Finding Wakanda
It is very difficult for many social media users to scroll without coming across movie poster selfies and comic book historian dissertations on The Black Panther. Even six weeks later timelines are splashed daily with images of fans with arms crossing their chests, a foreboding expression, and the new mantra #WakandaForever. However; when considering the viral nature of The Black Panther and the movie netting $900 million in global ticket sales; we may be witnessing a shift in perception.
The forever they speak are the ideals Wakanda represents entrenched within the African diaspora. Wakanda is the future of African innovation. Wakanda sums up of hopes of the disenfranchised scattered across the globe. Wakanda may be the first time a big budget movie has ever depicted Africa as modern, strategic, and technologically advanced with strong leadership. With positive African images driving a cult following, branded merchandise, video games, and even Wakanda themed cruises; The Black Panther has tapped into something bigger than entertainment. However; Hollywood wasn’t the first one to see dollar signs and think “maybe is time we start playing nice with Africa.”
Although Wakanda doesn’t exist, the idea of an African utopia is taking root. Unbeknownst to many, the construction has been underway for decades. Monikers like “Silicon Africa” and “The African Unicorn Startup” are more common discussions centered around not “if” but “how?” Investments outside of infrastructure and resources are growing as private investors search for solutions in fintech and other ways to erase borders through commerce and increase productivity. Foreign policy makers are shifting to more inclusive strategies that ignore humanitarian failures and focus more on goodwill efforts.
Foreign governments jockey for access points and mindshare, but they are dealing with an Africa that has a better understanding of global politics. According to Jing Gu, director of the Centre for Rising Powers and Global Development in East Sussex, “To have 54 African friends is very important for China.” In 2014 alone China spent $220B investing in the African continent. They are now completing the One Bridge One Road (OBOR) initiative that intends to resurrect a new Silk Road. The price tag is close to one trillion dollars and Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Djibouti, and Ethiopia will serve as strategic distribution points with Africa.
Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of Russia since 2004 wrote in the magazine Russian View in May that the total amount of debt relief exceeds US$20 billion and debt-for-development agreements of US$552 million were concluded with certain states. Africa’s UN votes now represent power for countries not aligned with western interests.
No one country comes close to what the US is spending to maintain its connection to African resources. But oddly enough Robert Sichinga, Zambia’s minister of commerce, says that “Americans are falling behind other countries in the race to tap into investment opportunities in Africa, which has been unfairly characterized as a ‘lost continent’… We are here to say to you — you, our American colleagues, are lagging behind.’” Sentiments like these are better understood when American funds are focused on aid and programs while competitors are investing in building a new Africa.
Global satellite mapping shows that roughly 30% percent of the Earth’s natural resources are in Africa. Eight of the ten youngest nations in the world are in Africa. Eight of the ten fastest growing economies are in Africa. And, in the next ten to fifteen years, Africa’s GDP is projected to match that of eastern Europe. Africa may be far off from discovering Vibranium or invincible body armor, but an African country being at the front end of technology seems more attainable by the day. Life has begun to imitate fiction.
The occurrence of Africans realizing the opportunities within Africa are springing up in pockets. The internet spurred the evolution of African society while also acting as real time security camera. Self-awareness grows exponentially with each mobile device. The same internet connections used to pump in western philosophies bring with it a global perspective. The same infrastructure built to strip-mine a continent is now being used as a foundation for reclamation. Developed nations are pushing the edge of technology only to find these advancements are shackled to the capability to scale production in so called “Third World Countries.” The ongoing attempts by external régimes to increase their resource extraction capabilities is currently building the infrastructure that prevented a more independent Africa.
The truth is quite simple. There are far too many investment opportunities to ignore. For established companies to invest in the Africa reflected in data points, the PR cannot solely portray Africa as a cesspool of corruption, poverty, and failed politics. The laws of human greed dictate that the foundation of Wakanda will be built by outsiders. But with the internet access only at a 30% penetration rate and the median age of under 25 being over 50%, a change is coming. This change will be more than crossed arms and hashtags and will spill from the pages of social media into the minds to the next generation.
The literal incarnation of Wakanda could spring up in hubs like Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, Cape Town, or even Rwanda. One unicorn could finally expose the model of success needed to scale in Africa. The globalization of business and communications will drive the creation of a new Africa, because it’s too profitable not to happen. When the shift in Africa takes place, where will you be? Will you be the one rushed into lab waking up to wonders you never knew existed? Or will you simply fly over this potential utopia unable to tell the forest from the trees…
Source Materials and Prior Readings
https://www.ft.com/content/0f534aa4-4549-11e7-8519-9f94ee97d996
(http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/revealed-russias-mighty-pivot-africa-13585)
https://www.ozy.com/fast-forward/russias-quiet-rise-in-africa/65812
http://www.africaeconomicanalysis.org/articles/gen/rich_countries.html
Sean Burrowes/Ingressive COO
I moved from Chicago, USA to Africa in 2014. First Ghana and now Nigeria. I can’t see living anywhere else. It is my duty to share my experiences with those who have no idea what’s going on in the “Dark Continent.” These are my views, these are my stories…
Facebook: @sean burrowes
Twitter: @seanstreetz
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