The latest research report by narrative-change organization Africa No Filter investigates how young Africans experience their diaspora, how they define being African and the basis of their belonging.

It also looked into how they negotiate relationships with other Africans and how the prevailing stereotypical narratives about Africa impact perceptions about the continent among diasporic youth.

The report found that while life in the diaspora is marked by various types of discrimination, diasporic African youth have a unique double heritage that makes them proud of African languages, food, music, and history, while also strongly relating to the language and culture of their host country.

Their perception of Africa was also not overly influenced by the many negative narratives about the continent in mainstream media.

Instead, they relied on interpersonal relations and social media, and sometimes travel to the continent, to access knowledge about being African.

Furthermore, experiences of discrimination and recent racial reckonings in the host countries were also driving an increased interest in Africa.

Moky Makura, Executive Director at Africa No Filter, said: “This report is a must-read for African governments and host countries in the diaspora because it focuses on an under-researched group. The unique, first-hand accounts of life in the diaspora are an opportunity for African governments and host countries to think about how to turn young Africans in the diaspora into an economic, social and cultural asset for their host and home countries.”

The report was authored by academics Lusike Mukhongo, Winston Mano and Wallace Chuma. Here are the key findings:

• Young diasporans experience different types of discrimination in France, the UK and the US, the result is the same: a sense that they do not fully belong in the country where they live. They retreat to their African identity but see it as something to be proud of, nourished, preserved, and developed through visits and historical reimagination.

• The ability to speak an African language was the most highly regarded marker of identity for young diasporans – even those who did not speak an African language wished that they could.

• Recent waves of racial reckoning in the US, UK, and France, and the #BlackLivesMatter campaigns have led to young diasporans learning more about their heritage and identity. They have, especially, turned to learning about African history, wearing African clothing and hairstyles, and using African names. Participants’ African identity was also reinforced at home by speaking and hearing African languages, eating African food, and listening to African music.

• Young diasporans experience poor treatment in their host countries, are often marginalized and do not have equal access to government services and resources, compared to other racial groups. However, the nature of the treatment varies across countries: in the UK, Black people have similar experiences of microaggressions, whether they are Black British, Africans, African Americans, Caribbeans or Afro Latinos; in France, diasporans experience exoticization; and in the US, they live in fear due to police and other racial violence in the country.

• Diasporic youth typically have limited knowledge of Africa but a strong thirst for knowledge, and thus seek information about the continent from a wide range of sources including parents, relatives living in Africa and the diaspora, books, and social media. Those participants who had traveled to the continent believed they had greater knowledge than those who had only lived in the diaspora or moved to the diaspora at a young age, especially with respect to understanding the many diverse cultures across the continent.

• Across the three countries, participants considered global news coverage of Africa to be biased, based on stereotypes, and mostly negative – focused on poverty and political violence – but their views about Africa, and their identity as Africans were not overly shaped by these stories because they were aware of the slant. For example, in the UK, most participants accessed news through BBC, ITV and Sky News, which they believed routinely misrepresented Africa. So, even though the participants paid attention to mainstream portrayals of Africa, they were not easily swayed by them. Nevertheless, they were concerned about the impact of such negative narratives on non-Africans.

• Even positive stories about Africa are perceived to be mainly about individuals, for example, stories about African students winning competitions abroad; successful African inventors; African businessmen and women making money; and a Kenyan woman who takes plastic rubbish and waste and turns it into bricks for housing. This focus on individuals maintains a negative framing of Africa, allowing just a few pockets of positivity.

The latest report by Africa No Filter investigates Africa’s influence on the world, its influences on African youth, and how dominant narratives about Africa shape the youth’s perception of the continent.

The research interviewed 4500 people aged between 18 and 35 in Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Egypt, Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa. 

57% of respondents said pop culture has the biggest influence, followed by the US and Europe (45%), and politicians (31%). Regionally, pop culture had the strongest sway in Kenya (87%) and Zimbabwe, while West African respondents (65%) perceived the US and Europe as more influential.

Interestingly, even though politicians are considered influential, only 11% of interviewees said they were influenced by politicians.

Given that stereotypical narratives about Africa are abundant, the report asked young Africans what they believe to be the dominant negative stories about the continent in movies. 54% said that common negative narratives were about crime and corruption, followed by narratives set in underdeveloped cities (41%) and depicting uneducated, unexposed Africans (33%). 

Regarding the impact on the world’s perceptions, 75% of respondents said the stories created a negative perception of the continent. However, it has not stopped them from loving their country and the continent (60%) or believing that African countries – especially South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt – have a global influence (73%).

Moky Makura, Executive Director at Africa No Filter, said: “This is a must-read for any organisation working with and in Africa because it unpacks what influences the largest demographic in the continent. Sadly, African youth haven’t escaped the impact of negative stereotypes but the good news is that it hasn’t defined their perceptions – and that has a lot to do with social media, and the agency it gives them.”

 Here are key findings from the report: 

1. Social media is powerful: 71% of respondents believed they could challenge negative stereotypes about the continent on social media. While the report does not dig into the origins of this belief, previous research has turned up several examples of how young Africans have – and continue to – shift negative stereotypes at a global level. 
2. Love for country and continent: Even though 45% of respondents believed their perceptions had been shaped by negative narratives about the continent, 60% still loved their country and the African continent. Only 18% of respondents indicated that they would rather live in the United States or Europe and only 20% believed that there are fewer opportunities on the African continent than elsewhere.
3. The power of pop culture: The main influences on respondents were pop culture (57%), social media (27%), family and friends (44%), religion (74%) and their communities’ cultural practices (54%). While 45% of respondents believed that other African youths were strongly influenced by the United States and Europe, they stated that, for them, family and friends had the biggest influence. 
4. Politicians are influential, but they don’t influence the youth: Although 58% of respondents said politicians were the most influential people in their country, only 11% said they were influenced by politicians. The only time respondents said they were influenced by politicians was when making voting decisions (51%). 
5. Movies perpetuate stereotypes: For 54% of respondents, the most common narratives about Africa in movies were about crime and corruption. 41% said they were stories about underdeveloped cities. 75% of respondents believed these stories created a negative perception of the continent, with Kenyans (83%), Ghanaians and Zimbabweans (82% each) most convinced of the negative impact.