What white people REALLY mean when they say, “Real Africa”

The white man’s fantasy When foreigners, particularly those from Europe and America who call themselves white, utter the phrase “Show me the Real Africa,” they are trying to live out a deep-seated fantasy, not a genuine search for understanding.

The so-called “Real Africa” that they seek is not the bustling cities, thriving cultures, or innovative communities of today’s continent. Instead, it is a myth: an imagined land of mud huts, wild animals, and helpless people — an imaginary landscape crafted to maintain old colonial fantasies. This distorted view serves an emotional purpose. It allows them to feel superior — “white” — by believing Africa is inherently less developed.

But when reality fails to match the fantasy… confusion and resentment follow. Rather than adjusting their worldview, they cling harder to stereotypes, trying to reinforce their belief that whiteness is synonymous with being better. Do not mistake this behaviour for harmless naivety. Instead, we should see it as the status game it is. Their behaviour mirrors that of a snobbish relative, pretending superiority to feel better about themselves. Nigerians must refuse to play into this performance by people we call oyinbo. We must meet their pretend ignorance with polite but firm confidence, and respond to condescension with sharp understanding.

We must know: it is not our lives or cultures that are lacking — it is their outdated narratives about themselves that are failing. Ultimately, the “Real Africa” they seek does not exist. Africa is not a museum of misery for their self-validation. It is a vibrant, complex, and thriving continent — and we must insist on being seen as such.