from ADANE BIKILA in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Ethiopia Bureau
ADDIS ABABA, (CAJ News) – A new pan-African campaign aimed at reshaping global perceptions about Africa has been launched on Africa Day under the theme, “Africa Is Not Waiting.”
The initiative, branded #NotWaiting, seeks to spotlight the entrepreneurs, innovators, creatives and communities already transforming the continent through business, technology, culture and grassroots development.
Launched simultaneously in Addis Ababa, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Lagos and Accra, the campaign is spearheaded by Opportunity Africa in partnership with organisations including Africa No Filter, Brand Africa and the African Union (AU).
Campaign organisers said the initiative was founded on the belief that if Africans changed the way they viewed themselves, the rest of the world would eventually do the same.
Across the continent, African entrepreneurs are building globally competitive businesses while creators and innovators continue to shape culture, technology and local development.
However, organisers believe these achievements are often overshadowed by narratives focused mainly on conflict, poverty and crisis.
The #NotWaiting campaign aims to change this perception by encouraging Africans both on the continent and in the diaspora to actively promote stories of progress, resilience, innovation and opportunity.
Participants are being encouraged to share stories, businesses, individuals and ideas they believe deserve greater visibility using the hashtag #NotWaiting.
The campaign will also continue on the 25th of every month, creating a recurring digital movement where Africans collectively flood online platforms with positive stories about the continent.
Faith Adhiambo, Senior Communication Officer for Agenda 2063 at the African Union, speaking on behalf of AU Director of Communication Leslie Richer, said Africa Day symbolised pride in Africa’s identity and confidence in its future.
“#NotWaiting captures the energy of a generation that is no longer waiting to be seen, validated or defined by others.
Africans are already building the future they want, and this campaign helps make that visible to us and to the world,” Adhiambo said.
Moky Makura, Executive Director of Africa No Filter, said the campaign was primarily about helping Africans appreciate their own stories and achievements.
“If we begin to look at ourselves differently, the world will see us differently too,” Makura said.
Thebe Ikalafeng, Founder of Brand Africa and Chancellor of Sol Plaatje University, said Africa could not confidently develop while continuously viewing itself through narratives of deficiency.
“#NotWaiting is a statement of confidence from a continent already in motion and a reminder that Africa’s image should be shaped by its people, not inherited perceptions,” Ikalafeng said.
Organisers believe the campaign will strengthen a more balanced and accurate understanding of Africa by promoting stories that reflect the continent’s progress, creativity, agency and growing economic potential.
– CAJ News