Being a Respectful Consumer

Hello everyone!
I'm Lucy, and I'll be covering all topics related to traveling in a way that is beneficial to African communities. 

While it's important to be cautious of how you affect the environment in your travels, we can't forget about the local people of Africa who inhabit the same space, and are no less important.

There are many ways to be mindful, but before we cover any of them it's essential that we address the most important thing: attitude. 

One of the easiest ways you can impact African communities in a positive way is to purchase artwork and handicrafts made by local artists and artisans, but even this can easily backfire depending on how you go about doing so. That's why my very first post on this topic will be covering how to be respectful, specifically while being a consumer. It may seem like common sense to some, but many of these things simply don't occur to people--and that's okay, which is why I'm writing this today.

1. Don't generalize

Africa is an extremely diverse continent, and many foreigners tend to forget that it is, in fact, made up of many different and unique countries. Even within individual countries, there exist a myriad of ethnicities and cultures. One of the biggest disservices you can do is to simply label anything you buy from Africa as that--just African. This erases the culture of the artist and contributes to the wide misconception that all African cultures are the same, and this is simply not true. Take a look at this list of African ethnicities--and those are just the biggest ones. Africa's ethnic groups number in the thousands, each with their own unique identity, so their artwork reflects that as well.

Don't just bring home something you've bought and say it's just "African". It's more than just African. Say that it's a rug from Morocco, or a stone sculpture made by an artist from the Shona tribe in Zimbabwe. This will give an identity to the African artists you're trying to support, and promote their work as well. 

Even if you don't know exactly where the artist of a piece is from, you can make a difference by how you describe it. If you have a lot of sculptures decorating your living room, saying "These sculptures come from a lot of different African countries" is already much better than "These sculptures have a cool African vibe to them!" 

However, you should always try to find out who the artist is to ensure that they are profiting, as many tourism companies are known for buying African art for low prices and re-selling them at high prices, so the original artists receive very little money.

2. Avoid terms like "ethnic", "exotic", "trendy", "boho", etc. 

"Ethnic" and "exotic" are words to be careful of because, similar to what I mentioned in my last point, they lump a bunch of different cultures together. However, these words also imply a sense of strangeness or otherness. While it's perfectly okay to be fascinated by African art because it's different from what you're used to seeing, using words like "exotic" implies that you're only interested in something because the artist's culture is foreign and even weird to you, and not because you're actually interested in the aesthetic of it or the artist's skill. Opt for words like "global" and "worldly" instead, because they imply diversity.

The word "exotic" also is reminiscent of exoticism and primitivism movements in Western art, which Wikipedia itself describes as a "primitive fantasy" where artists romanticized people of other cultures as being innocent, uncorrupted, and pure--an over-simplified view that borders on dehumanizing. The Western world, during that time period, were more so interested in emulating and possessing the art of foreign cultures than actually respecting the foreign artists and cultures who created the source material that inspired them in the first place. 

Describing African art as trendy is also problematic because it’s existed for literally thousands of years, but “trendy” implies that it wasn’t considered appealing until a foreigner bought it and used it in their environment (for example, placing it in their home as a decoration). 

3. Be aware of how you use what you buy

You might find yourself buying a traditional-styled dress of the local culture while traveling in Africa. If you ever decide to wear that dress, however, it’s essential that you pay attention to the context in which you are wearing it, and understand when it may be inappropriate. For example, there may be events and celebrations while you’re in Africa where you’ll be expected to dress your part. Someone may give you some clothes as a gift and expect you to wear it. However, wearing the same outfit to something like, say, a Halloween party back home is extremely inappropriate.

Every situation is different, so you’ll have to use common sense from time to time. This link gives a good idea of how to judge.

4. Give credit for your inspiration. 

While you’re in Africa, you may come across something that inspires you, and that’s fine. Most Africans would be happy to know that their culture is inspirational to others. However, things change when inspiration becomes stealing. That’s how one woman felt when she found Ankara-print skirts at a store in America (Ankara prints are a type of wax print popular in Western Africa). However, when she checked the store’s website, the dress was listed as a “Women’s Printed Jersey Pencil Skirt”, a name that implies that it was a purely American invention.

If you decide to take inspiration from artists in Africa, make sure you allow them to share in your benefits. Choose to collaborate with an African artist instead of attempting to emulate their work. Donate money back that you might make. Refer people to the artists you’re inspired by. Just avoid blatantly stealing.

5. Make sure you are actually interested

This may seem like an odd question but still one you should ask yourself if you’re about to buy something. Many people see African handicrafts as trinkets or novelties, and buy them as souvenirs in order to elevate themselves to look more worldly and well-traveled. It's always a good idea to take a moment to make sure you want to buy something because you actually appreciate the work and artist behind it.  

6. Leave your preconceptions behind

This goes hand-in-hand with the first point about generalization. Don't go to Africa with a specific image of African art in mind. 

Many people forget that Africa has grown and evolved over time with the rest of the world, and that the same is true for its artwork. Many African artists today use very modern styles that are inspired by art styles of other countries too.  

By having a pre-conceived expectation of what African art should look like, you make it difficult for African artists to explore non-traditional styles. While not African, you can read about similar struggles about artistic conformity Native American artists go through here to have a better idea of how it may affect African artists.


All in all, just remember that when you travel, you are a guest! There is a big distinction between stealing someone's culture and allowing them to share their culture with you. Just use common sense, be respectful, and you can still have a lot of fun while traveling.

Enjoy your travels!