Africa through African eyes: Why the continent must tell its own story

Fungai Lupande

Features Writer

WHEN American actress Tiffany Haddish visited a grocery store in Harare last July, she was taken aback.

Not by a shortage of supplies or the chaos some in the West might expect, but by the fully stocked shelves, the variety of goods and the everyday normalcy.

“They’ve got sodas. They’ve got a whole wall of alcohol,” she said in a viral video, laughing with disbelief. “It don’t smell bad!”

For millions of Africans watching, her surprise was both amusing and revealing, serving as a stark reminder of the outdated and often damaging misconceptions still held about the continent.

As the world observes Africa Day, Haddish’s experience highlights a much deeper issue: Who gets to tell Africa’s story and why does it matter so much?

The power of narrative

Africa Day, first celebrated in 1963, commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (now the African Union) and symbolises the continent’s ongoing journey towards unity, self-reliance and dignity.

However, political and economic independence alone is not enough.

Narrative independence, the ability to shape how the continent is perceived both at home and abroad, is equally vital.

For far too long, Africa has been portrayed through external lenses: famine, war, disease and desperation.

While these challenges are real, they represent only a part of the story.

What is often missing are the voices of Africans themselves, the entrepreneurs building tech start-ups in Zimbabwe, the women leading climate action in Kenya and the artists redefining identity in Nigeria.

The journalist’s role

In a recent lecture on misinformation and media freedom during training of African journalists by the Union of African Journalists and Supreme Council for Media Regulations in Cairo, Egypt, Ambassador Ahamed Haggag highlighted this very issue.

“Africa’s soft power lies in its literature,” he stated, calling on African journalists to strengthen their skills and take ownership of the continent’s narrative.

“The story of Africa must be told by Africans who live it, breathe it and understand its complexity,” he said.

“America has a misguided perception and a false narrative about Africa and we must correct it.”

From local radio stations in rural Ghana to online investigative platforms in South Africa, African journalists are rising to the challenge.

They are spotlighting innovation and humanising stories that global media often reduce to mere statistics.

At the heart of this mission is the understanding that storytelling is more than just journalism.

It is an exercise in identity, empowerment and nation-building.

In a continent as diverse and dynamic as Africa, the ability to tell one’s own story is fundamental to self-worth and collective progress.

This is particularly important as Africa continues to shape its economic future through initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), an ambitious agreement launched in 2021 to connect markets across 54 countries.

With a unified market of 1.5 billion people and a Gross Domestic Product surpassing US$3.4 trillion, the AfCFTA aims to increase intra-African trade, boost industrial growth and elevate the continent’s global standing.

But, as Ambassador Haggag rightly pointed out, success relies not only on trade policies but also on perception and perception begins with storytelling.

“Africa has a chance to be a better continent,” he said.

“But we must stop the senseless competition and start believing in each other.”

The way forward

Tiffany Haddish’s surprised reaction may have been well-intentioned and even humorous, but it also revealed a deeper truth; the world still doesn’t know Africa.

Interestingly, Ambassador Haggag added that many Africans don’t truly know each other.

“Africans don’t know each other and we have no excuse not to speak to one another. Journalists are fundamental to Africa’s success. One Africa — this dream must unite us all,” he said.

Today, that narrative is changing.

African journalists, creators and thinkers are reclaiming the narrative.

One headline, one podcast, one film and one photograph at a time.

They are not just telling the world who Africa is, but also reminding Africans of their own identity.

As we commemorate Africa Day, perhaps the greatest tribute we can pay to the dreams of the continent’s founders is not only to celebrate Africa but to listen to it — in its own voice.