Ideology, manifested in both domestic Chinese politics and in her international relations. In particular, China’s emerging conflict with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the United States of America (USA) were to play a role in the Chinese drive into Africa.
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There was a great deal of confusion as to what the Chinese were actually up to. This was due in large part to the inconsistent nature of policies pursued by the Chinese in those early years. This was exemplified in the so-called split-level or dual diplomacy.
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Simply put, this was the pursuit of the “United Front From Above” (government-to-government relations), and the “United Front From Below” (support for wars of national liberation). In practice, this meant the Chinese would support “revolutionary” opposition groups while at the same time supporting the legitimate government of an African country
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In the 1950s, fascination, confusion, and even alarm are adjec-tives that best described the reaction of many political observers to the Chinese seeking friends and allies in Africa. An executive editor of the New York Times, Mr. Seymour Freidin, wrote:
Red Chinese drive into Africa involves a long range effort to dominate the continent totally and populate it with Chinese.
Mr. Seymour’s sentiments were not uncommon at the time. There was a great deal of confusion as to what the Chinese were actually up to. This was due in large part to the inconsistent nature of policies pursued by the Chinese in those early years. This was exemplified in the so-called split-level or dual diplomacy. Simply put, this was the pursuit of the “United Front From Above” (government-to-government relations), and the “United Front From Below” (support for wars of national liberation). In practice, this meant the Chinese would support “revolutionary” opposition groups while at the same time supporting the legitimate government of an African country. I take this up in Chapter 3.
To the question of this chapter, why Africa? The simple answer is ideology, manifested in both domestic Chinese politics and in her international relations. In particular, China’s emerging conflict with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the United States of America (USA) were to play a role in the Chinese drive into Africa. I will deal with the ideological factors in the next section.
First, I would like to briefly point to historical reasons which some Chinese leaders used as a primary argument for their interest in Africa. For example, they pointed to the fact that in October 1415, Chinese explorer and Admiral Zheng He reached the eastern coast of Africa and sent the first of two giraffes as gifts to the Chinese Yongle Emperor. Zheng brought gifts and granted titles from the Ming emperor to the local rulers, with the aim of establishing a large number of tributary states. Indeed, it is worth noting that China and Africa have a history of trade relations, sometimes through third parties, dating back as far as 202 BC and AD 220.
I will now deal with the domestic factors and the ideological disputes with the United States and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
DOMESTIC INFLUENCES ON CHINA’S DRIVE INTO AFRICA
At the Eighth Congress of the Chinese Communist party in 1956, it was clear the new China had been making a determined effort to expand her influence in the outside world, particularly in the “vast intermediate areas” of Africa, Asia and Latin America. In Chinese eyes, the countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America remain the potential field for revolutions of the Chinese type. This was one area in which they felt a special ideological leadership to offer. Ten years later, in 1965, this belief was exemplified by Lin Biao’s celebrated thesis entitled “Long Live the victory of the People’s war”. His core argument was that;
Comrade Mao’s theory of the estab-lishment of rural revolutionary base areas and the encirclement of the cities from the countryside is of outstanding and universal importance for the present revolutionary struggles of all the oppressed nations and peoples, particularly, those in Africa.
Furthermore, The CCP claimed that it was waging a class struggle in defense of Maoism, the true revolutionary, against allies of Nikita Khrushchev in the CCP-the so-called allied forces of “reaction”- and imperialism and revisionism in the world at large. The party described its actions as a ‘sharp class struggle’ and the ‘socialist education’ against “renascent bourgeois ideology, bureaucratic degeneration, and anti-party elements” in the Chinese Communist party (CCP).
If Mao was to gain complete control over his enemies and prove his ideological position correct, China had to find allies abroad to form the broadest possible United Front for a “struggle” against the “corrupting revisionist influence” of Russia and the imperialist drive of the United States of America. As Mao, not Khrushchev was the true revolutionary; the drive into Africa was an attempt to assert China’s ideological supremacy over USSR.
It is fascinating and quite remarkable in my view to see that China’s leaders in the late 1950s and 1960s did seriously consider Africa would be of key importance in realpolitik. They were consumed by the belief that Africa was both the center of the anti-colonial struggle and the center for the East and West to fight for control of the “intermediate zone”.
The theory of the “intermediate Zone” is an interesting one as it formed the foundation for this belief. Introduced by Mao in the late 1940s, the theory claimed that between the United States and the Soviet Union exist a vast “intermediate zone” mainly composed of “oppressed” non-Western countries, including China.
Before the “imperialist” United States of America could attack the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, they first had to control the intermediate zone, according to Mao. This then made Asia and Africa the central arena of the Cold War. When Mao and the Chinese Communist Party seized political power in China, they immediately proclaimed revolutionary China as a natural ally of the “oppressed peoples” in the “intermediate zone”. They saw themselves as champions that held the banner of anti-imperialism and anti colonialism, challenging the United States of America and other Western imperialist/colonial powers.
The belief, that they [The Chinese] were the flag bearers of the oppressed, was fostered by the fact that they made comparisons to key stages in Chinese revolutionary history to the situation in most of Africa during the years of decolonization. The implication was that the ‘unfolding African revolution’ would pass through similar stages. It was noted by Chinese leaders that some parts of Africa were going through similar experiences that China went through sixty years earlier during the Boxer uprising.
Some events for the independence struggle in Africa were likened to those which occurred in the Hsin-Hai Revolution of 1911, while others resemble what happened around the May 4th incident of 1919.
All this led some Chinese leaders to have a vision of a “third force”-drawn of nations of Africa, Asia, and Latin America against the “double hegemony” of the nuclear giants-The United States of America and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. As we would later see, it was no surprise that the Chinese felt compelled to support various rebel and “freedom fighters” across Africa.
This support was based on a genuine desire to “free” the Afri-cans from what the Chinese saw as imperialism and hegemony. To this day, the Chinese still hold this desire, hence their lack of interference in African affairs.
INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCES ON CHINA’S DRIVE INTO AFRICA
It was a fact that Communist China, after its birth in 1949, faced a hostile external environment. Between the years 1952 and 1961, it was notably her unresolved territorial conflict with the United States of America over Taiwan (Republic of China-ROC), denial of the Chinese seat at the United Nations, and China’s concern with American alliances and bases in Asia.
The United States Government had embarked on a policy of isolating the Communist throughout the world at that time. The Truman administration in July 1950 had extended full diplomatic recognition and protection to Taiwan and proceeded to organize military alliances with other Asian powers surrounding China. Economic and commercial embargo had already been placed on activities with China.
The United States had further masterminded Operation Van-guard designed to make Taiwan attractive to African countries some of whom were gaining their independence. Operation Vanguard, launched in 1960, saw Taiwan begin to dispatch agricultural missions to assist emerging independent states in Africa with modernizing their agricultural production and to garner support for the Taiwan’s (ROC) representation in the United Nations. At one time, the number of Taiwan’s agricultural specialists in Africa exceeded 1,200. The ROC-Africa Technical Cooperation Committee was established in 1962 to further expand the program.
Taiwan, with the support of the United States had the Chinese seat in the United Nations and enjoyed support among the allies of the United States, including many African countries. China was quick to see that with the support of these African countries in the United Nations, the balance could possibly sway in her favor.
China’s ideological battle with the USSR was also to lead her to seek friends in Africa. I already discussed the CCP’s drive to establish their communist credentials in the “intermediate areas”. As the Sino-Soviet split became more pronounced, so did their divergent views on Africa.
The Chinese saw Africa as an opportunity to get on the International stage and break out of the United States of America isolation. The Soviets on the other hand, saw Africa as a means to expand their industrial strength and spread Soviet propaganda. These two distinct views were to manifest themselves after the Bandung Conference in 1955.
Thus, tensions with the United States and ideological conflict with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics were key factors in China’s drive into Africa. China’s policies and actions were to be heavily influenced by these factors as we will later see in this work.
The next chapter looks at where and how Sino-African relations started.
The following is the First Chapter of my book: China and Africa Love Affair
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An executive editor of the New York Times, Mr. Seymour Freidin, wrote:
Red Chinese drive into Africa involves a long range effort to dominate the continent totally and populate it with Chinese.
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Around the first or second grade, we learn that there are seven continents: North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Antarctica, and Australia. Oh yes, and then there is Africa! Yes, Africa is a continent, and it is not a country, contrary to popular belief. This is particularly true in Western culture because individuals may possess little knowledge about the continent due to limited exposure in our education systems, a simple lack of interest, and based how Africa is portrayed in the media. Since Africa is often referred to in the media and our education systems as a conglomerate of generalities, that is the perception that many us base our assumptions on. The list below is in no particular order of importance, and much more information can be added, but it corrects some of these assumptions:
Africa is often called the “Lost Continent,” but it is not lost, it is simply not acknowledged for its many contributions to history. Africa is the cradle of human civilization; it is proven to be where life began based on DNA testing and mapping along with archaeological findings. Some historical and religious texts consider human existence as beginning only about 6,000 years ago, but archaeological findings in Africa such as those of “Lucy” in the 1970s demonstrate that life, culture, and societies have existed for much longer than this. The “Lucy” skeleton, for example, was estimated to be over 3.2 million years old. Also, based on evolutionary theory, modern humans or homo-sapiens begin to appear around 40,000 years ago on the continent.
Even before being recognized as a continent, Africa already had a rich history that was based on geographical and cultural affiliations. There were various kingdoms throughout Africa that have played significant roles in history such as Egypt, Kush, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Mali. Many individuals are familiar with Egyptian hieroglyphs and papyrus, for example, but Egypt was also very technologically, scientifically, astronomically, and mathematically advanced. There are many historians and researchers today that are still trying to figure out how the pyramids were built! Whether one is referring to the various kingdoms in historical Africa or the smaller tribal units, African culture has played a major role on modern society to include customs, traditions, and religious beliefs and practices. The historical significance of the continent cannot be summed up in one or two paragraphs. As Dr. Henry Louis Gates stated: Let’s face it- think of Africa, and the first images that come to mind are war, poverty, famines, and flies. How many of us really know anything at all about the truly great ancient African civilizations, which in their day, were just as splendid as any on the face of the earth?”
Dr. Taylor is interested in research, conferences, and speaking engagements related to topics that promote cultural upliftment, health education, student engagement, religious education, and historical analysis. Blog: http://www.drkristytaylor.blogspot.com
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Having been born a freeman, and for more than thirty years enjoyed the blessings of liberty in a free State—and having at the end of that time been kidnapped and sold into Slavery, where I remained, until happily rescued in the month of January, 1853, after a bondage of twelve years—it has been suggested that an account of my life and fortunes would not be uninteresting to the public.
Since my return to liberty, I have not failed to perceive the increasing interest throughout the Northern States, in regard to the subject of Slavery. Works of fiction, professing to portray its features in their more pleasing as well as more repugnant aspects, have been circulated to an extent unprecedented, and, as I understand, have created a fruitful topic of comment and discussion.
I can speak of Slavery only so far as it came under my own observation—only so far as I have known and experienced it in my own person. My object is, to give a candid and truthful statement of facts: to repeat the story of my life, without exaggeration, leaving it for others to determine, whether even the pages of fiction present a picture of more cruel wrong or a severer bondage.
As far back as I have been able to ascertain, my ancestors on the paternal side were slaves in Rhode Island. They belonged to a family by the name of Northup, one of whom, removing to the State of New-York, settled at Hoosic, in Rensselaer county. He brought with him Mintus Northup, my father. On the death of this gentleman, which must have occurred some fifty years ago, my father became free, having been emancipated by a direction in his will.
Henry B. Northup, Esq., of Sandy Hill, a distinguished counselor at law, and the man to whom, under Providence, I am indebted for my present liberty, and my return to the society of my wife and children, is a relative of the family in which my forefathers were thus held to service, and from which they took the name I bear. To this fact may be attributed the persevering interest he has taken in my behalf.
Sometime after my father’s liberation, he removed to the town of Minerva, Essex county, N. Y., where I was born, in the month of July, 1808. How long he remained in the latter place I have not the means of definitely ascertaining. From thence he removed to Granville, Washington county, near a place known as Slyborough, where, for some years, he labored on the farm of Clark Northup, also a relative of his old master; from thence he removed to the Alden farm, at Moss Street, a short distance north of the village of Sandy Hill; and from thence to the farm now owned by Russel Pratt, situated on the road leading from Fort Edward to Argyle, where he continued to reside until his death, which took place on the 22d day of November, 1829. He left a widow and two children—myself, and Joseph, an elder brother. The latter is still living in the county of Oswego, near the city of that name; my mother died during the period of my captivity.
Though born a slave, and laboring under the disadvantages to which my unfortunate race is subjected, my father was a man respected for his industry and integrity, as many now living, who well remember him, are ready to testify. His whole life was passed in the peaceful pursuits of agriculture, never seeking employment in those more menial positions, which seem to be especially allotted to the children of Africa. Besides giving us an education surpassing that ordinarily bestowed upon children in our condition, he acquired, by his diligence and economy, a sufficient property qualification to entitle him to the right of suffrage. He was accustomed to speak to us of his early life; and although at all times cherishing the warmest emotions of kindness, and even of affection towards the family, in whose house he had been a bondsman, he nevertheless comprehended the system of Slavery, and dwelt with sorrow on the degradation of his race. He endeavored to imbue our minds with sentiments of morality, and to teach us to place our trust and confidence in Him who regards the humblest as well as the highest of his creatures. How often since that time has the recollection of his paternal counsels occurred to me, while lying in a slave hut in the distant and sickly regions of Louisiana, smarting with the undeserved wounds which an inhuman master had inflicted, and longing only for the grave which had covered him, to shield me also from the lash of the oppressor. In the church-yard at Sandy Hill, an humble stone marks the spot where he reposes, after having worthily performed the duties appertaining to the lowly sphere wherein God had appointed him to walk.
Up to this period I had been principally engaged with my father in the labors of the farm. The leisure hours allowed me were generally either employed over my books, or playing on the violin—an amusement which was the ruling passion of my youth. It has also been the source of consolation since, affording pleasure to the simple beings with whom my lot was cast, and beguiling my own thoughts, for many hours, from the painful contemplation of my fate.
On Christmas day, 1829, I was married to Anne Hampton, a colored girl then living in the vicinity of our residence. The ceremony was performed at Fort Edward, by Timothy Eddy, Esq., a magistrate of that town, and still a prominent citizen of the place. She had resided a long time at Sandy Hill, with Mr. Baird, proprietor of the Eagle Tavern, and also in the family of Rev. Alexander Proudfit, of Salem. This gentleman for many years had presided over the Presbyterian society at the latter place, and was widely distinguished for his learning and piety. Anne still holds in grateful remembrance the exceeding kindness and the excellent counsels of that good man. She is not able to determine the exact line of her descent, but the blood of three races mingles in her veins. It is difficult to tell whether the red, white, or black predominates. The union of them all, however, in her origin, has given her a singular but pleasing expression, such as is rarely to be seen. Though somewhat resembling, yet she cannot properly be styled a quadroon, a class to which, I have omitted to mention, my mother belonged.
I had just now passed the period of my minority, having reached the age of twenty-one years in the month of July previous. Deprived of the advice and assistance of my father, with a wife dependent upon me for support, I resolved to enter upon a life of industry; and notwithstanding the obstacle of color, and the consciousness of my lowly state, indulged in pleasant dreams of a good time coming, when the possession of some humble habitation, with a few surrounding acres, should reward my labors, and bring me the means of happiness and comfort.
From the time of my marriage to this day the love I have borne my wife has been sincere and unabated; and only those who have felt the glowing tenderness a father cherishes for his offspring, can appreciate my affection for the beloved children which have since been born to us. This much I deem appropriate and necessary to say, in order that those who read these pages, may comprehend the poignancy of those sufferings I have been doomed to bear.
Immediately upon our marriage we commenced house-keeping, in the old yellow building then standing at the southern extremity of Fort Edward village, and which has since been transformed into a modern mansion, and lately occupied by Captain Lathrop. It is known as the Fort House. In this building the courts were sometime held after the organization of the county. It was also occupied by Burgoyne in 1777, being situated near the old Fort on the left bank of the Hudson.
During the winter I was employed with others repairing the Champlain Canal, on that section over which William Van Nortwick was superintendent. David McEachron had the immediate charge of the men in whose company I labored. By the time the canal opened in the spring, I was enabled, from the savings of my wages, to purchase a pair of horses, and other things necessarily required in the business of navigation.
Having hired several efficient hands to assist me, I entered into contracts for the transportation of large rafts of timber from Lake Champlain to Troy. Dyer Beckwith and a Mr. Bartemy, of Whitehall, accompanied me on several trips. During the season I became perfectly familiar with the art and mysteries of rafting—a knowledge which afterwards enabled me to render profitable service to a worthy master, and to astonish the simple-witted lumbermen on the banks of the Bayou Bœuf.
In one of my voyages down Lake Champlain, I was induced to make a visit to Canada. Repairing to Montreal, I visited the cathedral and other places of interest in that city, from whence I continued my excursion to Kingston and other towns, obtaining a knowledge of localities, which was also of service to me afterwards, as will appear towards the close of this narrative.
Having completed my contracts on the canal satisfactorily to myself and to my employer, and not wishing to remain idle, now that the navigation of the canal was again suspended, I entered into another contract with Medad Gunn, to cut a large quantity of wood. In this business I was engaged during the winter of 1831-32.
With the return of spring, Anne and myself conceived the project of taking a farm in the neighborhood. I had been accustomed from earliest youth to agricultural labors, and it was an occupation congenial to my tastes. I accordingly entered into arrangements for a part of the old Alden farm, on which my father formerly resided. With one cow, one swine, a yoke of fine oxen I had lately purchased of Lewis Brown, in Hartford, and other personal property and effects, we proceeded to our new home in Kingsbury. That year I planted twenty-five acres of corn, sowed large fields of oats, and commenced farming upon as large a scale as my utmost means would permit. Anne was diligent about the house affairs, while I toiled laboriously in the field.
On this place we continued to reside until 1834. In the winter season I had numerous calls to play on the violin. Wherever the young people assembled to dance, I was almost invariably there. Throughout the surrounding villages my fiddle was notorious. Anne, also, during her long residence at the Eagle Tavern, had become somewhat famous as a cook. During court weeks, and on public occasions, she was employed at high wages in the kitchen at Sherrill’s Coffee House.
We always returned home from the performance of these services with money in our pockets; so that, with fiddling, cooking, and farming, we soon found ourselves in the possession of abundance, and, in fact, leading a happy and prosperous life. Well, indeed, would it have been for us had we remained on the farm at Kingsbury; but the time came when the next step was to be taken towards the cruel destiny that awaited me.
In March, 1834, we removed to Saratoga Springs. We occupied a house belonging to Daniel O’Brien, on the north side of Washington street. At that time Isaac Taylor kept a large boarding house, known as Washington Hall, at the north end of Broadway. He employed me to drive a hack, in which capacity I worked for him two years. After this time I was generally employed through the visiting season, as also was Anne, in the United States Hotel, and other public houses of the place. In winter seasons I relied upon my violin, though during the construction of the Troy and Saratoga railroad, I performed many hard days’ labor upon it.
I was in the habit, at Saratoga, of purchasing articles necessary for my family at the stores of Mr. Cephas Parker and Mr. William Perry, gentlemen towards whom, for many acts of kindness, I entertained feelings of strong regard. It was for this reason that, twelve years afterwards, I caused to be directed to them the letter, which is hereinafter inserted, and which was the means, in the hands of Mr. Northup, of my fortunate deliverance.
While living at the United States Hotel, I frequently met with slaves, who had accompanied their masters from the South. They were always well dressed and well provided for, leading apparently an easy life, with but few of its ordinary troubles to perplex them. Many times they entered into conversation with me on the subject of Slavery. Almost uniformly I found they cherished a secret desire for liberty. Some of them expressed the most ardent anxiety to escape, and consulted me on the best method of effecting it. The fear of punishment, however, which they knew was certain to attend their re-capture and return, in all cases proved sufficient to deter them from the experiment. Having all my life breathed the free air of the North, and conscious that I possessed the same feelings and affections that find a place in the white man’s breast; conscious, moreover, of an intelligence equal to that of some men, at least, with a fairer skin, I was too ignorant, perhaps too independent, to conceive how any one could be content to live in the abject condition of a slave. I could not comprehend the justice of that law, or that religion, which upholds or recognizes the principle of Slavery; and never once, I am proud to say, did I fail to counsel any one who came to me, to watch his opportunity, and strike for freedom.
I continued to reside at Saratoga until the spring of 1841. The flattering anticipations which, seven years before, had seduced us from the quiet farm-house, on the east side of the Hudson, had not been realized. Though always in comfortable circumstances, we had not prospered. The society and associations at that world-renowned watering place, were not calculated to preserve the simple habits of industry and economy to which I had been accustomed, but, on the contrary, to substitute others in their stead, tending to shiftlessness and extravagance.
At this time we were the parents of three children—Elizabeth, Margaret, and Alonzo. Elizabeth, the eldest, was in her tenth year; Margaret was two years younger, and little Alonzo had just passed his fifth birth-day. They filled our house with gladness. Their young voices were music in our ears. Many an airy castle did their mother and myself build for the little innocents. When not at labor I was always walking with them, clad in their best attire, through the streets and groves of Saratoga. Their presence was my delight; and I clasped them to my bosom with as warm and tender love as if their clouded skins had been as white as snow.
Thus far the history of my life presents nothing whatever unusual—nothing but the common hopes, and loves, and labors of an obscure colored man, making his humble progress in the world. But now I had reached a turning point in my existence—reached the threshold of unutterable wrong, and sorrow, and despair. Now had I approached within the shadow of the cloud, into the thick darkness whereof I was soon to disappear, thenceforward to be hidden from the eyes of all my kindred, and shut out from the sweet light of liberty, for many a weary year.
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Africa is largely considered by scientists to be the place for origin of all of mankind. The continent is vast – rich in diverse customs and culture, traditions, history, climates and topography.
Here is a list of ten interesting facts about the continent of Africa.
1. The largest waterfall in the world is the Victoria Falls. It has the largest curtain of falling water although it is not the highest nor the widest.
2. Africa is home to the largest hot desert in the world. The Sahara desert stretches over most of northern Africa from Egypt and Sudan in the east to Mauritania and the Atlantic Ocean in the west. It is 9.4million sq kilometers (3.6million sq miles).
3. There are about 2000 different languages spoken in Africa, including some originating from Europe and Asia.
4. Africa is the second largest continent in the world. The total area that the continent covers is 30.22 million sq kilometers.
5. The continent of Africa covers five time zones.
UTC-01 – Cape Verde
UTC+00 – Western European Time | Greenwich Mean Time
UTC+01 – Western Sahara Time | Central European Time | West Africa Time
UTC+02 – South Africa Time | Central Africa Time | Eastern European Time
UTC+03 – East Africa Time
UTC+04 – Mauritius Time | Reunion Time | Seychelles Time
6. Madagascar, in the Indian Ocean, is the largest island in Africa and the fourth largest island in the world. Africa has islands in the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
7. Africa is the most multilingual continent in the world. A lot of people in Africa speak different African languages, some including European and Asian languages.
8. Ice hockey is played in South Africa, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Cote d’Ivoire and Kenya. The first African Nations Cup was held in 2009 in South Africa with three participating countries – South Africa, Morocco and Algeria.
9. The longest river in the world is the Nile. It is 6853 kilometers (4258 miles) long. Due to blocking of the river by a chain of volcanoes in East Africa, the Nile lost some headwaters and otherwise would be 1400 kilometers (800 miles) longer than it is today.
10. Africa has 54 sovereign recognised states. The newest of these independent countries is South Sudan.
There is so much more to learn about Africa, which is home to deserts, grasslands, thick tropical forests, steppe climates, humid subtropical and Mediterranean climates. The continent is surrounded by the Indian and Atlantic Oceans in the east and west, and the Mediterranean Sea in the north. Precious minerals and metals found in Africa include gold, copper, iron and steel, platinum, uranium, diamonds and other precious stones.
You will find this website a valuable resource for up to date information. From history and culture of Africa to accommodation and activities in Victoria Falls, and everything in between.
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Google “Africa Safari” and one becomes completely overwhelmed by the hundreds of thousands of choices presented, page after page of safaris on offer by hundreds of tour operators. It is no easy task but with a little preparation, searching for the ideal Africa safari can be a success.
Here are several essential points to consider ensuring you choose the right Africa safari;
1. Where to Go
If it is animals you are after the obvious choices are Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia or South Africa. If it is Gorilla trekking and African wildlife choose Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. If it is culture try Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; if you are really looking to get off the beaten track try Cameroon and Gabon in Central Africa.
East Africa: Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania offer a more “romantic” African safari; the roads, services and cultures are more authentic than the Southern African options.
The most famous parks of the Serengeti, Ngorogoro Crater, Masai Mara and Queen Elizabeth are in this part of Africa. The tropical African coastline of Kenya and the world famous Spice Island of Zanzibar. Anyone after animals, culture and a few days of relaxation on tropical beaches; East Africa is the obvious choice.
Southern Africa: Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa are far more western and comfortable than East African countries however they tend to lack the “real Africa” flair that we are accustomed.
The most famous parks in this area are Chobe, Etosha, South Luangwa, Okavango Delta and Kruger; the famous Namib desert and Fish River Canyon to the wine region of Stellenbosch. Southern Africa offers a very different experience to East Africa.
West Africa: Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana if you are after culture and not bothered about wildlife. Mali is famous for Djenne, Timbuktu and Dogan Country; Burkina Faso is well known for its music scene and Ghana offers historical sites from the old slave trade years, tropical beaches and a few game parks with very few animals.
Central Africa: Cameroon and Gabon is for the real adventure traveller. A safari through these countries will take you into a different world of tropical beaches, pygmies, bush meat markets, surfing hippos and thousands of low land gorillas. This part is far less travelled by the average tourist and can be difficult to find an English speaking tour.
2. Level of Luxury
5 star luxury accommodation to camping are all on offer in East Africa, Southern Africa and West Africa. Central Africa expect a minimum of 3-5 star accommodation.
Upmarket accommodation options are endless however expect to pay hefty prices for 3-5 star accommodation. Facilities are excellent offering well stocked bar/restaurant, often swimming pools, hot showers, flushing toilets as well as the romantic African colonial style most tourist lodges and hotels have adopted.
Campsites have changed immensely over the years. Gone are the days when there was no grass to pitch tents, cold showers (if water at all) and warm drinks in the fridge. Most campsites in East and Southern Africa are very well serviced and equipped boasting hot showers, flushing toilets, extensive bars and restaurants and good clean room accommodation to upgrade if camping does not take your fancy every night. Of course there is always the chance the power may go off and hot water may not last but overall campsites offer excellent value for money and all the amenities the average traveller desires.
3. Transport
Transport through Africa varies from Fly-in safaris, 4×4 Land Cruiser/Mini Van to custom built Overland Safari Trucks.
The most expensive but possibly practical way for those with a large budget and not much time is to fly from destination to destination. Most parks and major tourist attractions have air strips to cater for the fly-in safari traveller. Don’t expect to camp on these safaris; companies offering fly-in also offer 5 star lodge accommodation. The downsides to fly-in safaris are that you miss out on the local sites, sounds, smells and culture of a country. Not really exposing to the real Africa. These tours offer full luxury.
Opting for 4×4 Land Cruiser or mini van is far cheaper than Fly-ins and offer anything from 5 star accommodation to camping safaris. Often group size is limited to 8-12 people per tour allowing for a small group feel without it being too overwhelming. These are popular safaris as they suit most budgets. These tours mostly stay in hotel/lodge accommodation with very little camping.
Overland custom built safari trucks are the cheapest option. Most tours offered in safari trucks are camping with the exception of a couple who offer hotel/lodge accommodation. Travelling in a large safari truck gives you the best viewpoint enhancing your Africa experience. The vehicles are totally self-sufficient complete with camping equipment and extensive kitchen. Travelling as a group, anything from 13-25 people offers communal style living and is particularly popular with single travellers or older couples wanting the extra safety and security. These safaris often blend animal viewing, community projects with adventure activities, appealing to, but not limited, the 20-40 year old traveller. These tours are becoming more and more popular with the over 50s looking for the more adventurous style of travel. There is nothing like cooking on open fire, shopping at local markets and socialising with locals.
4. Private or Group Safaris
A number of companies offer tailor-made private safaris. For a price you can have your own vehicle, own tailor-made itinerary developed to your exact requirements and personal driver/guide. The options are not limited to lodge or camping but to what you desire. These options are popular with couples, honeymoon couples and business people with limited time and restricted travel dates.
Group safaris can be very rewarding. Itineraries are developed to include the key highlights of each region/area and are cheaper than private tailor-made safaris. The biggest concern with travelling in a group is whether all parties will get along, in most cases all are likeminded individuals who want to see and experience Africa. Where things do go wrong is when clients are sold a safari which does not meet their expectations.
5. Expectations and Level of Participation
It is important to book a safari which meets expectations. If you are after the full pampering luxury safari than book the pampering luxury safari. Do not expect a luxury safari but book a participatory camping safari. Although it may be cheaper you will not be happy with the product and hence will damper your African experience. The great thing about Africa is it suits all expectations and budgets. Know what you want and expect; then look for a Company who provides that level of safari and service. At the end of the day you get what you pay for.
Different safaris offer different levels of participation. The most expensive luxury safaris are hand-holding and pampering through to budget overland truck safari where it is expected that clients help out with the day to day running of the safari.
If you want to participate in the day to day running of the safari, help cook and shop for fresh food for the group then book an Overland Truck safari. Most companies offer the services of a cook so client participation is limited to helping prepare meals rather than take responsibility for the final product. These safaris work on a client rota system so it may be that over a 3 week period you have to assist only 3-5 times; enough time to learn about bartering for fresh fruit and vegetables in local markets and how to cook on open fire. With the aid of an experienced safari cook the meals are often better than what the average person eats at home!
There are a couple of Overland Truck Safari Operators where the shopping and cooking are entirely the groups’ responsibility. This can be a great way to fully capitalise on the Africa experience. Although rewarding, this can also be rather stressful particularly if you have never cooked for 20 people before let alone cook on open fire. Expect the meals to be a random mix from excellent to barely resembling edible.
6. Budget
How much you want to spend on your African safari will also dictate the type of safari you book. There are beliefs that as most African countries are developing, they are very cheap like Thailand. Think again, Africa is a lot more expensive than most realise. Ultimately the key places most safari operators visit does not differ between luxury fly-ins and overland truck safaris. Most operators offer itineraries which include the major parks and attractions; what differs is mode of transport, time spent in places and type of accommodation.
7. Time
How much time you have also depends on the safari you will choose. However, the itinerary that includes the most may not be the best safari; consider and ask the operator/agent how much time is spent travelling versus time in places. Time and time again clients compare itineraries from one Company to another and choose the Company that include the most highlights only to realise on day 2 that in order to see all the highlights means breakfast at 5am every day and not arriving at the final destination until 8pm at night. Defeats the purpose of a holiday! Be realistic about what is achievable, the safari industry is very competitive hence operators cram as much into the itinerary as possible to make their product more attractive and saleable to potential clients.
Look at a map of the countries you want to travel, Africa is a huge continent. Assume the road conditions are not up to Western standards hence don’t expect to cover 500kms stopping at several tourist sites in one day.
8. All Inclusive Versus Pay-As-You-Go
Choosing an all-inclusive versus pay-as-you-go has many pros and cons. Benefits of the all-inclusive means you only have to take enough money to pay for your visas and personal spending. The disadvantage is you may be paying for activities you have no interest i.e. forest walk or canoeing down the Zambezi.
Pay-as-you-go offers flexibility in paying only for the activities you are interested in resulting in better value for money. The down side is deciding prior to embarking on your safari what activities you do and don’t want to partake. It is always best to overestimate what you may do while on safari ensuring you are not left short of money.
10. Brochure Versus Booking Over the Internet
Over the past 2-3 years there has been a trend away from brochures as more and more people are confident to book trips over the internet. Furthermore, as a society we are more conscious about wasting precious resources such as paper. Most websites have extensive information about safaris taking away the need for brochures. Further, responsible tour operators are leaning away from brochures as it is seen as contradictory to offer safaris that are focussed on saving the environment only to print thousands of brochures.
11. Ask the Right Questions
Before booking a safari firstly ask yourself (and be honest) about what type of safari you would love to do.
Where do I want to go?
What do I want to see and experience?
How much time do I have?
What do I expect?
Do I want Private or group safari?
How much do I want to spend?
Do I want all inclusive or pay-as-you-go?
What type of transport do I want?
Once you have asked and answered these questions you can begin the search for an appropriate operator which meets you expectations.
Once you have found several possible operators ask questions that relate to what you want from your safari. Hopefully this will identify the right operator for the Right Africa Safari.
Choosing a safari in Africa can be daunting however if you know what you want, not only will you focus on Operators offering these requirements, your Africa safari will truly be an unbelievable amazing life changing experience.
Deborah Thiele is Director of Africa Expedition Support, a safari Company based in East Africa. Deborah has worked in the travel industry for over 7 years in administrative, tour leading and crew training roles. She has travelled and worked in Africa, South America, the Middle East and the UK. As a Tour Leader she lead over 200 tours across 3 continents. Originally from Adelaide, Australia she now calls Africa home.
Africa Expedition Support specialises in tailor-made, group and 4×4 guided self drive safaris. Deborah can be contacted either via http://www.AfricaExpeditionSupport.com or emailing info@AfricaExpeditionSupport.com. Please note that as this is Africa emails are sometimes lost in the system; if no response within 2 days please email again. Alternatively phone or text +254 725 459 063
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Introduction
South Africa is facing structural problems in strengthening its research and innovation capacity in order to become and remain competitive in the global business environment. Although greater emphasis is given to strengthen Research and Development efforts in the country and to translate it into commercialization of products, South Africa are lagging behind its competitors on four critical domains of:
· The level of technological exports;
· Funds invested in Research and Innovation activities;
· Capability to transform relevant scientific knowledge and technological inventions into commercial applications; and
· Sourcing for competitive technologies.
Although it is realised that South Africa as a developing country cannot match the R&D spending of developed countries, the assumption is made that if South Africa can carry out R&I activity levels comparable to that of principle trading partners and competitors, it will be able to sustain its relative competitiveness in the world.
Complicating the situation further is the fact that South Africa is considered an innovation environment in which medium to low technology innovations dominate. Therefore, it is not a strong competitor for attracting research exports from foreign companies. This is due to the fact that this privilege belongs to environments classified as at the forefront of research efforts, high technology oriented, huge market opportunities and dynamic in nature. Typical countries adhering to these requirements include amongst others China, India, the United States of America, Hungary and Romania (RTDinfo, 2006).
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to describe the vulnerable research and innovation base of South Africa in terms of the three domains mentioned in the introduction.
Technology exports of South Africa as percentage of world exports
According to statistics provided by Kaplan (2005) high technology export of South Africa, 0.3% in 2002, as a percentage of global exports represents indeed a very small proportion of world exports in technology. How poor is only conceived when compared to 2002 figures of other European countries such as Turkey (1.6%), United Kingdom (1.25%), Sweden (13.7%), Switzerland (21.6%), Spain (5.7%), Slovenia (4.9%), Portugal (6.8%), Norway (4.6%) and the Netherlands (18.7%).
Sufficiency of funding for R&I in South Africa
Whilst the aim of the South African Government is to spend at least 1% of its GDP on R&D this objective has never been reaches since 1983 (No survey was done in 1995 and 1999). With a median of 0.76 and currently at 0.806 GERD:GDP too little emphasis is given to R&D activities. Currently only R10.1 billion (+/- US$1.6 billion) is spend on R&D in comparison to a 2005 GDP of R1 250 billion (+/- US$208.33) comparing favourably with levels experienced in a country lie Portugal. However in comparison with other countries in Europe like Switzerland, Sweden, United Kingdom and the Netherlands which spend two percent and more of their GDP on R&D, South Africa are lagging far behind. Further, of the R10.1 billion available for R&D, only 13% is spend on the advancement of knowledge, whilst the most (60%) is spend on economic development. This indicates that too little is invested on human factors, which is considered a critical element for a successful knowledge based economy. The conclusion is thus that not sufficient funds are allotted for R&I activities in South Africa.
Capability of South Africa to transform scientific and technological inventions into commercial application
The first consideration in determining the capability of South Africa to transform R&D activities into commercial application demands an analysis of human resources availability in the scientific community. The Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (2002) has made a comparison between four countries, South Korea, Malaysia, South Africa and Australia regarding the development of human capital as expressed by number of researchers per 1000 of the population as indicated by Table 1. Although performing better than Malaysia on this component, South Africa are performing weak on the broadening of research literacy in the general population. It is a further disturbing fact that South Africa has an aging research workforce. The Department also indicated that the number of science, engineering and technology (SET) practitioners, will vary between 7 and 11 per 1000 of the population in the years 2002 to 2012 and a university throughput in SET of only 2.7% to 3% during the same time frame. The latter figures compare extremely unfavourable with SET graduate throughput in some of the European countries like the United Kingdom (19.5% – 21.0%), Turkey (5.2%), Switzerland (7.0% – 7.7%), Sweden (13.3% – 13.9%), Spain (12% – 12.6%), Slovenia (8.7% – 9.0%), Portugal (7.4% – 8.2%), Poland (8.3% – 9.0%), Norway (7.7% – 9.3%) and the Netherlands (6.6% – 7.3%) for the same period.
Table 1: Researchers per 1000 of population
Researchers per 1000 of Population
Australia 4.843
South Africa 0.71
Malaysia 0.3
South Korea 2.771
Secondly, of the top 700 firms, by R&D expenditure in the world, only one namely Sasol is located in South Africa with a US$91 million spending during 2003, whilst more than 80% of these firms come from only five countries, spending more than 82.5% of R&D: the United States (42.3%), Japan (22.0%), Germany (7.6%), the United Kingdom (5.6%) and France (5.0%). The remaining 20% comes from Finland (0.9%), Sweden (2.1%), Switzerland (2.9%), Republic of Korea (1.4%), Taiwan (1.1%), China (0.1%), Bermuda (0.4%), Brazil (0.3%), Croatia (0.1%) and South Africa (0.1%). Of these firms more than 50% operates in the high and medium technology environments of information technology, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and automotive. In essence Transnational Corporations dominate the global business R&D and in all of this South Africa plays a relative insignificant role in participation. However, as internationalisation of R&D by Transnational Corporations increased, South Africa benefited from this approach and the amount of US$67 billion spent in 2002 of which US$24 million was allotted to South Africa. This benefit however, does not reveal the fact that other developing countries like China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Republic of Korea are the main gainers in the internationalisation of R&D worldwide (World Investment Report, 2005).
Sourcing of competitive technologies in South Africa
The history of South Africa and its political dispensation of Apartheid till 1994 led to international isolation causing the country to adopt an internal innovation approach. Since 1994 however, the country began to participate actively in the global economy and a need exist to source new technologies locally as well as from elsewhere (NSTF, 2001). Lorentzen (2004) provided the following statistics regarding to the sourcing of competitive technologies in South Africa over the period 1999-2001 as indicated by Table 2. According to Lorentzen, the 22% foreign sourcing is primarily for radical innovations, whilst local technological sourcing happens within the domain of incremental innovations. It can therefore be concluded that knowledge resources do not meet the competitive needs of South Africa especially in high technology innovations.
Table 2: Sources of Competitive Technologies
Source Percentage
In-house 57
Local 24
Foreign 22
Further, whilst South African inventors secure around 100 United States patents per year, this represents only 2.5 patents per million of the population per annum. In comparison Japan secured 776 patents per million of the population per annum (Department of Arts, culture, Science and Technology, 2002).
Conclusion and Recommendations
The results reveal that South Africa performed poorly and insignificantly low in the export of high, medium and low levels technologies. The country is therefore poorly positioned globally to compete successfully due to a lack in ability to commercialise the results of R&I in the international markets. This can be partially be attributed to the fact that not sufficient funds are allocated for R&D as indicated by the gross expenditure on R&D. In order to sustain its competitive position South Africa needs to follow a three-tier approach. Import the technology it requires to fulfil in its trading needs by securing access to external sources of technology, establish strong links with the global production system and seek co-operation agreements with international expertise to ensure technology transfer to South Africa.
In order to strengthen the research and SET capacity in South Africa, the throughput at university level should at least be doubled to come in line with developed and developing countries in the European union and to contribute significantly to the formation of SET human capital and technological innovations. South Africa has also embarked on a process of embarking on an incentive approach that provides funding sources to different stages for commercialisation of research innovations.
Due to the fact that South Africa is not performing well in the area of patenting, a better approach could be to focus on trademarks, rather than patents based on the argument that final consumers are less concerned on whether a product has been manufactured solely on the basis of imported or self-develop technology that buying the right product that would satisfy their needs. Trademarks better address the latter component and are focussing more on the licensing of technology as opposed to protecting industrially applicable inventions as in the case of patenting. Whilst patenting is focussing on the supply side of the market to prevent competitors from copying the innovation, trademarks is focussing on the demand side of the market by influencing consumers, which trademark to buy. South Africa therefore could benefit to focus on establishing preferred trademarks in the marketplace in order to grow its competitive base in the global world especially in the field of indigenous technology applications.
From a global perspective South Africa is also performing poorly to attract R&D funds from Transnational Corporations. Funding obtained is primarily intended for the auto industry. The funds invested, represents a very narrow base on which to build the competitive edge through R&I.
It can therefore be concluded that South Africa founds itself on the periphery of global knowledge creation and innovation as well as in sourcing for technological innovations. If South Africa intends to maintain and grow its global competitiveness greater emphasis should be given to:
· Increase the budget for Research and innovation dramatically;
· Provide stronger support to universities to engage in knowledge transfer and commercialisation of inventions;
· Direct the preferred choice of students in the direction of science, engineering and technology education; and
· Form strong partnerships with international organisations known for R&I and with reputable scientists in R&I.
All this should be done in the realisation that that the precise returns in R&I investments cannot be determined and that the real benefits may only be reaped years later.
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Jan Grundling is the Head of the Centre for Entrepreneurship, Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa
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