and Olopade is a cheery, breezy writer.
However, despite the talk of "Africa is not a country", I got to the end with no real understand of what makes different countries tick - it's clear that Kenya and Nigeria are ahead of Mozambique, but why, for instance Nigeria has the booming movie industry and not South Africa is unclear. A paragraph might start in Ghana and end in the Congo.
The concept of "kanju" seems to be a slippery one, and it often feels like innovative thinking she attributes to Africa is really more broadly the innovation of the poor around the world, making do with what they have. Several "only in Africa" concepts - people selling goods to motorists in traffic; poor people changing jobs from day to day depending on circumstance - are certainly not confined to the continent.
However, despite the talk of "Africa is not a country", I got to the end with no real understand of what makes different countries tick - it's clear that Kenya and Nigeria are ahead of Mozambique, but why, for instance Nigeria has the booming movie industry and not South Africa is unclear. A paragraph might start in Ghana and end in the Congo.
The concept of "kanju" seems to be a slippery one, and it often feels like innovative thinking she attributes to Africa is really more broadly the innovation of the poor around the world, making do with what they have. Several "only in Africa" concepts - people selling goods to motorists in traffic; poor people changing jobs from day to day depending on circumstance - are certainly not confined to the continent.
August 28, 2020
Olopade perfectly captures the vibrant nature of African economies and states. AND she writes in an easily understood and engaging way. She tackles African stereotypes head-on, making a persuasive case for the continent’s future. I can not recommend highly enough.
November 23, 2014
Sharp, fun book about the ways African people are trying to work around their horrifically failed governments. A little too libertarian-rah-rah at times, but it's understandable to stress decentralized private mechanisms of filling governance needs in countries where governments have mostly been extractive private-equity companies with guns rather than actual legitimate authorities. Will really change the way you think about the next century of human development; in particular, African entrepreneurs have totally skipped over some technological stages and, by necessity, are much more adept with using mobile technology and renewable energy than we are. Also makes me rethink how charity and aid should work.
A half-baked reaction thought: Just as America was able to industrialize very quickly because we weren't bound to old formal class relations and aristocratic norms, many sectors in African societies are developing at fast rates and in unfamiliar ways because they're not constrained by a lot of formal structures.
This reads very quickly and I found myself highlighting a lot of passages. I expect to be thinking about this book a lot in the future. It's a really exciting book.
A half-baked reaction thought: Just as America was able to industrialize very quickly because we weren't bound to old formal class relations and aristocratic norms, many sectors in African societies are developing at fast rates and in unfamiliar ways because they're not constrained by a lot of formal structures.
This reads very quickly and I found myself highlighting a lot of passages. I expect to be thinking about this book a lot in the future. It's a really exciting book.
December 5, 2014
Dayo is a lovely person and I'm happy to say that her book is lovely as well. She approaches the "bright continent" from a business-minded perspective. Through this, she bursts through (often racist) stereotypes that Africa is a place that is so far behind the rest of the world in almost every respect. And it's true that the continent plagued by colonialism certainly has problems. But Dayo does a great job of pointing out the ways in which innovation is happening there. Their mobile payment system is enviable — and something Apple is only just now trying to replicate. She talks about the differences between "fat" and "lean" economies, and how, while certainly quality of life is better for people living in "fat" countries, there's a certain nimbleness that comes with a "lean" economy. And she warns that inequality is a real threat to Africa, the way it is in North America. Still, she finds a lot of great stories about innovation in a place that's long been neglected by the rest of the world. Bravo.
August 21, 2014
If you're interested in knowing more about Africa (and we should all want to know more) this book is a real eye-opener. I plowed through it very slowly because sometimes I just had to put it down and absorb what I was reading. The book is easy to read on some levels, because it is very anecdotal. It is divided into sections addressing different issues, but the author does hop all over the place. I did not have a problem with this, though some readers might. I feel that many misconceptions I had about Africa have been corrected, and though there is a decidedly libertarian slant to this book, I think that the author brings us a valuable viewpoint, and an important one. I will look at African differently now, and when a book changes the way you view something, it's a valuable book, right? Well done, author!
August 18, 2014
"Bootstrapping is hard enough without having to think about electricity." (p104) Yes, people of sub-Sahara Africa are highly innovative, but without a dependable supply of electrical energy the continent cannot advance commercially, cultural and politically. Author, a Nigerian journalist, traveled sub-Sahara countries with an open eye and no obvious agenda. Her style is reminiscent of John Gunther's 1940-50s "inside" books (I wonder if she is familiar with them). Two countries impressed her, Rwanda and Somililand (Somalia's northern section). In many other countries stodgy "old men" political leaders and stilted regulations handicap development. Western "do-goodism" is often counterproductive. Innovations such as rechargeable battery swaps and wind power programs offer possibilities for a brighter continental future.
April 23, 2014
This is not a scholarly work full of deep analysis of the economic and social fabric of Africa. It is largely a series of anecdotal indications that the continent's future is not as bleak as American media sometimes makes it seem. It is somewhat refreshing to read a work whose author has not readily evident ideological ax to grind. Her descriptions of Africans innovating their way around ineffective and corrupt governments will warm the hearts of American conservatives who see all government as obstructionist. However, her optimistic egalitarianism will make American liberals comfortable. If TV public service announcements featuring hungry children make you depressed, this book could be the antidote.
May 7, 2014
I enjoyed this book and if you are an American who works in Africa, it is a must read. Dayo Olopade starts the book by correcting common misconceptions about Africa and then proceeds to map out trends related to family, technology, commerce, natural resources, youth, education and political reform. Some similarities as presented by Dambisa Moyo in Dead Aid, another good book that maintains Africa does not need aid but investment for growth. More anecdotal than laden with big data and statistics, it is easy to read and described many people, organizations and applications that I know work in Africa. A lot of attention focused on Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Nigeria which are countries I have visited or have read much about. Good reference book that will earn a place on my shelves.
January 21, 2023
Overall, for me, this was an ok read. However, I wanted to love this book, as I share a deep passion for the promise of Africa. Yet, this book fell short for me. It tried so hard to prove its case, that I felt like it didn’t do enough examination of the counter points. I also couldn’t follow the logic of which countries were in and which were out. If it really wanted to cover the continent, it should have been more methodical and much longer.
It also seemed like governments were an easy and convenient punching bag, which I know they can be from my own profession experience. More could have been done on this theme.
Still a valuable read for those looking to understand more of dynamics in certain African countries and be inspired by the vision/spirit/gusto of many thinkers/doers.
It also seemed like governments were an easy and convenient punching bag, which I know they can be from my own profession experience. More could have been done on this theme.
Still a valuable read for those looking to understand more of dynamics in certain African countries and be inspired by the vision/spirit/gusto of many thinkers/doers.
June 2, 2016
I restarted this book a couple of weeks ago so it hasn't really taken me 14 months to read it!
I learned a lot and really liked how Olopade explores progress in Africa in terms of "maps": family, technology, commerce, technology and youth. I have seen first-hand the "kanju" of which she speaks; the creative solutions to everyday issues. My favourite in Uganda was a duck farm using mosquito nets to pen the ducks and protect them from predators (and stop them from flying away)!
A great look at how Africans are working to solve their problems and how sending them "swedow" - stuff we don't want - really isn't helping.
I learned a lot and really liked how Olopade explores progress in Africa in terms of "maps": family, technology, commerce, technology and youth. I have seen first-hand the "kanju" of which she speaks; the creative solutions to everyday issues. My favourite in Uganda was a duck farm using mosquito nets to pen the ducks and protect them from predators (and stop them from flying away)!
A great look at how Africans are working to solve their problems and how sending them "swedow" - stuff we don't want - really isn't helping.
December 5, 2015
Olopade, now employed at Facebook, advocates for an entrepreneurial approach to development that works around government rather than through it. Hers is very much the libertarian techno-utopian viewpoint found in Silicon Valley that eschews government and institutions and celebrates entrepreneurs and innovation. It's a viewpoint that has become popular in in development, and it concerns me for all the reasons described by Kenyan academic Wandia Njoya.
September 3, 2018
I enjoyed this book because it was inspiring. I appreciated getting a glimpse into Somaliland’s independent nature then, jumping into how Rwanda has evolved since the genocide. By exploring countries contained within the African continent, I was able to see characteristics that are pan-African as well as those that apply to specific countries. Because you can’t squeeze everything about a continent as vast as African into a book as small as this, I have a big list to books to add to my “to read” shelf now!
November 10, 2019
An excellent book to dispel tropes about an impoverished Africa that needs money above all else. This book takes a deep dive into the psychological and anthropological realities of country/region/continent by exploring systems in place that help or hurt populations they are meant to serve. How do communities make do without that support? How do some of those communities thrive without it? How can external investments be better placed by not giving gifts/ loans to governments, but rather for-profits and other investors in human capital? Lots of thoughtful discussion here.
May 31, 2015
Good intentions, lengthy and unconvincing arguments.
December 10, 2021
This book is hard for me to review. It was both interesting and boring at different times. Like sometimes I'd be reading parts out loud to my husband and discussing it, and other times if he trying not to fall asleep 😂.
But there really was a lot that I really liked about this book, things that made me ponder. Not just about Africa and the lean economies there. But also about America and our fat economy. So here are my take-aways:
🌍 Africa is not the barren depressing place Western culture has portrayed it as. The continent - and many of its countries, if not all - is abundant in natural resources.
🌍 Hardships can encourage amazing creativity (see quote above). Sometimes I think we rob ourselves in the United States, because we try to remove everyone's hardships with hand-outs.
🌍 By that same token, sometimes Western culture's idea of aide to places we view as impoverished misses the mark in a big way. Even if our intentions are good, they can be 100% ineffective, and that's avoidable with a little research.
🌍 The stronger the central government, the less community interaction. I have a lot of thoughts on this. But I'll just leave it at that.
🌍 Just as hardship brings creativity, it also allows people to develop resiliency.
There was a lot of value within the pages of this book. There is a large focus on the potential Africa has in the future. The book is a little outdated, as it was written in 2014 and is about economics, which will always change quickly. Even so, there's a lot of stuff to ponder. And if economics in developing countries is of particular interest to you, this is a good one!
But there really was a lot that I really liked about this book, things that made me ponder. Not just about Africa and the lean economies there. But also about America and our fat economy. So here are my take-aways:
🌍 Africa is not the barren depressing place Western culture has portrayed it as. The continent - and many of its countries, if not all - is abundant in natural resources.
🌍 Hardships can encourage amazing creativity (see quote above). Sometimes I think we rob ourselves in the United States, because we try to remove everyone's hardships with hand-outs.
🌍 By that same token, sometimes Western culture's idea of aide to places we view as impoverished misses the mark in a big way. Even if our intentions are good, they can be 100% ineffective, and that's avoidable with a little research.
🌍 The stronger the central government, the less community interaction. I have a lot of thoughts on this. But I'll just leave it at that.
🌍 Just as hardship brings creativity, it also allows people to develop resiliency.
There was a lot of value within the pages of this book. There is a large focus on the potential Africa has in the future. The book is a little outdated, as it was written in 2014 and is about economics, which will always change quickly. Even so, there's a lot of stuff to ponder. And if economics in developing countries is of particular interest to you, this is a good one!
May 29, 2021
How refreshing to read about young, vibrant Africa and "kanju." The author flogs some well known dead horses along the way: Tom's shoes, tone-deaf aid organizations with good intentions and awkward outcomes, misplaced misperceptions - but more importantly she rejoices in the resourcefulness, ingenuity and unintended consequences of every day Africans. (cell phones everywhere and cell phone banking.) Acknowledging the failure of their governments, Africans are not waiting around for solutions, but leap frogging, circumventing and solving on their own. Having lived, worked in countries of the former Soviet Union, I would argue that human ingenuity and resourcefulness are impossible to keep down. What that means is that the traits that she hails and admires in her travels in Africa are traits I've seen in Slavic and Muslim cultures slowly recovering from decades of corrupt, failed kleptocracies. What she asks for is more liberty, less red tape and more consulting with the large youth map of Africa. This book stands out as unique in how positive it is about what is happening in Africa. It's time to update our perception of the continent - it's no longer the "dark" continent, but the "Bright Continent."
May 8, 2017
Wow!!! I heard the author interviewed about her book, "The Bright Continent" on a pod cast and after hearing Olopade speak I rushed out to get the book.... which turned out to be quite a disappointment!!!
The theme throughout the book is kanju which is specific African creativity born out of African difficulty to help solve problems. The book does a decent job of describing specific examples of where government failed and ingenuity of average citizens helped solve problems but I feel that Olopade just glosses over and minimizes the failures and corruption associated with African governments. Pushing privatization and capitalism will solve some of Africa's problems but you really do need government to help with education, environment, protection, and education. Also, the book is very scattered and there is no flow or rhythm, it is just a flow of anecdotal stories without great structure. Overall I did learn some new things but this book could have been so much more. This could be a great informative magazine article but falls way short in the book department.
The theme throughout the book is kanju which is specific African creativity born out of African difficulty to help solve problems. The book does a decent job of describing specific examples of where government failed and ingenuity of average citizens helped solve problems but I feel that Olopade just glosses over and minimizes the failures and corruption associated with African governments. Pushing privatization and capitalism will solve some of Africa's problems but you really do need government to help with education, environment, protection, and education. Also, the book is very scattered and there is no flow or rhythm, it is just a flow of anecdotal stories without great structure. Overall I did learn some new things but this book could have been so much more. This could be a great informative magazine article but falls way short in the book department.
August 10, 2021
Dayo Olipede’s book Bright Continent is a splash in the waters of books about the struggles in Africa. Her fresh perspective has us looking at disadvantages becoming advantages. Africans have found creative ways (if not always legal) to cope with their challenges. Olipede does not condone these suspect methods, but instead, points out the ingenuity and potential that is rampant in throughout the continent. This book shows us that the problems plaguing Africa are solvable by making use of this untapped potential. Bright Continent lives up to its name by highlighting the entrepreneurial spirit and creative problem solving that exists in Africa and that Africans have the power to help themselves. Dayo Olipede doesn’t downplay the problems and she doesn’t claim to have the answers, but she poses the questions that need to be asked when evaluating the needs of Africa without pushing your spirits into the mud.
November 15, 2019
Appreciate what she's trying to do here, and the book may be useful for people who received very little African history/current events education in school -- it may open them up to different perspectives. But for anyone who follows news from the continent somewhat closely, there's not much new here, and it relies a little too heavily on anecdotes to prove sweeping points.
Her underlying point -- "kanju," that Africans possess a kind of innate ingenuity and ability to think outside the box to solve problems in inventive ways -- isn't something that, to me, is particularly African, but particularly human. We adapt when circumstances demand it.
Finally, because I'm a few years late to the book, I'm also aware that a few of the stories she chose to highlight haven't continued going as well as they were presented here.
Her underlying point -- "kanju," that Africans possess a kind of innate ingenuity and ability to think outside the box to solve problems in inventive ways -- isn't something that, to me, is particularly African, but particularly human. We adapt when circumstances demand it.
Finally, because I'm a few years late to the book, I'm also aware that a few of the stories she chose to highlight haven't continued going as well as they were presented here.
September 14, 2020
Just the right level for me to get my feet wet into investing, impact, the economy and industries across the continent. It spanned so many topics and gives a great overview with real examples. It took me about a month to get through, as I got so distracted. I couldn’t read a chapter without researching some of the businesses that were mentioned. Really. Most of my time was spent scanning websites or LinkedIn profiles. My overall take is that 1) the informal, kanju economy is key to work with and tap into and 2) for-profit ventures work very well— which goes far against this idea of Africa needs aid because of its poverty and politics. I really appreciated this book and the effort put into it.
June 25, 2020
Anthony Bourdain famously said that the great beauty of travel was finding joy in being proven wrong. Olopade seeks to shatter many myths and misconceptions about Africa's many cultures & practices and I think she does a pretty good job. She calls African innovation - often inspired by a failure of effective government - Kanju. I witnessed quite a bit of this ingenuity in the COVID response in Malawi: welders immediately designing foot controlled hand washing stations, diversion of manpower to hand sanitizing and cart/basket sterilizing. Now that I'm home in the US I can definitively state we could use some Kanju over here.
May 28, 2017
I have definite ideological differences with the author, and the one thing that kept this book from being 5-star great, for me, was the glossing over of some points that didn't mesh with her overall political thesis, which is pretty libertarian. But regardless of that, this was an incredibly well-written, educational and thought-provoking book, and the less political take-home point of the book, that Africa is better looked at internationally and from within in terms of its potential rather than its shortcomings, is important and well made.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews