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Decolonizing Social Impact Brands in Africa
October 19, 2024
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Branding Skills, Case Studies
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In recent years, the global development space in Africa has undergone huge transformations. The era of direct foreign aid, which characterized much of the 20th century, has given way to a new model: the rise of social enterprises. These organizations, which blend for-profit models with social missions, have become increasingly popular on the continent, as economists and political leaders, rightfully so, begun to challenge the efficacy of traditional charity and aid-based models.
Aid to Africa comes from a place of good intentions, but is fraught with danger. Although we can all agree that social development such as economic empowerement, ending hunger and poverty, addressing the challenges and barriers faced by women and youth are all urgent necessities, there appears to be increasing disagreement about the best way to achieve these goals.
“Africa is addicted to aid. For the past sixty years, it has been fed aid. Like any addict it needs and depends on its regular fix, finding it hard, if not impossible, to contemplate existence in an aid-less world. In Africa, the West has found its perfect client to deal to.”
–Dambisa Moyo, Baroness Moyo, Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom.
Born and raised in Lusaka, Zambia, Economist, former head of economic research and strategy for sub-Saharan Africa and now Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, Dambisa Moyo has already made the case for why aid to Africa is not the way forward. She’s probaly one of the most qualified people to have this conversation, and I love her writing style— calling the aid not just ineffective, but “malignant.”
Moyo, in her influential critique of foreign aid, argues that aid to Africa has done more harm than good, fostering dependency, corruption, and stifling economic growth. The death of aid narrative she championed has significantly contributed to a shift towards alternative methods to address social development.
However, my personal ick with aid and its evolution to social or purpose-led enterprise in Africa, is one persistent issue: the perpetuation of racist, white-supremacist, and neo-colonial narratives in the branding and communication strategies of these organisations.
And again, purpose and social good is great. But it’s not enough. It has to be done well. It has to empower and not disenfranchise or paint its recipients as being weak, needy, or less than the people delivering the change.
As an African brand strategist observing and working in this space, it is clear to me that while the aid paradigm may have shifted, the underlying problems of how Africa and its people are portrayed continue to thrive.
The inception of the stereotype that Africa needs saving
Since the dawn of time, many visitors to Africa have seen it as a continent in perpetual need of “saving.” This narrative, largely driven by Western countries, positioned Africans as passive recipients of aid and charity, unable to solve their own problems.
The shift towards social enterprises has become the latest flavour of “saving” with the claim to prioritize sustainable development and empower local communities. It’s not all black and white. Nothing ever is. The world thrives in mulitple shades of gray.
The simple part of the equation comes from the fact that the perpetuation of racist and neo-colonial stereotypes can not exist in a vaccum, and cannot exist without the white-saviours running these enterprises. Many social enterprises built ‘for’ Africa- at least as is the case in Nairobi, are often founded by foreign individuals or organizations, with the aim to address social, economic, or environmental challenges through business models that generate profit while delivering social good.
Why does Africa need ‘saving’?
Social enterprises have done a lot of good in Africa over the years. And a lot of their funding and access to capital comes from abroad. The problem with this, is that you need to talk about the problem you’re solving in a way that convinces people to pull out their wallets and cheque books and give your thier money.
In the past, this has been the driving factor behind the photo campaigns of malnourished children, the infamous UNICEF fly on the faces of dirty African children, african women fetching dirty water and the overall ‘poor Africa’ brand we all know.
The narratives they often use in their branding and marketing materials tell a different story—one that continues to portray Africa as helpless and in need of foreign intervention. And the cycle goes on and on.
Why aren’t African solving Africas problems?
They are. We just don’t hear about it as much largely due to a combination of historical, systemic, and structural factors.
The prevalence of corruption, bad leadership, and ineffective policies in many African nations has also contributed to a lack of trust in local governance and institutions. This has created a vacuum where foreign actors are seen as more credible, capable, or trustworthy, despite often lacking the deep cultural and contextual understanding necessary to solve local issues.
Additionally, these governance failures have made it challenging for African entrepreneurs and changemakers to access resources, funding, and international networks needed to build and scale their own solutions. Foreign founders often have better access to these resources, which perpetuates the dominance of foreign-led initiatives in the social enterprise space. As a result, many Africans are sidelined, despite being the best-equipped to address their own community’s challenges with more relevant and sustainable solutions.
Understanding Social Enterprises: What They Are and Who Runs Them
Social enterprises are organizations that apply commercial strategies to maximize improvements in human and environmental well-being. Unlike traditional businesses, their primary goal is not just profit but also social impact. However, unlike charities or NGOs, social enterprises are self-sustaining; they generate revenue to fund their operations and scale their impact.
In Africa, some well-known social enterprises include Twiga Foods, a Kenyan company that streamlines the food supply chain to reduce food waste and lower prices for consumers, and Jumia, an e-commerce platform that provides access to goods and services in various African countries. These enterprises are examples of the new wave of businesses seeking to solve pressing social issues through innovative business models.
While the social enterprise model holds great promise for creating sustainable solutions, there is a troubling pattern: the majority of these enterprises are founded and led by foreigners, particularly Westerners. These individuals, while often well-intentioned, lack the cultural understanding and lived experience needed to truly grasp the challenges facing African communities. As a result, the solutions they propose are frequently misaligned with the actual needs and aspirations of the people they claim to serve.
The Cultural Gap: Foreign Solutions to African Problems
At the heart of the problem lies a fundamental cultural gap. The majority of foreign founders who lead social enterprises in Africa come from vastly different cultural backgrounds, with limited understanding of the social, economic, and political contexts in which they operate. This disconnect often results in solutions that may seem effective on paper but fail to address the root causes of the problems they aim to solve.
Take the example of Renee Bach, an American evangelical Christian who founded a charity in Uganda and was later accused of practicing medicine without a license. Bach’s actions, which allegedly resulted in the deaths of numerous Ugandan children, are emblematic of the larger issue at play: the belief that foreign intervention is inherently superior to local solutions. This belief, rooted in colonial-era paternalism, fails to recognize the agency, expertise, and innovation that exist within African communities.
There is a stark difference between how foreign social enterprises perceive problems in Africa and how Africans themselves understand those problems. For instance, many social enterprises focus on poverty alleviation through access to resources like education or healthcare, framing the issue as one of scarcity or lack of infrastructure. However, for many Africans, the problem is not a lack of access but rather the systemic inequalities that perpetuate poverty, including corruption, political instability, and economic exclusion. These are issues that cannot be solved by simply providing more resources; they require deep, structural change—change that is best led by Africans themselves.
The Persistent Problem of Neo-Colonial Narratives
Even as social enterprises claim to move away from the aid-based model, their branding often perpetuates the same harmful narratives that characterized the charity sector. These narratives, commonly referred to as the “white-savior complex,” portray Africa and its people as helpless, while positioning Westerners as the benevolent heroes who will “save” them. This dynamic reinforces a power imbalance, where Africans are reduced to passive beneficiaries of foreign aid rather than active agents of their own development.
One glaring example of this is the case of No White Saviors (NWS), a Ugandan-based campaign that aimed to challenge the white-savior complex in the development sector. Co-founded by Olivia Alaso, a black Ugandan, and Kelsey Nielsen, a white American, NWS initially gained popularity for its efforts to hold foreign aid workers and celebrities accountable for perpetuating harmful stereotypes. However, the organization later imploded when Nielsen was accused of abusing her white privilege and mistreating black Ugandan staff. The scandal highlighted the very issue NWS sought to address: even within an organization designed to combat white saviorism, the power dynamics of race and privilege persisted.
NWS’s downfall serves as a cautionary tale for social enterprises in Africa. It underscores the importance of addressing not just the external impact of their work, but also the internal dynamics of power and privilege that shape their organizations.
Employer Brannding: Institutional Racism and the Race Ceiling in African Social Enterprises
While the conversation around social enterprises in Africa often focuses on the impact they are creating for local communities, there is an equally important issue that persists within these organizations: institutional racism. This form of racism is often more subtle but equally damaging, particularly in foreign-founded and foreign-led social enterprises.
The Race Ceiling: Unseen Barriers for African Experts
In many foreign-run social enterprises in Africa, the perception that white foreigners are inherently more knowledgeable or capable than their African counterparts is deeply ingrained. This phenomenon, often referred to as the “race ceiling,” can manifest in multiple ways, but primarily it creates barriers for qualified African professionals to rise to leadership positions or be recognized as true experts in their field.
This dynamic can be seen in the structure of many foreign-founded social enterprises, where decisions are made by expatriates or foreign nationals, while local experts and professionals are relegated to secondary roles, such as project managers, field workers, or administrative positions. Even when African professionals are technically in leadership roles, their influence may be limited, and they are frequently expected to defer to the opinions or directives of their foreign counterparts.
A concrete example of this is when local African professionals find themselves frequently sidelined in conversations regarding development initiatives that directly affect their communities. The assumption is that foreigners, despite their lack of on-the-ground experience or deep understanding of local cultural contexts, are the true experts, and therefore their decisions will always hold more weight than those made by local professionals.
This expertise gap that often forms between foreigners and Africans leads to more than just professional frustration. It solidifies the stereotype that Africans need “external expertise” to solve their own problems, reinforcing colonial-era power dynamics under the guise of development work. This problem is often further exacerbated in environments where foreign staff, particularly those from developed nations, are paid significantly more than their local counterparts for similar or even lesser responsibilities, contributing to pay discrepancies that underscore systemic inequality in these organizations.
Pay Discrepancies and the Systemic Devaluation of African Talent
There is also a pronounced pay disparity between local African employees and their foreign counterparts in many social enterprises. Local staff often face unequal compensation for similar roles, and in some cases, they may be given fewer benefits, less job security, and lower wages compared to foreign employees who may be on higher salary bands due to their nationality or perceived “expertise.” This reflects the devaluation of African talent and the perpetuation of a belief that foreign workers are more capable, even when local staff possess equivalent or superior qualifications, experience, and cultural understanding.
This pay discrepancy is not only a financial issue but also a psychological one. When African professionals see their foreign colleagues earning significantly more for the same work, it fosters resentment and diminishes morale. Over time, this creates a cycle of disempowerment and frustration, leading to high turnover rates and a lack of long-term investment in local talent development. Many talented Africans, feeling undervalued and unsupported, leave these organizations for better opportunities elsewhere, perpetuating a cycle of reliance on foreign expertise and further entrenching the systems of inequality.
Employer Branding and the Need for Decolonized Practices
In many foreign-founded social enterprises, employer branding plays a pivotal role in how the organization attracts top talent. However, for these enterprises, their employer branding can sometimes carry over colonial and racist undertones, even if unintentionally. The use of imagery, language, and messaging in their recruitment efforts can reinforce negative stereotypes about Africa, portraying it as a place that needs saving rather than a vibrant region full of capable and talented people.
For example, many foreign-founded enterprises continue to use images of African poverty or helplessness in their marketing or job advertisements, inadvertently implying that they, as outsiders, have the solutions. This creates a disconnect between the organization and local professionals who may be highly qualified but feel alienated by the organization’s tone and approach. Furthermore, the reliance on foreign workers in leadership roles often sends the message that the organization doesn’t trust local professionals to take on high-stakes responsibilities.
Social enterprises must rethink their employer branding and put an emphasis on showcasing local expertise. By highlighting the capabilities and successes of African employees, these organizations can work towards creating a more equitable workplace. Transparency around pay scales, opportunities for advancement, and a strong commitment to recognizing the expertise of local professionals should become key pillars of the organization’s approach.
Ethical Branding: A New Way Forward
For social enterprises to truly contribute to Africa’s development, they must move beyond neo-colonial narratives and embrace ethical, inclusive branding strategies that reflect the realities and aspirations of African communities. This begins with co-creation—involving African communities in the branding and decision-making process as equal partners, not as props for storytelling.
Co-creation ensures that the narratives being told reflect the lived experiences of Africans, rather than the preconceived notions of foreign founders. It also helps to shift the focus from charity to partnership, where both sides are contributing to a shared goal. An example of ethical branding can be found in the work of organizations like Lumos, a solar energy company in Nigeria that emphasizes local innovation and leadership in its marketing materials, showcasing the role of Nigerians in driving the company’s success.
Social enterprises should also prioritize authentic storytelling that avoids poverty-porn and victim narratives. Instead of focusing on images of destitution and need, these organizations should highlight the resilience, creativity, and entrepreneurship that are abundant across Africa. For example, Farmcrowdy, a Nigerian agritech company, positions its farmers as key stakeholders and partners in the business, showcasing their expertise and contributions to the company’s success.
Moving Toward Inclusive Practices
Social enterprises that wish to build trust, empower local communities, and truly make an impact must engage in deep decolonization of their structures, policies, and mindsets. This means addressing the institutional racism that limits the opportunities and recognition of African employees, and taking proactive steps to ensure that local professionals are not only included but are also able to ascend to leadership roles.
Decolonizing the Brand
As the development sector continues to evolve, it is crucial that social enterprises recognize the importance of decolonizing their brands. This means moving away from the white-savior complex and adopting a more nuanced, inclusive approach to branding that centers African voices, expertise, and leadership. By doing so, social enterprises can contribute to Africa’s development in a way that is not only sustainable but also dignified and respectful.
Ultimately, the future of social impact in Africa lies in collaboration, not domination. Social enterprises must prioritize local leadership, invest in African talent, and, most importantly, listen to the communities they serve. Only then can they move beyond the harmful narratives of the past and contribute to a more just and equitable future for all.
Social enterprises in Africa must also take a long, hard look at how they are perpetuating systems of inequality and racism within their structures. While they may be making strides toward creating positive social impact, addressing institutional racism, the race ceiling, and unequal pay are critical to creating a truly equitable and sustainable environment for local talent to thrive. Foreign-led organizations must understand that local Africans are not just passive recipients of aid, but experts in their own right—capable of leading and shaping the future of the continent. It is time for social enterprises to acknowledge this and build genuine, decolonized partnerships that recognize and amplify local expertise.
Organizations can begin by:
Prioritizing African leadership: Ensure that African professionals are given equal opportunities for leadership roles, not only as token representatives but as true decision-makers within the organization.
Creating transparent pay structures: Implement equal pay for equal work, regardless of nationality, and ensure that local talent is compensated fairly for their contributions.
Investing in professional development: Provide robust opportunities for training and career growth for local employees, helping them to build their skillsets and advance within the organization.
Inclusive employer branding: Shift away from outdated narratives that portray Africa as a land of helplessness, and instead focus on the agency, strength, and knowledge of the local communities.
Listening to local voices: Instead of imposing top-down solutions, engage local professionals and communities in decision-making processes, ensuring that their insights and lived experiences shape the development of solutions.
Tags :
Branding Africa, Branding Mistakes, Decolonizing Brands, Ethical Branding, Purpose-Driven branding