In a critique of Bulaway’s novel, author Habila questions whether new African fiction aims to appeal to “a Caine prize aesthetic”, instead of reflecting authentic realities. She criticizes Bulawayo’s novel as being filled with all the common problematic tropes that are associated with Africa such as poverty-porn, political violence, AIDs, and children escaping to America for a better life. She suggests that Bulawayo is only really expressing herself freely in instances in the book when she no longer feels the need to narrate and comment on Africa’s social and political situation.  

Helon Habila

Submit your answer

#TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou Campaign

Four examples of tweets posted which gained a lot of traction during the peak of the campaign including African heads of state, rich culture, and beautiful geographical landscapes and landmarks. 

The hashtag was even seen on news outlets such as BBC, The Guardian, and Quartz. Furthermore, the hashtag produced over 100 000 tweets in 2015 showcasing images of Africa’s unique geographical beauty, high-fashion, art, and cuisine. The creator’s goal was to help change the negative stereotypes associated with Africa perpetuated by the media in hopes of also attracting tourists. She also emphasized that the mission of this campaign was NOT to erase problems found within Africa, but rather celebrate the beauty across the continent.

Based on the graph above, it is interesting to see that social media lacks trust in the context of Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. This suggests that there are multiple perspectives towards social media along with stories. 

Various youtube videos with a growing number of afro-positive speakers are seeking to undermine the one-sidedness representations of Africa. The video above is an example where a TEDx speaker advocates for “a new narrative”.