The Continent of the Future: Young People on Africa
From Mali and Congo to Ethiopia and Mauritania – a journey across thousands of kilometres and into the future
Western media has a one-sided image of Africa, mostly coloured by a colonial perspective. African people in their twenties and thirties today have their own ideas about how to shape the future on their terms, not ours. Daaf Borren travelled across the continent and became fascinated by the stories of these new generations.
Africa has been called ‘the continent of the future’. Its population will grow tremendously over the coming decades and, with an average age of around twenty, young people are overrepresented. The generation gap with Europe, where the average age is more than twice that, is enormous. Europe is ageing, its labour force is shrinking. In other words: the ‘old continent’ is ageing, while the young continent is coming of age.
Borren reflects on themes like climate change and makes its consequences tangible for the reader: ‘Marlene has never flown in a plane, but sees the coast crumbling before her eyes. Lazarus has no car, but may soon have no home either. An uncertain future holds their lives in a stranglehold, partly caused by large-scale consumers like me.’
The book is also a reflection on colonialism and its modern forms. China’s influence today (in Kenya, for instance) is much more subtle than European colonialism of the past. It is a question of soft power, which is perhaps even more dangerous. Borren’s travels through the country as a journalist and correspondent form the connecting thread. He zooms in on different characters in each chapter, young Africans who show us another side of the continent and sometimes almost seem like they’ve been taken from a novel.
Repurposes the travel genre to share the stories of Africa’s Gen Y and Gen Z
The UN projects that Africa’s population will more than double by 2070
A unique travelogue through 16 countries
Daaf Borren (b. 1992) is a writer and researcher working in the field of international relations. For many years, he worked as a correspondent for Africa, discussing big issues with the next generation. He is the founder of The Bright Continent, a platform that offers African youth the chance to show a different side of their country.