Follow In The Footsteps Of........
Jonathan Dimbleby’s TV journey in west and east Africa
After four decades of reporting from the continent, Jonathan Dimbleby has returned to Africa on a 7,000-mile journey for the BBC to discover how it is changing.
In a refreshing look at a part of the world the celebrated broadcaster not only knows well, but also patently loves, his African Journey programmes focus on how the prevailing image of unmitigated poverty is far from a true reflection of this vast continent.
In the first of three episodes, he visited Africa’s largest nation, the Republic of Mali, whose capital Bamako is the fastest growing city on the continent. A largely free media with 20 years of free elections has seen the country thrive.
While sailing down the majestic river Niger, the lush and green irrigated pastures portrayed a very different image from the arid lands of more familiar TV coverage of Africa.
His final visit was to one of Mali’s three World Heritage Sites, the historic mosque at Djenne, the largest mud structure in the world. (The other sites are Timbuktu and Bandiagara, the village inhabited by the Dogons built in a unique shape of a human figure.)
Sixty-five year-old Dimbleby then travelled south-east, to Ghana, a former UK colony (until 1957) which has had a bumpy ride until the discovery of oil. The boom to the economy has meant it now boasts one of the most stable and free governments on the continent.
Dimbleby had the privilege of meeting royal representatives from the Ashanti, the largest tribe in Ghana, who fought the British back in the 19th century. Although their colourful, traditional dress was de rigueur, the occupations of the tribal members were far more 21st century – the king talked happily about his years of employment with Brent Council while he played a round of golf. The final shots of a vast stretch of pristine sandy beach and a modern fashion show left an impression of a country on an upward spiral.
The second leg of his televisual journey began in the ancient city of Aksum in northern Ethiopia, a country synonymous with grim memories of famine, epitomized by the Live Aid fund-raising films in 1984. Having covered the famine in 1973, Dimbleby was at pains to show how the past 26 years have made a profound difference to the country and went as far as stating that “famine was inconceivable now”.
He preferred to focus on the glorious scenery in the Highlands, no longer inaccessible thanks to the new, good roads, which are being built countrywide. Human rights remain a challenge, but his conclusion was one of optimism, thanks largely to the country’s major export – coffee. More than 1.8m bags of coffee are exported per annum; the price is now organized by a newly launched Commodities Exchange, which protects the African farmer, using the latest technology to signal prices around the world within seconds.
Next stop was Masai country in the glorious Rift valley of Kenya, where Dimbleby tracked down tribal members in their ancestral land. To his obvious surprise, the Masai now rely on their mobiles to hunt for better grazing for their precious flocks and to sell their animals to better bidders. Over a goat roast, he was left marvelling at how the modern world had infiltrated their traditional way of life – for the good.
His last stop was for a quick chat with one of Kenya’s top entrepreneurs at the iconic, five-star Sarova Stanley hotel, where, from the day it opened its doors in 1902, it has been making history - hosting royal safaris and a long line of living legends.
The TV episode ended with a scenic drive along a major new highway being constructed, linking Kenya with Tanzania and a border crossing that was as easy as moving from France into Germany.
A peaceful, stable, multi-party democracy, Tanzania is one of the major success stories of Africa, mainly due to the vision of its first president, Julius Nyerere – who is suitably revered as much as his fellow African statesman, Nelson Mandela.
Dimbleby visited the city of Amsha, which has a status akin to The Hague in Europe, as well as Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s most important city, on the edge of the Indian Ocean, host to a celebrated, colourful fish market.
Next week, for the final leg of the odyssey, Jonathan Dimbleby travels from Congo to Durban.
If you have been inspired by any of Dimbleby’s TV programmes to visit these fascinating, individual countries – or if you are keen to seek out the lesser known parts of South Africa which are currently not being invaded by excited football fans – then speak to Andrew, Di, Gemma, Susie or Tina, who have all travelled extensively in Africa - 01428 658 777
