Africa's story beyond stereotypes: From mobile payments to global influence

BEIJING, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- In a move that foreshadowed a global trend, Kenya emerged as an unexpected pioneer in mobile payments nearly two decades ago.

In 2007, Safaricom, Kenya's largest mobile telecommunications provider, launched M-Pesa, a revolutionary system that enabled real-time transactions via simple text messages, without the need for smartphones or high-speed Internet.

Today, M-Pesa is not only one of Africa's premier mobile payment platforms, but has also extended its reach well beyond Africa's borders.

The success of M-Pesa serves as a testament to the broader but almost overlooked reality of Africa: Often reduced to cliched images of vast savannas and majestic wildlife, the continent, home to about 1.4 billion people and spanning 30 million square kilometers, is far more complex and dynamic.

CHALLENGING WESTERN STEREOTYPES

In 2019, when The New York Times sought a new Nairobi bureau chief, its job posting sparked controversy for describing Eastern Africa in stark and conflict-ridden terms. The ad mentioned the "deserts of Sudan" and the "pirate seas of the Horn of Africa," framing the position as one involving coverage of terrorism and "the constant push-and-pull of democracy versus authoritarianism."

Ken Opalo, a Kenyan assistant professor at Georgetown University, said that the ad revealed "a lot about the kinds of stories they want from Eastern Africa."

Opalo's remark underscores a broader issue: For years, Western media have perpetuated a narrative that narrowly focuses on conflicts, disease, and poverty in Africa, often at the expense of a more nuanced and accurate portrayal.

Late Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina, in his essay "How to Write About Africa," satirized Western media's tendency to look at Africa through colored lenses: "Never have a picture of a well-educated African in the cover of your book, or in it, unless that African has won the Nobel Prize. An AK-47, prominent ribs, naked breasts: use these."

Ignoring Africa's dynamic progress, the simplistic and sensationalist portrayal, has been creating a narrow and skewed, if not false, view.

What's more, the failure to address the root causes of Africa's challenges -- centuries of colonial exploitation and marginalization -- has further deepened these biases.

As Palestinian writer Mourid Barghouti said, if you want to dispossess a people, the simplest way to do it is to tell their story and start with "secondly." For instance, start the story with the failure of Africa, and not with the colonial creation of the African state.

Analysts argue that this one-sided narrative constitutes a modern form of exploitation.

STORIES WORTH TELLING

Today, Africa is a tapestry of vitality and innovation. From progress in renewable energy to thriving financial sectors and vibrant cultural expressions, the continent is defying outdated stereotypes.

Kenya, for example, leads in renewable energy, with renewables comprising nearly 90 percent of its energy generated and consumed in 2021, up from around 75 percent in 2017 and outpacing many developed nations, according to the International Energy Agency.

Africa's fintech landscape is also burgeoning, with more than 500 African companies providing technology-enabled innovation in financial services. Cities like Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Lagos are now recognized among the top 100 fintech startup ecosystems globally.

African music and literature are also resonating on the world stage. Afrobeats, a genre that originated in Nigeria, has seen explosive growth, as Spotify reported that Afrobeats' global streams in 2022 hit 13 billion, a 500 percent increase from 2017. Meanwhile, Tanzanian author Abdulrazak Gurnah's Nobel Prize in Literature in 2021 highlighted Africa's growing influence in global literary circles.

Botswana's rise is particularly notable. After gaining independence in 1966 as one of the world's poorest countries, it leveraged its diamond resources to achieve middle-income status by the early 1990s and has been gearing up to diversify its economy. Today, Botswana's gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, adjusted for purchasing power parity, is nearing 20,000 U.S. dollars.

Rwanda leads globally in female representation in decision-making roles. More than two-thirds of the country's parliamentary seats and 50 percent of its cabinet positions are occupied by women.

In 2013, the African Union (AU) launched the "Agenda 2063," outlining a visionary plan for the continent's socio-economic transformation over half a century. In February, AU Chairperson and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani said that the AU is committed to translating Africa's vast potential into tangible development projects, advancing the second decade of the Agenda.

A LOUDER GLOBAL VOICE

Despite its progress, Africa continues to grapple with significant challenges, including the impacts of climate change and high financial costs. Yet the continent is increasingly amplifying its voice on the global stage, advocating for fairer global systems and climate justice.

Recent diplomatic initiatives, such as the African peace mission's engagement in June 2023 in the Ukraine crisis, and the inclusion of Egypt and Ethiopia in BRICS in August 2023, underscore Africa's growing influence on the global stage. The AU's accession to the G20 has further enhanced Africa's representation in global governance.

"The AU participation in the G20 will provide us with a unique platform to contribute to global economic governance and decisions," said Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs Taye Atske Selassie during the 37th AU summit in February.

"We must therefore ensure that the voice of Africa is heard, that our participation is meaningful, and in the same vein enhance our working relationship with BRICS to advance South-South cooperation," he added.

China remains a crucial partner in Africa's pursuit of unity and self-reliance. Under frameworks such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), practical cooperation between China and Africa continues to increase.

The 2024 FOCAC Summit, scheduled for Sept. 4 to 6 in Beijing, is expected to build major consensus between the two sides and chart a path for implementing high-quality China-Africa cooperation in the next three years.

"Over the last two decades, we've seen the relationship between African countries and China increase significantly. We've seen economic relationships increase. We've seen even the political relationships increase," said Hannah Ryder, CEO of Development Reimagined, an international development consultancy based in Beijing.

"We hope that the next Forum on China-Africa Cooperation can lead to a further strengthening of those," said the Kenyan economist.