Africa Is Not a Country: Breaking Stereotypes of Modern Africa

by Dipo Faloyin

You already know these stereotypes. So often Africa is depicted simplistically as an arid red landscape of famines and safaris, uniquely plagued by poverty and strife.

In this funny and insightful book, Dipo Faloyin offers a much-needed corrective. He examines each country's colonial heritage, and explores a wide range of subjects, from chronicling urban life in Lagos and the lively West African rivalry over who makes the best Jollof rice, to the story of democracy in seven dictatorships and the dangers of stereotypes in popular culture.

By turns intimate and political, Africa Is Not A Country brings the story of the continent towards reality, celebrating the energy and fabric of its different cultures and communities in a way that has never been done before.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Africa, Politics, Audiobook, Travel, Race

351 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2022

About the author

"Dipo Faloyin is a Senior Editor at VICE, where he focuses on race, culture, and identity around the world. His writing has also appeared in Dazed, Prospect, Huffington Post, and Refinery 29 among other publications. Born in Chicago, raised in Nigeria, he currently lives in London." -- Library of Congress Authorities

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

Terrific book discussing various facets of Africa. Obviously this is a huge subject, but this book gives a good sense of the breadth by cherry-picking examples from different countries and histories, and focusing on a particular set of topics. It covers colonialism and the scramble for Africa, the mass theft of cultural heritage for museums (it is really embarrassing to read this book as a white Brit), how Hollywood portrays Africa, current issues like strongmen/dictators, success stories, white saviours and unhelpful charity, and behaviour which is somewhere between ignorance and appropriation (jollof rice and the Jamie Oliver nonsense).

My knowledge of African history is pathetic--for some reason we don't learn about that at school, can't think why--so this was hugely informative and helped slot a lot of things together. I particularly liked the sections on strongmen and wealth-hoarding grossly privileged leaders that included pieces on Johnson and Trump, written in the style in which people write about African despots.

It's very well written: evocative, vivid, often extremely funny, with biting sarcasm but also immense generosity of spirit, which really makes you read with a sense of hope as well as fury. Compelling reading, highly informative, and highly recommended.

[BookOfCinz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what I call required reading.

I am one of those persons who visibly cringe when I hear Africa being referred to as one thing, when it is so much more than that. I started reading this book during my 70 tour of the African continent and the insights that I got from that book made the experience even better.

This book is truly a great way to get a more layered look at the continent- it’s history, the culture and how colonialism impacted the continent to this day. There is so much history, truth and insights is packed into this book. I was reading this book and nodding the entire time because there are so many things I do not know.

Please, read this book!

[La Crosse County Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think about Africa like I used to think about the Internet: vast, complex, distant. I want to dive in, but I don't know where to start. This book is a good place to dip your toes.    

The author acknowledges the stereotypes early on and puts their truths in context:

The warfare: Deadly tribal conflicts waged within borders drawn a century ago by colonialists without regard for history.

The safari: Great geographical landscapes populated with exotic creatures and vegetation that draw throngs of tourists.

The famine: Dusty villages and their fly-covered malnourished residents that make perfect targets for well-meaning Westerners, whose attempts at aid often do more harm than good.

While those are part of the African portrait, of course there's much, much more.    

Dipo Faloyin's approach is both informative and jovial. I never felt like I was reading from a travel brochure, but I also never felt like I was being lectured. His writing mixes cultural self-awareness with sharp humor.

He devotes a chapter to his hometown of Lagos, Nigeria, which he describes as having the population of New York, London, and Uruguay. The city is cramped, hectic, and noisy, and its 22 million residents wouldn't have it any other way.

Much of the book serves as a corrective to misconceptions about the African diaspora, including addressing the White Savior complex prevalent in Western countries.

In one notable section he revisits the Kony 2012 movement that went viral a decade ago and shed light on the negative effects of well-meaning but misguided attempts to interfere on behalf of "poor helpless Africans."

In a lighter moment, Faloyin points out the time the Internet skewered British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver after he took culinary liberties with Nigeria's beloved joloff rice dish. The scandal trended for a moment in 2014 as #jollofgate.

I read this book during a dark time of cultural crises in which even whether we can talk about race is controversial.

It's an indisputable fact that at certain times in global history some white folks treated some black folks badly. That doesn't make me ashamed for my race, it makes me ashamed for humanity.

But I don't take history personally. I learn from it.

-KO'D

Find this book and other titles within our catalog.

[Daren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rare recent publication, but as usual in these cases, I was gifted a voucher!

While this book is compelling reading, I felt it lacked a central theme. The sections of the book came at random, and I found some confusingly contradictory. The book is subtitled 'breaking stereotypes of modern Africa' and yet it managed to confirm a few stereotypes in amongst repeating that they didn't apply to all, just some of Africa... it didn't convince me on some of these. While I am being negative (sorry, but this is a common peeve with me) was there no possible way to fit in a few maps? I would have settled even for two - one post colonial showing some indication of what was going on with various kingdoms etc vs the colonial carve-up that much of one of the chapters is spent discussing. For me this was unforgiveable (not having maps) and a star or maybe a half was the cost.

To the sections -
1 - Lagos - a look around Lagos and the Nigerian outlook - the author's home town.

2- By the Power Vested in Me, I Now Pronounce You a Country - the carve up of Africa by the nations of Europe, including the ludicrous drawing of straight lines for borders that run through geographical features and tribal groups land alike. This was perhaps the most compelling of chapters for me. It gave back ground of why countries wanted to land-grab (in many cases to take the slaves from 'their' slice), and how the different countries looked to administer the lands.

3 - The Birth of the White Savior - the chapters here examine why aid doesn't benefit those it should (a position I have long agreed with), chronicles of LiveAid, BandAid etc, as well as more recent efforts with something called Kony2012 ( I was obviously oblivious). Again, a compelling chapter, reinforcing what others have suggested happens with aid agency money (Paul Theroux is the author who springs to mind).

4 - The Story of Democracy in Seven Dictatorships- Somalia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe (and Zambia), Rwanda, Algeria, Equatorial Guinea and Libya. For me this is a chapter I found excellently written, but I fail to understand how this is dispelling stereotypes. These are stories of strongmen and dictators ruling over countries by changing rules, corruptly siphoning off money into personal wealth and providing family or cronies with high ranks and positions. This did the opposite of dispelling.

5 - There Is No Such Thing as an African Accent - this section dives into generic African tropes in films and books; some mocking of Madonna, who considered that Malawi was not grateful enough when she adopted children and that they didn't turn on the VIP treatment for her. It goes on to discuss the film Black Panther and its positive role modelling for black people.

6 - The Case of the Stolen Artefacts - The vast museums full of looted African artifacts and the ongoing arguments for returning these to where they were appropriated, or retaining them in European (and American) museums. An interesting section, and a long process ahead!

7 - Jollof Wars - A whole section on a (admittedly culturally important) rice dish. I struggled to maintain any interesting this one.

8 - What's Next? - A section with a mixture of stories about where Africa is headed. It included groups making or attempting social and political change; and then a dull section on Nollywood film.

Overall, there were parts I really enjoyed reading, some that were ok and a few dud chapters I struggled to stay interested in. Lacking an overall theme, and lack of maps altogether were marks against. There was enough in here for me to enjoy reading it.
3.5 stars, rounded up.

[Daniel Hicklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have learnt SO. MUCH. from this book. Absolutely mindblown and so so so so happy that I read it. Brilliantly written.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

In eight long-form essays, Dipo Faloyin offers insight and exploration into uniquely African stories, showing the diversity of peoples, languages, customs in various regions of the Continent.

One: Lagos - a brief look-around the modern Nigerian city where Faloyin came of age

Two: By the Power Vested in Me, I Now Pronounce You a Country - The long shadow and ramifications of the Berlin Conference on 15 November 1884, when 14 European nations carved Africa up into pie pieces - and what happened from there, and how this moment and the arbitrary lines continue to cause land disputes, border wars, and struggles.

Three: The Birth of White Saviour Imagery or How Not to be a White Saviour While Still Making a Difference - fantastic essay on various aid efforts over the years, from the ubiquitous Ethiopian famine relief in the 1980s, and the birth of worldwide relief campaigns like Live Aid, Band Aid, etc. And more recent campaigns like #Kony2012. What actually makes a difference, and how the people who receive aid think about these efforts. Very interesting philosophical discussion about consequentialism and deontology - do the ends justify the means?

Four: The Story of Democracy in Seven Dictatorships - short surveys of seven autocratic regimes, from Somalia, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, to the well-known cases of Rwanda and Libya

Five: There Is No Such Thing as an African Accent and Binyavanga Wainana Is Still Right - linguistics, culture, immigration, African diaspora, and a survey of films and television series in African countries, or with African characters, from Coming to America to Black Panther

Six: The Case of the Stolen Artefacts - art and cultural repatriation after colonial theft and plunder - Benin bronzes, Egyptian, Zulu, Ethiopian artifacts

Seven: Jollof Wars: A Love Story -West African food culture and differences in the signature rice dish, from Senegal to Ghana, Liberia to Nigeria. Jamie Oliver, the British chef's "take" on jollof, and why it caused such a stir

Eight: What's Next? - How various African nations and people groups are innovating for climate change, energy and advancements in solar and wind power in North and West Africa, public health and Covid response in Africa, Ghana's Right to Abode Law allowing any African Diaspora to come to live in Ghana

A few sentences about each essay don't do it justice. This was a fascinating book, and I really liked Faloyin's style - pathos, humor, and interesting sidenotes and tangents that relate back to his themes.

Recommended!

[Jibraun · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars. I wanted to like this book more but couldn't. I'll first focus on the positives.

1. Faloyin is stylistically a strong writer, who is entertaining through most of the book.
2. The portions of the book on dictators, Western imperialism and its residue on the continent, and the pillage of African artifacts were great.
3. The book is a fast read, never bogging down in excessive details or prose.

Now the negatives.
1. The title is misleading. The book doesn't really provide the reader any information explaining why Africa is incorrectly framed as a country -- instead of comprising several nations, ethnicities, languages, etc. of great varieties. Instead, a lot of the book seems to emphasize similarities across the continent, which I found confusing.
2. Some of the portions of the book seemed haphazard and thrown in. Nollywood and Jollof Rice did not need several pages. They just didn't.
3. There didn't seem to be a throughline or central thesis of the book. It just seemed to be randomly arranged essays on Africa, instead of a coherent analysis. For the first 225 pages, it seems the throughline will be the devastating effects of Western imperialism and ongoing hegemony on the continent but that also goes by the wayside.
4. If there was ever a book that needed at least an appendix of maps from the modern era and colonial times, it'd be this book. Yet it had none. This book is written for a mass audience, but the author and publisher apparently assumed that everyone reading it would have an encyclopedic knowledge of modern Africa's geography and late 19th Century Africa, along with maps of ethnic and linguistic groups.

[Graeme Newell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ask me to name 15 countries in Europe or Asia, and I can list them off with hardly a thought. But ask me to do the same for Africa and I’d be hard pressed. I picked up this book because I realize that I have badly neglected this entire continent and it was about time I started to fix that.

I was a wee bit horrified to discover that my perspective on Africa was still trapped in a bubble of clichés. You know the ones I'm talking about: safari animals roaming wild, eccentric dictators with lavish lifestyles while their countries crumble, and the pervasive images of poverty and starvation that seem to dominate Western media's portrayal of the entire continent.

Faloyin does an incredible job of dismantling these stereotypes, one by one, not by ignoring the issues but by providing context and depth that's often missing from our conversations about Africa. He points out how these clichéd views are not just oversimplified; they're harmful. They reduce a continent so rich in diversity, culture, and history to a monolithic image that's far removed from reality.

One of the things that struck me the most was how Faloyin emphasizes the diversity within the continent. Africa is home to 54 countries, over 2,000 languages, and a myriad of ethnic groups, each with its own culture, traditions, and history. This diversity is something to be celebrated, not homogenized into a single, digestible narrative for easy consumption.

Faloyin's takes a hard look at the pervasive "white savior" narrative that often dominates Western interactions with Africa. We’ve seen it over and over again through the years: outsiders swooping in to save helpless and ignorant Africans.

Think of the “We Are the World" charity campaign. This song, created in 1985 by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and performed by a supergroup of celebrities, was intended to raise funds for famine relief in Africa. While its goal was noble, it reinforced the monolithic view of Africa as a place of despair and helplessness. Very few people in Africa are starving, but you won’t know that from watching western media. These charity rescues overshadow our entire image of this diverse continent. Africa = poverty & despair.

The book also tackles the issue of how history is taught and understood in the West. The legacy of colonialism and its impact on Africa is a complex topic, yet it's often glossed over or presented in a way that absolves the colonizers of any lasting responsibility. Faloyin's discussions around the arbitrary borders drawn by colonial powers and their lasting impact on the continent's political and social dynamics were particularly good. It's a reminder that the history of Africa is intertwined with the history of Europe and the Americas in ways that are uncomfortable but necessary to acknowledge.

What's more, Faloyin challenges the narrative of Africa as a continent in perpetual crisis. Yes, there are conflicts, and yes, there are humanitarian issues—just like there are in any other part of the world. But there's also innovation, growth, and resilience. Stories of success, creativity, and progress often go untold, overshadowed by the more sensationalized narratives of despair.

Reading this book made me realize the importance of seeking out voices from within Africa to understand the continent's stories on their own terms. It's not enough to passively consume the narratives presented to us.

In the end, "Africa Is Not a Country" didn't just show me that my view of Africa was clichéd; it challenged me to rethink how I engage with the world more broadly. It's a reminder that stereotypes and simplifications are comfortable but ultimately limiting. The world is vast, complex, and infinitely varied, and our understanding of it should be too.

[Quo · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my view, Africa Is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Continent, while clearly aimed at America & the West, might be considered an accusation of geographic illiteracy on a global level. How many on our planet are readily able to pinpoint Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone or even densely populated Nigeria?



While I enjoyed reading much of Dipo Faloyin's book, particularly since I lived for a time in East Africa and have visited 15+ countries on the continent, some of what I read seemed a bit strident, though often paired with humor, as is the case with the chapter on the "Jollof Wars: A Love Story".

However, most certainly, a great many of the problems on the African continent can be traced to the white imperial devastation of existing tribal structure, as well as existing tribal boundaries.

The author points out that there are 54 countries on the African continent, 1.4 billion people and 2000 languages. African people are indeed misunderstood & misrepresented by many if not most non-Africans, much of which is indeed the legacy of colonialism. This is the root of the problem Dipo Faloyin addresses with regard to sub-Saharan Africa, his particular focus, well beyond mere geographic illiteracy.



And given the book's title, while it true, especially in the Age of Trump, that Africa is greatly undervalued & even scorned, except by China, many who could not locate specific countries on the African continent, would also be hard-pressed to locate Bulgaria or Bolivia or the Balkan countries on a map portraying only spatial outlines.

Dipo Faloyin does go to some length to explain the presence of noxious dictators on the African landscape, among them Idi Amin (Uganda), Mengistu Haile Mariam (Ethiopia) & Sani Abacha in Nigeria, site of 5 military coups since gaining independence.

We are forced to confront the egregious rule of so many African dictators, perhaps forgetting that they also exist in Central & South America and elsewhere in the world. As Faloyin puts it: "the continent has tangled with a fair share of authoritarians--but it's not because Africans are somehow predisposed to evil despotism."

Instead, much of it is the result of the colonial empires that created mismatched geographies, leaving post-colonial African countries "with forms of democracies that did not fit the demographics the colonizers had created."

What I feel is most needed, is an approach like that of the late Kenyan author & activist Binyavanga Wainaina, who Dipo Faloyin references in his comment:

He knew there was a difference between how countries & continents are portrayed in the media depending on who inhabits them. He understood the lasting impact of a simple story, and he made it a key tenet of his life's work to erase reductive tales wherever he found them.

Wainaina's gift was to seek out every lazy stereotype of Africa & to defend the region, on a forensic, itemized level--a constant battle. His chosen weapons were his disarming wit, a biting satire, and his willingness to use his status as a great writer to empower storytellers from across the continent to tell & retell their stories, using their brushes to paint a more exhaustive portrait.

Another quibble--while Depo Faloyin accuses those who come to the assistance of Africa, of being "white saviors", also labelled as "white men in khaki", among those critiqued for their support of Africans seemingly in need are: Harry Belafonte (who introduced South African Miriam Makeba to the world), Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder & Oprah Winfrey, the last who had a South African school built & richly equipped.



Are Doctors Without Borders, Peace Corps volunteers who have served across the continent, the late Dr. Paul Farmer (who worked for Partners-in-Health, battling Ebola in war-ravaged Sierra Leone, Liberia & Rwanda) and so many other humanitarian campaigns all guilty of merely being in Africa for "Pop Culture Moments", to use Faloyin's phrasing?

Beyond that, why was the newly imperial thrust of China in Africa, though framed as a continuation of the Silk Road but with China gaining control of precious minerals, not called out? And as horrid as the slave trade was, destroying large & coherent existing African empires, why not mention the role of the Arabs in causing disunity as they moved south, while trading slaves & instilling Islam at the point of a sword in a great many cases?



Much of the world, Africa very much included, has been altered & its cultural riches pilfered at the behest of European empires. The masks & other African artifacts should be returned to their places of origin. Presently, Faloyin suggests that fully 90% of Africa's cultural heritage, key to much of its identity, is held elsewhere.

In spite of some targeted moans & grumbles about Africa Is Not a Country, I quite enjoyed reading the book. Beyond that, I feel that it is a much-needed work and hence assign it 4*s.

*Within my review are images of author Dipo Faloyin, a map of sub-Saharan Africa, Dr. Paul Farmer, and lastly a Benin Bronze artifact from Nigeria, long held at the British Museum in London.

[Abbie Toria · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

An essential read

[Dr. Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible book! This should be taught in US schools. We learn nothing about Africa except for that's where the slave trade got slaves. Africa is so much more than that!

[Victoria (Eve's Alexandria) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth it for the section on Jollof rice alone. A powerful, insightful collection of shorter and longer essays on politics, culture, society and family from across Africa, with a particular focus on Nigeria, the author’s own country. Lots of lovely writing and bold connections, grounded in the history of European colonialism on the continent.

[emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘JAMIE OLIVER genuinely had no intention of offending anyone. ‘There was no intention to offend anyone,’ he said in a statement—It was just a recipe, after all. For rice. Just rice.’

It's never—just—rice. Rice—is always—more than rice. Blurbs said funny and insightful. Can confirm, it's as promised. Audiobook fab too.

[Mehtap exotiquetv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein Kontinent. Ein Stereotyp. Afrika.
Warum wird ein ganzer Kontinent in den Medien dargestellt, als würde es nur aus einer lokalen Region bestehen? Dipo Faloyin rechnet ab. Mit Hollywood. Mit Europa und all den Kolonial „mächten“.
Dabei wird thematisch an nichts gespart. Was hat es mit dem White savior complex an sich und warum sind die Spendenkampagnen so problematisch und warum scheint es in Hollywood nur einen Dialekt zu geben? Und warum sieht überhaupt „Afrika“ medial so aus, wie es aussieht? Warum werden florierende Metropolen verschwiegen? Ein Buch, was man lesen sollte, um eben auch eigene Stereotypen zu hinterfragen und zu verstehen, wo man selbst „Fehler“ macht.

[Nashwa S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredible book and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. The writing was accessible, history and politics made easy to understand, and one of the most eye opening books I’ve read in a while. It covers everything from colonization, the effects of decolonization on African nations, how harmful aid and charity is, white savouries, Hollywood representation of Africa and how much the continent was exploited over the years.

I would highly recommend this book!

[Han Van der Sluijs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een goed en nuttig boek dat de grote relevantie van eigen identiteit laat zien. Het effect van woorden dient niet onderschat te worden en zeker niet het effect van eeuwen durende generalisatie. 'Afrika is geen land' is een vlot geschreven boek dat voor beginnende Afrika ontdekkers de grootse veelzijdigheid en de potentie van het continent laat zien en daarbij ook veel meer begrip geeft voor de Black Lives Matter beweging en alles waar zij voor vecht. Het hebben van gebalanceerde historische kennis van de verhouding tussen het westen en het Afrikaanse continent is belangrijk om mee te werken aan het voorkomen van een zichzelf herhalende geschiedenis, dit boek draagt daaraan bij. Zeker een aanrader!

[Sveinung Haaland · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mix of anecdotes and history but no real direction. Lots of words that don't say much beyond what the title does. If you already knew that African is not a country, I would not recommend reading this book.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic overview of the African continent that takes direct aim at the harmful and racist stereotypes surrounding it, particularly in popular culture.

Africa is such a diverse continent, filled with vibrant people and constantly pushing against the colonist histories scarring the landscape and the people who live there.

[Sebastian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wspaniała rzecz.
Dawno nie czytałem tak kompleksowego, mądrego i wciągającego eseju.

[Michelle Curie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An educative collection of essays that unmasks the stereotypes and presumptions the West has in regards to what they refer to as Africa, written in a passionate, forceful way not devoid of humour.



Africa is Not A Country portrays modern Africa through addressing misconceptions about it. Through eight essays, Dipo Faloyin offers to correct the image we like to nurture of an Africa consisting of nothing but sunsets, famines and safaris. Both personally and politically, he examines subjects such as urban life, the story of democracy and stereotypes in popular culture.

This was surprisingly shocking and entertaining. I think the tone Faloyin chose is perfect for a book like this – his messages are angry and poignant, but the delivery is oftentimes extremely funny. Like in (my favourite) chapter about how Africa is portrayed in Hollywood movies: I laughed out loud multiple times, because you realise how ridiculous it really is, while also realising that what you're confronted with is absolutely true. I basically recognised every absurd stereotype listed and there are also painful conclusions: like in the film Independence Day where at the end every continent comes together to destroy the alien mothership – except for one: no one bothered to inform Africa, but at the end celebration, we get to see shirtless, paint-smeared children with spears running around unpaved roads in joy. Faloyin comes to the obvious conclusion:

"It’s now obvious that we couldn’t help the military operation — we don’t even have roads or electricity, let alone fighter jets."

There were several moments reading this that made me stop and think. What is it with fundraisers for example that always rely on portraying African children as starving and in need of White saviours? The embarrassing Do They Know It's Christmas? campaign is looked at in more detail, which I didn't know the lyrics of before. Knowing them now completely changes my perception of this and actually makes me pretty uncomfortable knowing that this is considered a Christmas classic.

I've been taught very little about African history and culture in school (next to nothing, basically) except for when we spoke about colonialism. Reading this now shed a lot of light to me in regards to widening my understanding of the place Africa holds amongst the union of continents that exists and why it's so important to give a platform to others and listen to their stories. An honestly illuminating read.

[Jifu · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)

When I glanced over the table of contents and the various topics that Dipo Faloyin’s Africa is Not a Country was to cover, I initially wasn’t sure what to make of them. Ranging from the carve-up of the continent by European powers, to the jollof rice rivalry that exists between several west African nations, to a brief visit to his native Lagos, it all felt a little disparate to me. But once I was several chapters in, I found myself completely engrossed. Faloyin’s selected subjects work as both a mercilessly fierce multi-pronged attack on the long-standing stereotypes of Africa as a famine/poverty/corruption/war-stricken, rural, backward Lion King-esque monolith of a land and also a fantastic introduction to the continent’s true diversity and complexity.

The book almost feels like a must-read for untold many, and not just for those caught in the thrall of a simplistic all-Africa-is-all-just-the-same mindset. I came into the book with a somewhat better grasp of reality than that. However, the avalanche of information that Faloyin provided through his sharp writing made me intensely aware of all that I didn’t really know (which turned out to be quite a lot, to say the least). Also, to my great appreciation it simultaneously gave me a large head start in filling in my relevant knowledge gaps. As I worked my way from chapter to chapter, I compiled a sizably long mental and also physical lists of people, places, and other items that I wanted to explore further on my own later - which to me, is always an indisputable mark of a high-quality work of myth-busting non-fiction.

Packed from beginning to start with immense informative and eye-opening power, Africa is Not a Country is definitely not a title to be overlooked. After I suggest this for purchase at both the academic library I work at and my local public library, I look forward to overzealously recommending it to my friends and family.

[Sebastian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow. This book is truly written for total ignorants. One has to know nothing about Africa and truly believe it's just lions and poor kids to find it interesting. The author is oversensitive on Africa's image and tries to paint the grass green. Africa is a troubled continent and violence is as prevalent as poverty. There are pockets of good life and some countries are better off than other, but still it does not change the whole picture. This does not mean that African countries are not incredible. I encourage everyone to travel south and see it with their own eyes.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dipo Faloyin covers the many stereotypes (and practices) used to disparage the African Continent and its people, which, unfortunately, are still prevalent in the 21st Century. From the Western Saviour complex and the Aid Industry to the History of Africa and the many looted cultural items found in Western collections and museums.
With humour and a certain amount of sarcasm, the author makes the book captivating and one of my recommendations.

Still a great 'read' the second time around!

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to the history and politics of Africa, that discusses the evils of colonialism, breaks down stereotypes, and paints an optimistic view of the future. Highly recommended reading.

[Reyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

We zeggen “Afrika” zoals we nooit “Europa” of “Azië” zouden zeggen.

Afrika is geen land (2022) is met een duidelijk doel geschreven: afrekenen met de stereotypen over het continent en in plaats daarvan de veelzijdigheid aan culturen en gemeenschappen vieren. Dipo Faloyin heeft zelf een internationale achtergrond: de journalist werd geboren in Chicago, groeide op in Lagos en woont in Londen. Zijn werk heeft inderdaad alles in zich om kortzichtige mainstreambeelden door te prikken.

Faloyin behandelt een veelheid aan onderwerpen op basis van verschillende bronnen, zijn eigen ervaringen inbegrepen. Het kolonialisme loopt daar als een rode draad doorheen. Soms heel direct, zoals bij de Conferentie van Berlijn (1884-85), de daaruit volgende Scramble for Africa, en bij The Void, de onmogelijkheid om kennis te nemen van de geschiedenis van tot slaaf gemaakte voorouders. Soms indirect, zoals bij de huidige politiek en de weergave van het continent in Hollywoodfilms.

Een hoogtepunt is de manier waarop Faloyin het ‘witte-reddercomplex’ en pogingen tot liefdadigheid ontmantelt, van de film Kony 2012 tot de concerten van Bob Geldof: het gaat niet om gerechtigheid, maar om het hebben van een grote emotionele ervaring die privilege rechtvaardigt. De goede bedoelingen ten spijt houden veel initiatieven de stereotypen en daarmee een kweekvijver voor discriminatie in stand. Andere hoogtepunten zijn de passages over roofkunst en de reflectie op de toekomst.

De populaire cultuur is bedoeld om ons naar een wereld buiten onze eigen wereld te verplaatsen. Als mensen van alles doen om Klingon te leren of zich emotioneel kunnen verliezen in romantische ontmoetingen in boerendorpen die duizenden kilometers verwijderd zijn van waar ze zelf wonen, dan is hun verbeeldingskracht ook wel zo groot dat ze zich kunnen inleven in het verhaal van de rijke ouders in Djibouti die hun aan sociale media verslaafde kinderen de waarde van familie proberen bij te brengen door hen op een lange autoreis mee te nemen, met hilarische gevolgen.

Faloyin belicht voortdurend de verschillen tussen landen, bv. als gevolg van meer of minder buitenlandse bemoeienis tijdens én na het koloniale tijdperk, of van de mate waarin landsgrenzen niet overeenkomen met de werkelijkheid. Daartegenover staat dat Faloyin teveel hooi op de vork neemt: Afrika is geen land bevat zoveel onderwerpen en voorbeelden, dat het betoog aan diepgang en scherpte verliest. De informatie is soms ook zo basaal, dat ik me afvroeg voor wie het eigenlijk geschreven is. Ten slotte vond ik de stijl hinderlijk. Faloyin is te vaak flauw-grappig (Lagos heeft al het nodige in zich om dé grote stad te zijn. Lagos heeft geen idee wat het wil worden als het later groot is.) en simplistisch, bv. wanneer hij de Belgische koning Leopold bij herhaling de ‘verveelde koning’ noemt. Dan lees ik toch liever Congo van David van Reybrouck.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Africa is not a Country: Notes On A Bright Continent (also published as “Breaking Sterotypes of Modern Africa”) is one that’s been on my tbr for a while so I gladly picked it up for both this month’s @tiredmammybookclub pick, and for @readsandart #ReadAfricanMonth theme.

Dipo Faloyin is a senior editor, and a prolific writer for countless publications. This is his first book.
Born in Chicago, raised in Lagos, and now living in London, he experienced first hand the lazy stereotypes people associate with Africa; it’s often either drought and famine, or safari. With this book, he sets out to dispel those myths.

What follows is a comprehensive depiction of a continent’s past, present, and future through the lens of history, politics, popular culture, and economic growth. I found it absolutely fascinating, and hard to put down, although I will say that I read it on audio and found it required my full concentration, so not one to throw on in the background and hope for osmosis!

I am a pop culture fiend so I particularly enjoyed the chapter on how Africa is portrayed on screen (#WakandaForever, obvs), but also found the section on #NoWhiteSaviours really engrossing.

Equally, I loved the hopeful note Dipo gives us in the chapter towards the end about the future of Africa, particularly with the appointment in 2021 of President of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan. The first female President of Tanzania and she’s already reversed previous oppressive governmental policies, saved millions of lives through introduction of covid policies, and improved the lives of pregnant teenage girls who previously had been forced to leave school.

There is some humour scattered throughout too; there’s a chapter on Jamie Oliver and Jollof rice that I especially enjoyed!

If you’re looking for your next non-fiction read, this is it! Informative, engaging, and so interesting, I highly recommend this one! It’s on borrowbox too!

[Rachel Post · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots and lots to take in here. I try to be well informed, so I love books that show me I don't know jack shit. Faloyin presents several powerful and at times quite funny stories about modern Africa and the devastating effects of colonialism and cultural stereotypes. I found myself wholeheartedly agreeing with Faloyin's condemnation of poverty porn (ahem, Tom Ahern) and Western Museums' lasting grip on African art and artefacts (preaching to the choir in this case). I learned a lot, particularly the connection between the Royal Niger Company and Unilever, the history of the looting of the Benin Bronzes, the female army of Dahomey, and even quick facts around relative carbon footprints (2 weeks of an average UK resident's emissions is one year that of a resident of Burkino Faso). And the section on Independence Day is hilarious. The book includes a lot of stories around protests and activism in places like Algeria, Mozambique, Guinea Bisseau, Rwanda, etc., that I wish would make the news more often. Heartily recommended overall. Only small frustration is that Faloyin tends to drop his volume at the end of sentences, so I frequently had to replay parts of the text to catch missing words. Now off to find some jollof rice.

[Ulrike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mir hat das Buch in seiner Gesamtheit gut gefallen, trotzdem es für mich einige Schwächen hatte. Der Autor schreibt locker, flockig und mit Humor bzw. Sarkasmus, was ich in dem Buch nicht ganz erwartet hatte. Ich musste mich daran erst etwas gewöhnen.
Am meisten konnte ich aus den Kapiteln im Mittelteil des Buches für mich mitnehmen. Mir war zum Beispiel nicht bewusst welche negativen Auswirkungen eine gut gemeinte Aktion wie "Do they know it's christmas?" hat. Auch die Kapitel in denen der Autor viele verschiedene afrikanische Länder und deren Facetten aufzeigt, haben mir gut gefallen, weil ich das aufgrund der im Klappentext stehenden Prämisse von dem Buch erwartet habe.
Die Kapitel zu den Grenzen und zu den Plünderungen von Artefakten kannte ich inhaltlich schon aus anderen Büchern, so dass diese Kapitel für mich etwas redundant waren. Das ist aber kein Malus für das Buch an sich. Ich hätte sie aber eher zusammenstehen lassen.
Was mir in manchen Kapiteln nicht so gut gefallen hat, dass der Autor dann doch auch selbst in einigen Abschnitten im Buch mehrere Länder irgendwie zusammen in einem Topf schmeißt, wie zum Beispiel im Kapitel um den Jollof-Reis und auch an anderen Stellen.

[Andrei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Osake ajalugu, osake sotsiaalantropoloogiat, osake kultuurikriitikat, osake autobiograafiat. Võimas essee läänes levinud arusaamadest Aafrikast kui suurest monoliitsest õõvaorust ja kirjust tegelikkusest selle taga. Esimene peatükk - ülevaade koloniaalseiklustest 1880datest aastatest Esimese maailmasõjani - ähvardab eluisu ära võtta, nii masendav on lääne kollektiivsete pattude tökatmust loetelu, millele on paraku ehitatud ka tänasegi Euroopa heaolu. Läbivalt pole aga tegemist muserdava, vaid pigem värskendava lugemisega, kuhu mahuvad nii elavad pildid Lagose tegusast tänapäevast, vaimukas ülevaade Aafrikat puudutavatest filmiklišeedest, hävitav kirjeldus Kony 2012 kampaaniast, suurtest heategevuskontserditest ja kõiksugu kohaliku tegelikkuse suhtes taipamatutest maailmapäästmiskatsetest ning muljetavaldav võrdlev analüüs demokraatlike ja diktaatorlike impulsside pidevast rammukatsumisest erinevates riikides. 4.5/5

[Enci · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading about Africa's history, maybe even about the history of the individual countries. Unfortunately 35% in, I'm still reading about the "horrible colonialism" and that everything is the colonisers' fault. I appreciate the horrible impact and harsh words are warranted. But I got the point 10% in, no need to dedicate the whole book to this. Also would like to point to eastern Europe and its artificial and man-made borders. I'll find a different book to read about Africa, can't finish this one.