They Lied About Africa
by Ndoumbe
You’ve heard the headlines. This is the part they erased. This podcast reclaims Africa’s truth, one story, one country, one bold episode at a time.Host Ndoumbe unpacks erased history, silenced voices, and the narratives we’ve all been complicit in. Africa is young, powerful, and full of beauty, if we’re willing to see it. Whether you’re here to remember, reconnect, or unlearn...welcome home.
Episodes
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Africa Is Changing. But What Happens to the People Growing Old in It?
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…
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Is It Actually Easier to Build a Business in Africa? | Kanessa Muluneh
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...
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The Reality of Moving From America to Senegal | Aalia Reeves (Content Creator)
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…
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She Left the American Dream to Build a Business in Senegal | Aminata Mbaye, Founder & CEO of PYNK
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...
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He Turned the African Diaspora's Biggest Fear Into a Business - Imran Bakaluba (Homelink Uganda)
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...
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How Europe Built a Football Empire Using African Talent
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…
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How FIFA Tried to Keep Africa Out of the World Cup
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...
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Africa Loses $95 Billion A Year To Patriarchy
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...
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Patriarchy Is the Most Successful Import in African History
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…
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How They Scam You When You Build in Senegal
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…
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Is Modest Fashion Misrepresenting African Culture?
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...
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Apartheid Wasn't African. It Was American.
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,...
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The Business of Poverty: How Africa Was Framed
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...
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Who Really Controls African Money?
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...
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Is Islam an Arab Religion?
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…
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How the Kayrafet Founders Built an African Jewellery Brand
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…
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Who was Thomas Sankara?
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...
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The Archive Africa Deserved: Founder of Afrique Noire Magazine, Isha Gaye
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...
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The Crisis Sudan Is Rising From, On the Frontlines With DarAid
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,...
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The Real Reason You Think Africa Is Poor
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…
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The Thiaroye Massacre: France’s Hidden WWII Crime in Senegal
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...
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The Secret Behind Cameroon’s 92-Year-Old President — Paul Biya Has Been Re-Elected
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...
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If Sudan Wasn’t in Africa, You’d Care About This War | Sudan Crisis Explained
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...
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When Being African Finally Became Cool, She Built a Brand from It
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...
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Africa Doesn’t Lack Talent, It Lacks Systems: How Idris Is Rewriting the Rules from the U.S.
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
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Can You Really Build an African Nonprofit From the U.S.?
She was a broke college kid with $500. Now she’s building a nonprofit in Senegal from the U.S. 🌍This episode with Amy Seck, founder of the Senegal Foundation (SNGL), is about what it really takes for the diaspora to build back home.
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5 African Kingdoms They Never Taught You in School
We all learned about Rome and Greece in school — but when it came to Africa, the story was silence, slavery, or stereotypes. In this episode of They Lied About Africa, I uncover 5 kingdoms that prove Africa has always been a continent of builders, innovators, and world powers.🌍 What you’ll hear...
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A Diaspora Photographer Bridging Harlem and Dakar: Awa Seck
In this episode of They Lied About Africa, I sit down with Awa Seck, a 19-year-old photographer from Harlem with Senegalese roots, whose lens bridges identity, heritage, and creativity. From picking up her first camera in London, to rediscovering belonging on a life-changing trip to Dakar, Awa...
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Why the Gambia is Inside Senegal: The Berlin Conference Explained
Africa’s borders weren’t drawn in Africa — they were drawn in Berlin in 1884. At the infamous Berlin Conference, European powers sat down to carve the continent into colonies, with rulers and pens, and without a single African in the room.In this episode of They Lied About Africa, I break down…
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5 Ways the Diaspora Can Build Wealth Back Home
How can the diaspora build real wealth back home?In this episode, I share 5 proven ways to build generational wealth in Africa — backed by research and case studies already working across the continent.From solar power to cold storage, retail, healthcare, and housing, these are opportunities tied...
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The African Union Wants the World to See Africa’s True Size
What if I told you the world map you grew up with was lying to you? 🌍In this episode, we break down how the Mercator projection shrunk Africa, why colonial powers kept it that way, and why the African Union’s new Correct the Map campaign matters. This isn’t just geography — it’s about power,...
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Why African Parents Don’t Believe in Mental Health
Why does it sometimes feel like African parents don’t believe in mental health? In this episode of They Lied About Africa, I unpack the silence many of us grew up with — where “I love you” showed up as a plate of food, therapy was replaced with prayer, and boundaries were seen as disrespect — and...
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The Senegalese Brand Redefining Modest Fashion
At 22, Adja Coumba Gueye is proving that West African fashion and modesty not only coexist, they elevate each other. From Harlem to Senegal, she’s building Sutura to make modesty aspirational, culturally rooted, and impossible to ignore.
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The Silent Crisis Emptying Africa
Africa is losing its brightest minds to opportunities abroad, and the world barely talks about it. In this episode of They Lied About Africa, I break down why so many talented Africans leave, what it means for the continent’s future, and how even in the West, we can be part of the solution. This…
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T’Challa or Killmonger: Who Are We Now?
The diaspora isn’t at war because of braids... we’re at war because of erasure, colonial residue, and centuries of misunderstanding. In this episode, we unpack how the latest “boycott African businesses” trend is deeper than TikTok and rooted in real, generational pain.
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They Lied About Africa — It’s Literally in Space
Africa is entering the space race, not for show, but to solve real-world problems. In this episode, we explore how countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana are using satellites to fight climate change, boost farming, expand internet access, and build a future that’s theirs. The future of space...
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Trump Heard the Liberian President Speak English and Got Confused
When President Boakai of Liberia spoke at a recent meeting, Trump interrupted to say, “Such good English. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”This episode breaks down why that moment wasn’t just awkward — it was revealing. We unpack the assumptions behind it, spotlight the real Liberia...
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The Motherland Didn’t Feel Like My Mother
If you’ve ever gone back to Africa and felt like an outsider in your own culture — this episode is for you.In this episode, I talk about what it’s really like to visit “back home” as part of the African diaspora — the awkwardness, the shame, the micro-comments, the pressure to give, the guilt of...
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You’re Not Too Broke to Invest in Senegal
Tired of rent draining your pockets while your dreams stay on pause? In this episode of They Lied About Africa, we break down why Senegal might just be Gen Z’s smartest investment move, and how you can get started with way less than you think.
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The Bag is in Africa. Don't Fumble it.
They told you Africa was poor. But what if Africa is actually the bag, and you’ve been fumbling it this whole time? In this episode, we break down the youth unemployment crisis across the continent, how Gen Z in the diaspora is being misled, and why Africa might be the biggest missed opportunity…
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They Broke the Planet. Africa’s Fixing It.
Africa contributes less than 3% of global emissions, ,but it’s leading some of the world’s boldest climate innovations. From solar tech in Kenya to waste startups in Senegal, this episode unpacks how Africa is solving a crisis it didn’t even cause, and why the diaspora can’t afford to sit this…
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You Wear the Clothes, Eat the Food… But Can’t Speak the Language?
What happens when you can’t speak your language...but everyone expects you to represent your culture? In this episode of They Lied About Africa, we explore the quiet guilt of not knowing your mother tongue, and how colonization, migration, and survival systems made it that way. But this isn’t…
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Before You Invest In Ghana
Ghana’s wealth story didn’t start with today’s headlines, it started centuries ago, in empires, resistance, and brilliance that’s still shaping the world. This video explores what you need to know before you invest: the roots, the reality, and the responsibility. If you’ve ever wondered ‘what if…
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They Lied About Africa: Pilot
What do you really know about Africa? For decades, we’ve been fed one narrative: poverty, struggle, crisis. But there’s so much more to the story, and it’s time we tell it ourselves. In this pilot episode of They Lied About Africa, I unpack the hidden reasons behind Africa’s global image: The…
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About this show
You’ve heard the headlines. This is the part they erased. This podcast reclaims Africa’s truth, one story, one country, one bold episode at a time.Host Ndoumbe unpacks erased history, silenced voices, and the narratives we’ve all been complicit in. Africa is young, powerful, and full of beauty, if we’re willing to see it. Whether you’re here to remember, reconnect, or unlearn...welcome home.
Hosted by
Ndoumbe