Time for Africans to Explore Africa
By Kate Nkansa
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a Senegalese friend about tourism in Africa. He made some interesting statements that I found to be insightful. He said that Africans were more likely to know more about France, The United States, United Kingdom and a host of other western countries, than they were to know about, Mali, Ghana, Tanzania, Angola or Senegal. Furthermore, Africans were more likely to visit western countries than countries on the African continent.
I often listen to Africans speaking and boasting about how many European countries they have been to, they however fail to mention one African country they have visited. Have you ever heard of anyone mentioning that they have been saving for a trip to visit Timbuktu in Mali, which was a centre of Islamic learning from the 13th to the 17th century; or Ghana which has some of the finest untouched beaches in the world; how about The Great Zimbabwean Ruins which is a world heritage site? Many of the places to visit in Africa do not cost you an arm and a leg to tour. It is possible to visit African countries on a small budget and get the most out of the holiday. Here is a list of places to visit in Africa(go to the links). Westeners know more about our beautiful continent than Africans. Whether it is North, Southern, East and West Africa. There are some great places to visit in Africa, something to suit peoples unique preferences.
Africa has many wonderful countries to visit where we can enjoy the rich history, cuisine and culture. It is time we take advantage of what this continent has to offer in travel and tourism. Let Africans support travel and tourism within Africa. Many of the places we wish to visit in the outside world are just at our doorstep.
We travel to France to get a taste of French bread and wine; Italy to experience their pasta and pizza; and Switzerland for their cheese and chocolate. What cuisine are African countries celebrated for having? Do we as Africans know? Here are a few African dishes I came across that I am certain would tickle anybody’s taste buds. Ghana is famous for its shitor, which is a spicy hot chilli pepper condiment that tastes like ketchup in the United States and salsa in Mexico. Shitor is served with any meal. It is delicious! West African Cuisine and East African Cuisine are delicious. Why not try cooking a new dish from these regions? Kenyan and Ethiopian coffees are some of the best in the world. I am sure there are plenty of other dishes and cuisines I have failed to mention.
Let us be more adventurous, in learning about different African music, cultural history, cuisines and tourist spots. It is a shame that we let our beautiful continent go unexplored by Africans.
Kate Nkansa is a risk-taker.She constantly challenges herself to step out of her comfort zone.She is a social entrepreneur,which is defined as a person who is ambitious and persistent, who tackles major social issues and offers new ideas for wide-scale change.Her goal is to become part of a growing voice among Africa's youth demanding change on the continent. She was born in Ghana but spent her youth in South Africa. She's currently living in South Korea, but will soon be back on African soil. www.africansolutionz.com
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Kate Nkansa's Statement:
I've alway been passionate about the continent I was born in. I'm Ghanaian by birth spent my childhood in South Africa and I'm currently living in South Korea. I recently started a forum called African Solutionz (www.africansolutionz.com). I was inspired to start this forum because of what I've witnessed as the lack of expectations and respect for Africa and Africans from the rest of the world. I figured that instead of trying to change mindsets of those who have a negative perception of Africa, it would be better to start becoming part of the change Africa so desperately needs.
The purpose of the forum is to bring young African professional from the Diaspora and those living on the continent a medium where they can exchange ideas,solutions,innovative inventions, projects etc.
African Solutionz by Africans for Africa!I also write for a weekly publication called Feint and Margin (one of my articles:http://www.feintandmargin.com/time-for-africans-to-explore-africa/)
Blog Http://www.africansolutionz.com
