All my life i saw Africa being represented as a mostly poor country through images of poverty, nature, wildlife and very simple villages. So unconsciously i associated Africa with these things that i hear and see online that come from people who don’t really know anything about Africa or whats happening there. Also most people associate the continent Africa as one whole thing they don’t really talk about the different countries, cultures etc.. Africa has so many interesting countries with different traditions, people, and languages. The Netflix show Queen Sono portrays africa as it really is it shows us the different sides of it, the modern and technological side. The characters in the show lived in modern cities, had jobs and careers, relationships and personal problems that didn’t include poverty, famine etc…

The show itself portrayed the character Queen who worked as a spy for the South African secret service (like the CIA) which we never see or hear about. The idea of there being an African secret service and spies and modern technology in Africa is never portrayed. Many people would never know this because of the single stories they hear about Africa. The show challenges the stereotype that African stories are about hardship and it shows us the deeper more nuanced, diverse side of Africa and its modern side. It also shows different characters from different backgrounds with different cultures and traditions which also challenges the idea that all people from Africa are considered as “one”. Western media limits the information we have about modern day Africa because they only want us to focus on the Africa that is being showed on EXAMPLE: National Geographic portraying simple villages, wildlife and nature, tribes, “exotic” languages, and clothing etc.. But it is all false information. Yes, some of the things wee see online are true and are actually happening in africa, but it isn’t the only thing we should hear, learn or write about. 

Lediga, K. (Executive Producer). (2020). Queen Sono [TV series]. Diprente Films; Netflix.https://www.netflix.com/ir/title/81035137