The Bright Continent
Dayo Olopade knew from personal experience that Western news reports on conflict, disease, and poverty obscure the true story of modern Africa. So she crossed sub-Saharan Africa to document how ordinary people deal with their daily challenges. She found what the media ignores: a continent of ambitious reformers and young social entrepreneurs, driven by kanju - creativity born of African difficulty. It’s a trait found in pioneers like Kenneth Nnebue, who turned cheap VHS tapes into the multimillion-dollar film industry Nollywood. Or Ushahidi, a technology collective that crowdsources citizen activism and disaster relief.
A shining counterpoint to the conventional wisdom, The Bright Continent rewrites Africa’s challenges as opportunities to innovate and celebrates a history of doing more with less as a powerful model for the rest of the world.
Book details
- Format
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780715649244
- Published
- 25 September 2014
- Pages
- 288
- Duration
- Dimensions
- 157 x 232 mm
- Imprint
- Duckworth
Reviews
'For anyone who wants to understand how the African economy really works, The Bright Continent is a good place to start'
'The Bright Continent will change your view of Africa. It's that simple. A lively and enjoyable read'
'A book that bracingly lives up to its title. An Africa we are all too unaccustomed to seeing comes vividly to life thanks to Olopade's restless eye and keen curiosity'
'A long overdue and much needed corrective to the dominant perception of Africa'
'[An] upbeat study of development in Africa... The book is written more in wonder at African ingenuity than in anger at foreign incomprehension'
