When white travellers arrive in Kenya, South Africa, or Tanzania, they are often greeted with genuine warmth and respect, and they are usually seen as tourists, investors, or contributors to progress.
However, a Black African arriving from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Uganda, or the Democratic Republic of Congo may face subtle suspicion and additional scrutiny.
These encounters highlight not just immigration protocols but also a deeper trust deficit among African nations.
On a continent that shares a rich tapestry of ancestry and aspiration, melanin should signify belonging and connection, not create barriers at the borders of identity.
This duality reflects a complex and long-standing paradox: in a land where shared ancestry should invite empathy, colour-coded assumptions continue to shape first impressions.
It is not hostility, but a legacy of colonial conditioning and socio-economic fear that still influences our attitudes, often unconsciously.
When skin becomes a social visa
Across several African capitals, from Nairobi to Accra and Cape Town to Casablanca, there appears to be an unspoken social hierarchy. Visitors of European, Chinese, Indian, or Middle Eastern descent are often welcomed as contributors.
Meanwhile, fellow Africans, particularly from neighbouring nations, frequently encounter suspicion or subtle resistance.
This dynamic is neither imagined nor isolated. It is visible in documented episodes such as xenophobic attacks in South Africa (2008, 2015, 2019) or the increasingly subtle challenges faced by Nigerian entrepreneurs in Ghana and Ghanaians in Nigeria.
While these realities do not define us, they offer a mirror worth examining. Unity cannot be declared at summits yet denied at street corners.
This discrepancy is not merely anecdotal, it is supported by countless testimonies from professionals, entrepreneurs, and students who have experienced unequal treatment when attempting to live or work in fellow African countries.
These patterns, over time, erode the potential for collaborative development across borders.
Pan-Africanism and the practice gap
We rightfully celebrate symbols of continental unity: AfCFTA, Agenda 2063, and the African Union. At high-level forums, leaders reaffirm their commitment to an “Africa for Africans.” However, on the ground, the experiences can diverge starkly. In North Africa, reports of racial profiling persist.
In parts of Southern Africa, migrants from within the continent face exclusion. In many nations, a fellow African seeking opportunity is viewed with far greater scepticism than a visitor from the Global North. This dissonance between vision and practice deserves honest introspection.
The border as a mirror
The colonial borders drawn in Berlin in 1884 continue to manifest not just on maps, but in our mindsets. Today, the borders we enforce most vigorously are emotional and psychological.
A European resting beneath a tree may be labelled a tourist. A fellow African doing the same might be dismissed as idle or suspect. Our perceptions are shaped by subtle social codes; accents, surnames, and even dress. These codes influence our sense of belonging more than any physical boundary.
A fragmented identity
When asked where they’re from, Americans often respond, “I’m American.” Europeans, “I’m European.” But ask an African, and the response is typically national: “I’m Ghanaian,” “I’m South African,” “I’m Kenyan.” African identity often comes second, if at all.
This isn’t a failure of patriotism, but rather a reflection of fractured histories and lingering insecurities. Some cling to nationality as a marker of distinction, sometimes, unfortunately, to feel superior to neighbouring citizens.
Yet the very notion of superiority among kin is what weakens the collective foundation we seek to build.
Meanwhile, others outside the continent move fluidly across regions under cohesive banners, such as the European Union, Schengen, and NAFTA. The irony is sobering: Africans often distrust one another more deeply than they distrust outsiders.
AfCFTA or AfCAN’T?
The African Continental Free Trade Area holds tremendous promise. Yet without trust, integration becomes a procedural illusion rather than a lived reality. Presently, only 16percent of African trade is intra-continental, compared to over 60percent within the European Union.
Supply chains depend not only on infrastructure but also on interpersonal confidence. A Nigerian trader in Rwanda or Ghana, or a Ugandan doctor in Botswana, may face more suspicion than someone from Europe or North America. This double standard quietly undermines the very aspirations we proclaim.
When the talking drum echoes our contradictions
If Africa’s soul were expressed through a drumbeat, the rhythm would reveal contradictions we struggle to voice:
- Beat One: We gather under AU banners and continental agendas
- Beat Two: We eloquently preach unity
- Beat Three: We close borders to fellow Africans
- Beat Four: We grant outsiders privileged access
- Beat Five: We ask why development remains elusive
The African drum is rich, symbolic, and powerful. But no matter how ancient or resonant its voice, disharmony in rhythm makes even ancestral spirits pause. We must attune our actions to match the melody of our rhetoric.
Hope in the winds of change
Despite these inconsistencies, there is reason for optimism. Hope is evident in collaborative tech start-ups that transcend borders. It thrives in the rhythm of Afrobeats, the rise of cross-border entrepreneurship, and the voices of a younger generation eager to see beyond flags.
There is also a growing movement of Pan-African startups, youth-led digital communities, and diaspora-led investment forums actively rewriting this narrative.
From fintech corridors in Lagos to innovation hubs in Kigali, a new story of African collaboration is being drafted; one that prioritises shared solutions over inherited divisions. Yet the burden of inherited divisions lingers.
Freedom of movement remains hollow if our minds are still tethered to outdated suspicions and artificial hierarchies.
A clarion call from the melanin mirror
As a committed modern-day Pan-Africanist, I am both inspired and sobered by what I witness. The real barriers today are not merely physical; they reside in how we view one another and in the unconscious prejudices we carry.
- To industrialise, we must first humanise
- To trade with trust, we must trust ourselves
- To command global respect, we must begin by honouring our shared heritage
We cannot afford to let protocols outpace principles. We must infuse Pan-Africanism into our daily interactions, not just our policy papers.
Africa does not need another saviour. It needs a shift in mindset. Only then can the melanin passport become a symbol of shared belonging across every border and within every heart.
Conclusion: The refugee is the African dream
Until a Black African can travel across the continent without being viewed through the lens of suspicion, Africa’s promise remains unfulfilled.
We must:
- Dismantle emotional checkpoints
- Tear down mental fences
- Recognise that our continent is not a collection of borders, but a shared destiny
Because the real refugee today is not the one crossing deserts and rivers. It is the African dream drifting, disillusioned, and searching for safe passage in our own hearts. Unless we act with conviction and unity, that dream may never find its home again.
The truth may be inconvenient. But it is only through confronting it that we can begin to build the Africa we all deserve.
>>>the writer is a globally celebrated thought leader, Chartered Director, industrial engineer, supply chain management expert, and social entrepreneur known for his transformative contributions to industrialisation, procurement, and strategic sourcing in developing nations.
As Africa’s first Professor Extraordinaire for Supply Chain Governance and Industrialization, he has advised governments, businesses, and policymakers, driving sustainability and growth. During his tenure as Chairman of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and Labadi Beach Hotel, he led these institutions to global recognition for innovation and operational excellence. He is also the past chairman of the Public Procurement Authority.
A prolific author of over 90 publications, he is the creator of NyansaKasa (Words of Wisdom), a thought-provoking platform with over one million daily readers. Through his visionary leadership, Professor Boateng continues to inspire ethical governance, innovation, and youth empowerment, driving Africa toward a sustainable and inclusive future.
