Personally and in my opinion - Africa's cultures, creatives, designers , artists , financial processes - are some of the oldest and in some cases the best world wide.
So this is just a question? - Why does it seem that most people living on other continents feel Africa is still constantly arriving?
To my mind this concept is complete balderdash, bulldust and poppycock to boot, really!!!.
Africa is and always has been a giant, perhaps a respectful one? A giant that humbly doesnt know its own raw power however is polite enough to sit back and wait while others respectfully find theirs.
Yes, some of us in Africa are still arriving, emerging, trying to gain notoriety. Africa the colossus, stands shoulder to shoulder to the rest of the planet, if not taller. It is definitely not the youngest kid on the block. Africa has in some cases had its cultures forcibly removed, to end up influencing many things in the Western and Eastern world, thats a fact.
So for me - Africa is not arriving or emerging somehow out the deep shadows. Its arrived, its always been here from long ago and has quietly to my mind, respectfully just awaited an introduction. As all entities with much dignity do. As any old wise person does whilst the youngsters are noisily ignoring them. Those with dignity hang back and politely wait for the hallabaloo to subside. Just because the worlds full of hallabaloobas doesnt take away the respectful wait to be introduced.
Africas highways , byways, back roads and misty mountains all have deep ubuntu values. Not the values of some fly by nighters from last centuries masquerading pseudo equality but community values that resonates deep down.
Its high time to drop the tag of emerging Africa and speak as it really is, very much arrived and alive. We just vurrently have world powers benefiting from all the wealth in the ground by keeping things 3rd world.
