A celeb, popular comedian, author, actor (latest movie is Jumanji) by the name of Kevin Hart actually went to South Africa in 2016 for his ‘what now’ worldwide tour that started in April 2015.
Now you can imagine that with all the images that the world has of Africa, how does a celeb that carries the same image in mind (probably like most of you who read this do) gain the courage to go to Africa, let alone put Africa on the to go list?
Where? In Africa! Tripoli (i.e the capital city of Libya, a neighbor of Egypt)
But no, ofcourse not! That’s not the image Kevin Hart had in mind when he thought of Africa. This is what, like most people, he feared he’d bump into out of the airport:
‘Pleeease, Kevin we are hungry, adopt us!’
(Image from facetofloor.wordpress.com)
Or perhaps he thought he’d drop into;
(This might look like mere dirt and poverty, but don’t forget the diseases it attracts like cholera, malaria, and many more especially for meat eaters)
Aaaand YES, according to an interview Kevin Hart had with the news channel eNCA, that was the first image he had of Africa, diseases!
He mentions making a phone call to Beyonce, yes, her. She had been to South Africa for her numerous music concerts and so had all the tips he needed. His first question to her was ‘should I get a doctor before I leave?’ And then ‘What happens on landing?’, ‘Any specific meds I must carry?’ ‘special clothes or items I must get for convenience and safety?’
And you’l be suprised when she said he had absolutely nothing to worry about.
You can youtube the rest of the interview as he tells of his experience, but the fact is this; the media industry has changed our perspectives on Africa. It’s been a powerful tool in changing our perspectives in almost anything such as fashion, colloquialism, food and music. Check out where Kevin found himself when he landed in South Africa:
The round building you see there is called the ‘Vodacom’ tower, one of the popular line networks around Africa.
He probably expected to land near a large forest and see people walk by with weapons. How astonished was he to find an equally developed country as the USA!
Here are the cities of Africa that the media rarely shows you. And perhaps some spots you’d really like to visit;
Cape Town in South Africa (both 2)
Egypt
And ofcourse, who can forget their pyramids?
Nigeria (City of Lagos and Abuja)
Zimbabwe (Harare and Victoria Falls)
You’ve got to go to Victoria falls!
Kenya (Nairobi & Kisumu)
Tanzania (I was born here 😁)
And that’s the popular honeymoon and holiday island of Zanzibar. Above it is the Capital city.
Algeria
Not to mention how beautiful the city Algier is when it snows. A place to be!
Wait, it snows in Africa!? Surprisingly yes! And Algeria isn’t the only place, South Africa snows pretty much more especially because it’s the nearest to the South Pole.
This blog is just a continuation of the previous, with more attention on the otherside of Africa that people don’t see. Perhaps in another blog I will share with you the natural landscapes and popular game reserves a tourist would love to visit and an old steemer would love to retire to.
I believe that most countries have the bad side too, it’s just that the african continent has more of both sides. Who would have known that the 2 pictures below are of places in Paris France?
Imagine if that’s all you saw about France in the media industry, or if all you read about France in the newspapers is ‘terrorism and gun shots’?
How many international investers would France have with such a global image of itself being cherished? How many business trips or honeymoon visitations would it have? How many tourists coming to a place like this?
Sorry If I didn’t mention your country earlier, it’s obviously because there are 54 countries in Africa and I can’t hit all. But feel free to post photos of yours to enlighted others and encourage future visitations!
(Image Sources: Africa-facts.org , ezega.com for Cape Town photos, africanexponent.com for Victoria falls, usatoday.com for Paris tower, france24.com for slums in france, howafrica.com for other photos).