They Lied About Africa

Africa is changing fast, and as more people move for work, education, and opportunity, families are becoming increasingly spread out. But what does that mean for the people growing old back home? In this episode, I sit down with Yemi Danmola, founder of Iyaniwura Elders Oasis, a free daytime social center for women 70+ in Lagos. We talk about how an idea inspired by her grandmother became a growin...

What if building a business in Africa isn’t harder than building in the West, but in some cases, actually easier? In this episode of They Lied About Africa , I sit down with Ethiopian-Dutch entrepreneur and investor Kanessa Muluneh to talk about her journey from building businesses in Europe to identifying opportunities and investing across African markets. We get into what makes Africa attractive...

Aalia Reeves moved from Texas to Senegal knowing almost nothing about the country and with no family roots or established connections of her own there beyond her husband and his family. She reveals what it actually took to build a life in Dakar, why Senegal was more expensive than she expected, the realities foreigners often miss, and why she eventually left for Texas—only to return. Aalia Reeves...

Aminata “Ami” Mbaye had a path that looked familiar to many young people in the diaspora: build a life in the United States, find a stable career, and keep moving forward. But after returning to Senegal, she began questioning what success and freedom actually looked like for her—and whether the future she wanted could include building something back home. In this episode of They Lied About Africa,...

At just 20 years old, Imran Bakaluba is building the kind of company many Africans in the diaspora have been waiting for. Growing up in the UK before moving to Uganda, Imran founded HomeLink Uganda to solve one of the biggest challenges facing Africans abroad: how do you safely build, invest, and manage property back home when you're thousands of miles away? In this episode, we discuss what it...

European football is filled with some of the best players in the world—but have you ever stopped to ask why so many of them have African roots, or why Europe's biggest clubs invest so heavily in scouting talent across the continent? In this episode of They Lied About Africa , we explore the history, economics, and global systems that helped shape today's football landscape. From colonial h...

What if I told you that African countries once boycotted the FIFA World Cup—and that this protest is part of the reason African teams are able to qualify for and compete in the tournament today? Most people know who won the 1966 World Cup. Far fewer know that almost an entire continent refused to participate. In this episode, we explore one of the most important yet overlooked moments in African s...

Sub-Saharan Africa loses $95 billion every single year because women are systematically excluded from owning land, accessing financing, and being compensated for their labor. In this episode, I will walk you through the three specific mechanisms that make this happen, take you inside Nigeria's inheritance laws , where the Supreme Court ruled women have the right to inherit and it still doesn't hap...

Before colonialism, Yoruba women controlled entire regional economies. Ashanti Queen Mothers had veto power over who became king. Igbo women fought a war against the British in 1929 to protect their economic independence. So how did African women go from that to being raised from birth to cook and clean for a husband they have never met. This episode traces exactly what happened and who is respons...

One plot of land. Five different buyers. Five families who each believed it was theirs. This is not a horror story — this is what is actively happening to diaspora investors trying to build back home in Senegal right now. In this episode I sat down with Paya, founder of Paya Residence in Almadies, to get the full picture — what documents you need, where to verify ownership, which neighborhoods are...

In this episode, I sit down with Senegalese stylist and textile exploration artist Marième Mboup to unpack a question that feels simple, but isn’t: is modesty really a choice? Raised in Dakar, where modest dressing is lived, embodied, and culturally rooted, Marième brings a perspective that challenges how global fashion has reframed modesty as a trend, an aesthetic, and a market category. Together...

Apartheid is often taught as a uniquely South African system, but the ideas that shaped it didn’t appear out of nowhere. In this episode of They Lied About Africa, we explore how apartheid was built from systems that already existed across the world, including American Jim Crow segregation, colonial governance structures, and racial classification laws. By looking at the global influences behind a...

The aid industry didn't just respond to poverty in Africa. It built a system around it. In this episode, we break down how foreign aid became an industry, how that industry shaped the global narrative around an entire continent, and what that framing has cost Africa in capital, sovereignty, and power. This isn't about whether aid helps. It's about what gets built when crisis becomes th...

African countries are called “independent” — but independence isn’t just political. In this episode, we break down who really controls African money, why currency matters for development, and how systems created during colonial rule still shape African economies today. Using the CFA franc as a case study, this video essay explains:- What it means to control a currency- Why “stability” is often fra...

Many people assume Islam is an Arab religion, that Africa encountered it late, borrowed it, or reshaped it incorrectly. In this episode of They Lied About Africa, we challenge that assumption by tracing how Islam actually came to the African continent and why Africa was never on the margins of its history. From the first Hijra to the Kingdom of Axum, to the growth of Islamic scholarship, instituti...

In this episode, we sit down with the founders of Kayrafet , a young African-owned jewellery brand handmade in Dakar and built with intention. We talk about their journey into entrepreneurship, why African craftsmanship has never been “primitive,” and what it really means to build a brand rooted in culture, ownership, and real economic impact. This conversation is for anyone in the diaspora who wa...

Thomas Sankara became president of Burkina Faso at 33 and transformed his country in just four years — before being assassinated and erased from history. This episode unpacks why one of Africa's most visionary leaders never made it into your textbooks. We explore the colonial context that shaped Burkina Faso, Sankara's radical reforms that threatened Western interests, and the forces that...

In this episode of They Lied About Africa, I sit down with Isha, the visionary behind Afrique Noire Magazine, to unpack what it really means to build an intentional space for African storytelling. We talk about the experiences that shaped her eye, the moment she realized our stories deserved a different kind of care, and how she turned that conviction into a platform seen by thousands. Isha opens...

Sudan is facing one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time, and most of the world still isn’t paying attention. In this episode, I sit down with DarAid — a grassroots initiative working directly with Sudanese refugees on the Chad–Sudan border — to break down what’s happening on the ground, why it matters, and how ordinary people are stepping up to protect lives, rebuild communities, and rest...

This episode breaks down the uncomfortable truth behind why so many of us grew up believing Africa was poor, struggling, or in need of saving. These ideas didn’t come from nowhere—they were taught to us through school, media, nonprofits, and the Western lens that shaped our identity long before we understood it. I share how these narratives shaped my own guilt, my desire to “fix” a continent I bar...

Eighty years ago, hundreds of African soldiers who fought for France in World War II were massacred at Camp Thiaroye in Senegal — unarmed, unpaid, and betrayed by the very country they defended. For decades, France called it a “mutiny,” erasing the truth from textbooks and archives. But a new investigation has finally uncovered what really happened , and why it was planned all along. In this episo...

Cameroon has just re-elected the world’s oldest president, Paul Biya — at 92 years old and over four decades in power. In this episode, I break down how he’s managed to stay in control since 1982, from colonial systems and elite loyalty to Western backing and a frustrated generation of youth demanding change. This isn’t just about one man; it’s about what happens when an entire nation feels trappe...

If what’s happening in Sudan wasn’t happening in Africa, would the world care? This episode breaks down Sudan’s ongoing civil war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, the genocide unfolding in Darfur, and the famine threatening millions. Through history, empathy, and accountability, we uncover how global bias shapes who the world chooses to save—and why we can’t stay silent any longer.

At just 20 years old, Zainabou Thiam turned a suitcase of handmade Senegalese goods into Sunu Body, a thriving brand redefining what it means to build from culture, not against it. In this episode, she opens up about imposter syndrome, cultural pride, and the messy, faith-driven path from side hustle to global recognition. Her story is a powerful reminder that embracing your roots isn’t a setback;...

From the U.S., Idris is building two platforms, one tackling health, the other unlocking tech careers, both in Liberia. This episode breaks the myth that Africa lacks talent and shows why systems, not saviors, will shape its future