Africa Is Not A Country: Breaking Stereotypes of Modern Africa
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- Create Date：2022-08-27 07:53:26
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Dipo Faloyin
- ISBN：1787302962
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Summary
'This book should be on the curriculum。' Nikki May， author of WAHALA
Africa Is Not A Country is a bright portrait of modern Africa that pushes back against harmful stereotypes to tell a more comprehensive story。
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。
Africa Is Not A Country is a bright portrait of modern Africa that pushes back against harmful stereotypes to tell a more comprehensive story。
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。
Reviews
Ivette De
，
Onze steun aan Afrika eens uit andere hoek bekeken， interessant boek， stemt tot nadenken over hoe Europeanen naar dit continent kijken
Steven Lanting
，
Accessible， insightful， interesting， and above all funny。
Marco
，
For those less informed on the past， present and future of Africa this book has so much to tell。 Although I have lived in Mozambique myself as a kid I wasn't fully aware of all the gruesome stories this continent had endured in its past。 The arrogance of Europeans， referred to as White Men in Khaki， was （and still is） simply astonishingThe author also doesn't look away from the fact some African leaders can become megalomane whilst being in power。 In one chapter infamous leaders like Robert Muga For those less informed on the past， present and future of Africa this book has so much to tell。 Although I have lived in Mozambique myself as a kid I wasn't fully aware of all the gruesome stories this continent had endured in its past。 The arrogance of Europeans， referred to as White Men in Khaki， was （and still is） simply astonishingThe author also doesn't look away from the fact some African leaders can become megalomane whilst being in power。 In one chapter infamous leaders like Robert Mugabe from Zimbabwe are being reviewed。 One chapter I did enjoy less was the general view on Africans in （mostly） Hollywood-films。 The stereotypes are obvious for everyone willing to look beyond the horizon that is presented。 And naming the Black Panther movie as a positive exception is understandable， but really has nothing to do with any reality。 。。。more
Grace Pooley
，
Dipo Faloyin's Africa is Not a Country attempts to achieve A LOT: to celebrate the unique identities of 54 distinct nations， tell the story of the colonization of African regions and their subsequent independence， unravel authoritarianism and democracy across the content and critique the western perception and representation of Africa。 This is far more than any one book can achieve but Africa is Not a Country gets damn near close。 A brilliant debut by a brilliant author。 4 stars。 Dipo Faloyin's Africa is Not a Country attempts to achieve A LOT: to celebrate the unique identities of 54 distinct nations， tell the story of the colonization of African regions and their subsequent independence， unravel authoritarianism and democracy across the content and critique the western perception and representation of Africa。 This is far more than any one book can achieve but Africa is Not a Country gets damn near close。 A brilliant debut by a brilliant author。 4 stars。 。。。more
Elke
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Really like the book， just thought it would still offer so much more。。。
JoAnn
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Slow clap， folks， slow clap。 I’m standing up for this one。 Africa Is Not A Country: Notes On A Bright Continent is everything it aims to be: a sharp， well-researched critique of white-centric historical narrative and a sharp， well-researched critique of racial “enlightenment” today。 For all the progress the world collectively has made in the direction of decolonization， we have not gotten very far。 In so many ways， we’ve just gone in circles， retracing the road of colonialism with new vehicles。 Slow clap， folks， slow clap。 I’m standing up for this one。 Africa Is Not A Country: Notes On A Bright Continent is everything it aims to be: a sharp， well-researched critique of white-centric historical narrative and a sharp， well-researched critique of racial “enlightenment” today。 For all the progress the world collectively has made in the direction of decolonization， we have not gotten very far。 In so many ways， we’ve just gone in circles， retracing the road of colonialism with new vehicles。 The route of racism is well-worn， a hard path to diverge from。 What’s that phrase…The road to hell is paved with good intentions… that’s the one。 That’s what Faloyin highlights in Africa Is Not A Country: the fact that colonization has continued to perpetuate， only in different modes — and still insidiously， under a familiar guise of tolerance and progressivism。 Ugh， now that I write that I can see nothing has changed， even the veneer of human compassion。The “Civilizing Mission” lives。 Paternalism thrives in our media-frenzied， self-care touting， feel-good-no-matter-who-pays-for-it society。 For the love of biscuits， will it ever just die？ No。 No， it won’t。 That’s Faloyin’s message。 It is a dismal one， but Africa Is Not A Country delivers it with witty， authentic， impassioned prose that balances intellect with humor。 Faloyin does not hold back; words are weaponized in this work， they aim with accuracy at whiteness and the continuing erasure of Africa in all its dimensions。 This use of language is especially poignant; it has been for so long used against the “formerly” colonized world， it is refreshing to see the ammunition firing from the other side。On that note: The language is highly accessible and the case studies within appeal across generations。 I am seriously considering assigning this in my courses on the history of racism。 It is is not academic in the strict sense， but the historical content is sound and importantly， it communicates without pedantism， without supercilious lordliness。 It’s downright funny in parts （well， as funny as history can be。） The case studies Faloyin examines are recognizable; students will be able to relate to this material with little explanation。 For example， Africa Is Not A Country discusses white saviorism in entertainment， film， and on social media。 Even if they are unfamiliar with specific events， they are savvy enough with the world of entertainment and social media to understand the historical implications and contemporary consequences。The structure of the book is also well-suited to the classroom （and for any reader）。 It maps a chronological logic for the reader。 The first chapters are focused on history， giving the reader ample and necessary context to understand what follows。 Specifically， it provides necessary context about the Berlin Conference of the 1880s in which the powers of Europe literally carved up the African continent to assuage their imperial satisfaction。 Prior to this international conspiracy and violation， the continent was autonomous and its peoples organically organized， if not always harmoniously， then at least according to their own choices and actions。 The eradication of African sovereignty， identity， complexity， and visibility occurs rapidly from that point， undergirded by a much older and very established historical foundation of Orientalism and pseudo-scientific racism。 The remaining chapters reveal to the reader how such erasure has continued and been actively perpetuated， purposefully and unintentionally。 The division of these chronological events into short， assignable chapters serve classroom/course use well。My courses are built for students of color， students who come from immigrant backgrounds， are first generation college students， and generally have little experience with academia and the culture of the academic elite。 Africa Is Not A Country is perfect for the student population I serve。Africa Is Not A Country is written with the African continent and its peoples in mind， but coming from a former British colony I found deep connection with this historical/contemporary commentary。 Faloyin is Nigerian; in parts where he brought forth his own history I smiled at particularly British colonial references and uses of language。 I could almost hear my mother’s voice in some of the words… I could not help but laugh out loud sardonically every now and then。 The chapter on “We are the world” （yes， that ubiquitous song touting a generic Let’s-all-get-along-we-just-have-to-try message） summoned up memories and a bit of shame; I loved that song， sang it at all my family’s karaoke-pot-luck parties as a child。 I remember believing so wholeheartedly that I was that future。And that’s the horror of white paternalism。 Colonialism was so successful; we are all complicit in it， regardless of our heritage， our race， our histories。 That too is Faloyin’s message。That said， ultimately， Africa Is Not A Country is also about keeping up the fight。 Despite everything and all the obstacles we all must continue to work towards decolonization。 This book serves as a necessary eye-opener for everyone。 For some readers it is a reminder， an epiphany for others。 This is a book for everyone: People of color， from any “former” or current colony， for those of European descent， for those at the beginning of their decolonization or those in the thick of it （who might need a jolt or encouragement）。 We are all descendants and inheritors of colonial culture。 。。。more
Elva
，
Ir vērts izlasīt！ Noteikti mainīja manu skatījumu uz Āfriku！
Madeleine Laing
，
So important， so interesting， so brutal， so funny。 The best non-fiction book I've read in ages！ So important， so interesting， so brutal， so funny。 The best non-fiction book I've read in ages！ 。。。more
Fiachra Gygax
，
Thanks Erik
Richard Beaven
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If you get the title， read this！ If your don’t， read it twice！ An easily digestible， very thought provoking view of the Continent of Africa。 Non judgemental， thought provoking and educational。 Bet you will think twice before you give to certain charities again。 Defo worth five stars
Emily
，
An ambitious book！ It is difficult to not only explain the West's dominant narrative about Africa but also propose a more accurate， nuanced story of African cultures and politics， all within 350 pages！ Faloyin does both of these with an entertaining measure of sarcasm， which has the odd effect of making you enjoy reading about horrible stuff like the Berlin Conference， King Leopold II's colonisation of the Congo， and the refusal of Western museums to return African cultural artefacts。 Read this。 An ambitious book！ It is difficult to not only explain the West's dominant narrative about Africa but also propose a more accurate， nuanced story of African cultures and politics， all within 350 pages！ Faloyin does both of these with an entertaining measure of sarcasm， which has the odd effect of making you enjoy reading about horrible stuff like the Berlin Conference， King Leopold II's colonisation of the Congo， and the refusal of Western museums to return African cultural artefacts。 Read this。 You're sure to learn something。 。。。more
Chris Aylott
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Faloyin is a hell of a writer， and his wit leavens what would otherwise be depressingly heavy reading。 That said， this is a thorough nose-rubbing in the ways that Africa has been stereotyped and some of the appallingly stupid decisions that stereotyping has enabled。The biggest takeaway from me is how short the colonial period actually was-- really only about 75 years -- and how much of damage it did is still reversible。 This book makes a strong case that the First World needs to shut the hell up Faloyin is a hell of a writer， and his wit leavens what would otherwise be depressingly heavy reading。 That said， this is a thorough nose-rubbing in the ways that Africa has been stereotyped and some of the appallingly stupid decisions that stereotyping has enabled。The biggest takeaway from me is how short the colonial period actually was-- really only about 75 years -- and how much of damage it did is still reversible。 This book makes a strong case that the First World needs to shut the hell up， return the various African peoples' stolen stuff， and help out only when and how it is asked to do so。 The rest is （and should be） up to the various nations and peoples of Africa themselves。 。。。more
Michiel Berger
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Goed en vermakelijk geschreven spotlight op de stereotypering van “Afrika”。 Ondanks dat je misschien denkt dat je het allemaal al weet toch een heel goed boek met talloze verhalen en achtergronden。 En af en toe hardop moeten lachen。 Wat wil je nog meer。
Christa Brew
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I was quite shocked by my own ignorance after finishing this book！ I had so many misconceptions about Africa that I hadn’t previously challenged， and many ideas that I couldn’t articulate quite as well as this book。 I particularly liked how this had such a personal spin on it from the author and they use many examples to illustrate。 I have learnt so much from this book and it is such an important read！
D。j。 Lang
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I wanted to read this book based on its title！ The number of times I said this sentence to my students in geography might not make me rich， but I certainly hope I said it enough that they remember！ I immensely appreciate this book and its author Faloyin whose writing is exemplary in skill， beauty， intensity， satire and humor （sometimes one and the same and sometimes not）。 I wish I were still teaching because I would make sure my students knew the facts in here。 I got so caught up in the book， I I wanted to read this book based on its title！ The number of times I said this sentence to my students in geography might not make me rich， but I certainly hope I said it enough that they remember！ I immensely appreciate this book and its author Faloyin whose writing is exemplary in skill， beauty， intensity， satire and humor （sometimes one and the same and sometimes not）。 I wish I were still teaching because I would make sure my students knew the facts in here。 I got so caught up in the book， I can't recall if the language would be considered junior and high school appropriate or not。 It definitely has appalling facts -- appalling facts of a colonial nature that extend clearly into modern history。 I can't wait to buy my own copy （coming out in the US September 5， 2022） so that I can quote from the book。 The UK version is already out。 This book is a full meal at the table （and it definitely brings much to the literary table）: how the countries became countries （not of their own volition）， how charities truly miss the mark （and what they can do about that）， how the images we have of Africa mess with the truth （way to go， Hollywood and others）， how 90% of artifacts/artefacts were stolen out of the continent （and good luck trying to get them back）， how diverse the countries in Africa are and worth traveling to。 As for politics， yes， Faloyin does include a narrative from recent US events which might throw a reader at first until one realizes we have these stereotypes about Africa that keep tourists away （thinking these countries on this continent are "backwards"）， yet these same situations are happening in the US by people mostly of European descent。 Faloyin's chapters are filled not only with the appalling stuff we need to know but also of the heroes， beauty， and stories we need to know happening in various countries throughout this continent。 I looked forward each day， from June 24 to June 28， to reading this book， and I was sad when it ended。 I know that there are many more countries Faloyin could have discussed。 I highly recommend this book。 I loved reading Faloyin's acknowledgements from beginning to end， and his younger brother comment to his sisters made me laugh out loud （can't wait to share this with my baby brother who has six older sisters）。 Thank you to NetGalley and W。W。 Norton for this ARC。 。。。more
Rob Manwaring
，
Brilliant。A collection of essays and writings which attack the stereotypes about 'Africa'。 There are three sections in particular， that stood out for me。 First， the series of vignettes about goverance in a number of countries - by understanding democracy through autocracy， with some complex cases， like Kagame's Rwanda。 Second， the map drawing of the 1880s which set off the 'scramble' - almost unimaginable in condesion of the West， and finally， the section on repatriating the literally millions o Brilliant。A collection of essays and writings which attack the stereotypes about 'Africa'。 There are three sections in particular， that stood out for me。 First， the series of vignettes about goverance in a number of countries - by understanding democracy through autocracy， with some complex cases， like Kagame's Rwanda。 Second， the map drawing of the 1880s which set off the 'scramble' - almost unimaginable in condesion of the West， and finally， the section on repatriating the literally millions of artefacts currently sequestered in Western museums。 But， despite the seriousness， this is a very funny book， and Faloyin channels the brilliance of Binyavanga Wainaina - in particular this brilliant gem:https://granta。com/how-to-write-about。。。 。。。more
Irmelin Vestrum
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Apparently there are no stereotypes about women in Africa， good for them。
Hannah Miles
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Covering colonialism， dictators， music， popular culture， geography， film， politics， and above all why stereotypical depictions of Africa are so inaccurate and harmful。 This book doesn't stay in the past， but talks about injustice today （the chapter on how museums today treat Africa's stolen artefacts was particularly eye opening）， and gives a witty picture of modern 'Africa'。 Essential reading for anyone having to do with the continent in one way or another， so everyone。 Covering colonialism， dictators， music， popular culture， geography， film， politics， and above all why stereotypical depictions of Africa are so inaccurate and harmful。 This book doesn't stay in the past， but talks about injustice today （the chapter on how museums today treat Africa's stolen artefacts was particularly eye opening）， and gives a witty picture of modern 'Africa'。 Essential reading for anyone having to do with the continent in one way or another， so everyone。 。。。more
Geoffrey
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（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 （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。 。。。more
Dominique
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This is an amazing book that should be required reading in every highschool。
Jamie
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It's been a long time since I read a book cover-to-cover in day。 Happy Memorial Day。 This compellingly readable history of colonialism， as it affects charity， art， politics， music， sport， food and more is also wildly eye-opening。 The takedown of "Do they know it's Christmas" is especially scathing - I remember hearing that song a few Christmases ago and thinking "Wow， these lyrics are something！" while DEFINITELY not thinking that the first 1，000 times I heard this song。 The more we know。 Someda It's been a long time since I read a book cover-to-cover in day。 Happy Memorial Day。 This compellingly readable history of colonialism， as it affects charity， art， politics， music， sport， food and more is also wildly eye-opening。 The takedown of "Do they know it's Christmas" is especially scathing - I remember hearing that song a few Christmases ago and thinking "Wow， these lyrics are something！" while DEFINITELY not thinking that the first 1，000 times I heard this song。 The more we know。 Someday I'll be retired and I'll be able to spend a few additional days reading all the citations too。 。。。more
Millie Spencer
，
Absolutely fantastic。 Each chapter taught me something new about history， culture， and the experience and legacy of colonial invasion that I was embarrassed not to know previously。 A true pleasure to read
Erin
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Covers a wide variety of different countries in Africa。 It tells short vignettes of what life is like for children there。 Great illustrations。 Love that it provides more information about each county at the end。
Deb Lancaster
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Fascinating， entertaining and enraging。 Excellent all round
Teghan
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I enjoyed this book。 And it’s spurred more reading and watching on particular topics mentioned （sign of good nonfiction。）But it’s not perfect， or more accurately， not exactly what I expected。 The book starts with a wonderful portrait of his home city of Lagos。 The writing occasionally stepped into the verbose for me， but overall was vivid and rich。 Next the book covers historical context， the Berlin conference， how Africa is depicted in western media， various dictators， and colonial violence and I enjoyed this book。 And it’s spurred more reading and watching on particular topics mentioned （sign of good nonfiction。）But it’s not perfect， or more accurately， not exactly what I expected。 The book starts with a wonderful portrait of his home city of Lagos。 The writing occasionally stepped into the verbose for me， but overall was vivid and rich。 Next the book covers historical context， the Berlin conference， how Africa is depicted in western media， various dictators， and colonial violence and thievery。 All of this was fascinating， and surprisingly easy to get through due to his smooth writing style。 （I was particularly fascinated with Rwanda， it’s leader Paul Kagame and the country post 1994 genocide。）I can’t really critique it。 However as much as he talks in the opening about Africa not wanting to be defined solely on it’s poverty or violence （any more than a western country wants to be by their poverty and violence） it felt odd to then spend a lot of the book talking about the context around poverty and violence。 Since he works at vice， I can understand why exploring the effect images and video can have in informing and misinforming is important to him， but I felt at times he was spending too much time telling me how he doesn’t want me to see Africa， rather than telling me what he does want me to know/think/learn about Africa。The last couple of chapters were more what I was expecting and came alive with tales of Jollof rice， football， current activist groups and various media。 I wanted more of this。 I wanted more of who these African countries are now， what normal people’s lives are like。 I don’t think he quite succeeded in replacing those stale， cliched images with anything more vibrant and accurate （except for his home city of Lagos）。 So yes， I recommend this book！ But it is more about why we think of Africa as a country， providing context and history in order to break up our monolithic idea， rather than replacing them with a new modern-day image。 If you go in with these expectations you will get a lot out of it。 。。。more
Tutankhamun18
，
This book is a current， fresh and poignant piece about how Africa consists of 54 seperate countries with seperate cultures， histories， politics and people。 It is divided into eight parts。Part 1 Lagos - The author offers a personal and evocative depiction of Lagos， which immediately pulls the reader in with rich language in a conversational style。Part 2 By the Power Vested in Me， I Now Pronounce You a Country - This was one of my two davourite parts of the book。 An interesting overview， with a fe This book is a current， fresh and poignant piece about how Africa consists of 54 seperate countries with seperate cultures， histories， politics and people。 It is divided into eight parts。Part 1 Lagos - The author offers a personal and evocative depiction of Lagos， which immediately pulls the reader in with rich language in a conversational style。Part 2 By the Power Vested in Me， I Now Pronounce You a Country - This was one of my two davourite parts of the book。 An interesting overview， with a few well chosen details， of how Africa was divided jnto countries by men who had never visited and were ignorant of communities， access to religious sites， natural resources and terrain。 Thus seeds for conflict were sown as country lines seperated groups from sites， cut through nomadic paths or used rivers as dividers that shift year by year or in response to climate change。Part 3 The Birth of White Saviour Imagery or How Not to Be a White Saviour While Still Making a Difference - Reads easy， the content like Chinua Achebe’s Africa’s Tarnished Name but updated with context and examples for 2022。Part 4 The Story of Democracy in Seven Dictatorships - Is a well written overview of 7 African Political Dictators and what made them such and how they rose to power; Sani Abache from Nigeria， Siad Barre from Somalia， Robert Mugabe from Zimbabwe and the history of Rhodesia，Paul Kagame from Rwanda，Abdelaziz Bouteflika from Algeria and the Mbasogo family from Equitorial Guinea。 This was my other favourite piece from the book。Part 5 There is No Such Thing as an African Accent and Binyavanga Wainaina Is Still Right - is a paired piece of writing about how stereotypically Africa is portrayed in film and media and how this has had a few notable exceptions that prove the rule。Part 6 The Case of the Stolen Artifacts - An exploration of how artifacta were taken from African civilisations and are displayed by European Museums and the promises to retirn them that have not been fulfilled。 Interesting， but have heard this discourse many other places。 Part 7 Jollof Wars: A Love Story - a love letter to Jollof Rice， particularly of the Nigerian kind and some of the cultural importance that it has。 Fun piece of writing。Part 8 Whats Next？ - An outlook of the current state of politics in several African countries via examples of positive ground roots action that has occured， ends on a hopeful note for the development of African countries。 。。。more
Tamara
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Fascinating read and great framework on how one can begin to view the complexities and intricacies of the countries within the continent of Africa。
Bolade Lasaki
，
Definitely an eye opener。 Very highly recommended
Mikey
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4。5 stars。 Witty and insightful， I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the way it made me confront preconceptions of my own which I had not realised I had。 This personalised journey offers a concise and informative whistle stop tour through some of the most egregious examples of how the West views， and has influenced， Africa。 My only criticism would be that I wish some parts were more fleshed out as I was left eager to learn more。
Beth
，