How many women have undergone female genital cutting FGC and female genital mutilation FGM.

More than 200 million girls and women alive today have been cut in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where female genital mutilation is concentrated. While the exact number of girls and women. Worldwide who have undergone female genital mutilation remains unknown.

In what countries does female genital cutting take place besides Africa? 

Data collected in 2015 from household surveys show female genital mutilation exists in Yemen, Iraq, and Indonesia and in some places in South America such as Colombia, India, Malaysia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The practice is also found in pockets of Europe and in Australia and North America. In most of the countries, the majority of girls were cut after the age of five. In Yemen, 85 percent of girls experienced female genital mutilation within their first week of life.

Where does organized religion stand on the practice of female genital cutting?

No written religious scripts advocate the practice, practitioners often believe the practice has religious support through tradition and traditional beliefs. Religious leaders take varying positions with regard to female genital mutilation.

What time of year does female genital mutilation usually take place?

In Northwest Tanzania and Southwest Kenya, December is known as cutting season. Female genital mutilation during the cutting season is illegally performed on girls between infancy and the age of 15, most commonly before puberty starts.  In the Mara Region, residents mainly practice nomadic pastoralism and some farming but tourism is the major economic activity in the district as it is the home of the world-famous Serengeti National Park.

However, around the award-winning beautiful Serengeti National Park greatest wildlife spectacle on earth, small African communities are illegally practicing female genital mutilation.

What is female genital mutilation?

Female genital mutilation (FGM) refers to all practices involving partial or complete removal of or injury to the external sexual organs of women and girls for non-medical reasons.  The practice is generally carried out with a knife or a razor blade without anesthesia and in non-sterile conditions. There are four types of Female genital mutilation (FGM):

Type 1

Partial or total removal of the clitoris and/or the prepuce.

Type 2

Partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora.

Type 3

Narrowing of the vaginal orifice with the creation of a covering seal by cutting and repositioning the labia minora and/or the labia majora, with or without excision of the clitoris.

Type 4

All other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, for example, pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterization.

FGM is a traditional prerequisite to marriage amongst the Kurya people who live in the area, however, it has been illegal since 1998 but the practice is commonly done in secret. Kenyans living in the villages bordering Tanzania often took their girls to be cut in Tanzania.

There are financial, as well as cultural reasons, why so many parents support the FGM practice. The main reason is parents force girls to undergo FGM because they want dowry.  When girls are circumcised, their parents have already arranged for them to be married. When the girls finish the initiation, their parents introduce them to their husband, whose family gives them cows as dowry. In some communities in Kenya and Tanzania, women who have not undergone FGM are victims of social exclusion in the belief that a woman who has been cut demands a higher dowry for her parents and she will be more faithful to her husband.  The practice is illegal and the Tanzanian Serengeti government during the cutting season says there are immense challenges to stopping it. One commissioner stated, "The problem is that FGM is done secretly. It's difficult for police officers to safeguard every household to find out if it's happening or not."

However, in December 2013, approximately 38 women were arrested for carrying out illegal genital mutilation on a group of girls aged from 3 to 15. The women were arrested by the police as they performed a traditional dance around a house where 21 girls, ages 3 to 15, had recently undergone FGM.  Sentences for FGM can garner up to 15 years in prison.

Despite the arrests, in recent years, Kurya clan elders have guaranteed that no girl would undergo female genital mutilation, adopting an alternative rite of passage ritual. “We don’t want any problems with the government so we will use maize flour to signify a rite of passage for our girls instead of our normal ritual,” said James Nyamaka, one of the Kurya clan elders in Tarime.

Reported female genital mutilation Countries  

Percentage of girls aged 0 to 14 years who have undergone female genital mutilation

The Gambia 56%

Mauritania 54%

Guinea 46%

Eritrea 33%

Sudan 32%

Guinea-Bissau 30%

Ethiopia 24%

Nigeria 17%

Egypt 14%

Burkina Faso 13%

Sierra Leone 13%

Senegal 13%

Côte d’Ivoire 10%

Kenya 3%

Uganda 1%

The Central African Republic 1%

Ghana 1%

Togo 0.3%

Benin 0.2%

Reported female genital mutilation Countries   

Percentage of girls and women aged 15 to 49 years who have undergone female genital mutilation

Somalia 98%

Guinea 97%

Djibouti 93%

Sierra Leone 90%

Mali 89%

Egypt 87%

Sudan 87%

Eritrea 83%

Burkina Faso 76%

The Gambia 75%

Ethiopia 74%

Mauritania 69%

Liberia 50%

Guinea-Bissau 45%

Chad 44%

Côte d’Ivoire 38%

Nigeria 25%

Senegal 25%

The Central African Republic 24%

Kenya 21%

Tanzania 15%

Benin 9%

Togo 5%

Ghana 4%

Niger 2%

Uganda 1%

Cameroon 1%

One falsehood spoils a thousand truths.

Hate African Quotes, Sayings and Proverbs

Hate African proverbs communicate insight into wickedness and foolishness of hate. African proverbs quotes, and sayings touch the place in our heart of silent ancestors.

Hate destroys but love builds.

There is no medicine to cure hatred.

Angry words are like a fist but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Curse has no cure.

War ends nothing.

The mouth is responsible for discord among people.

Who dies inside has lost.


Until one dies, others will not be satisfied.

War is fear cloaked in courage.

A chicken that lives among vultures will soon start smelling like one.

One falsehood spoils a thousand truths.

Once bitten by a snake he fears a rope.

A healer of others, himself diseased.

Famous Waterfalls Across Africa — Nature’s Sky-Born Rivers

Africa’s waterfalls are sculpted by mountains, rainfall, and deep time. From the volcanic highlands of Ethiopia to the lush forests of Ghana, these cascades tell stories of erosion, spiritual meaning, and life carried downstream.

Geographic context: Many waterfall systems begin in major watershed mountains, which generate rivers that flow through some of the largest African countries by land area. These headwaters are explored more deeply in Mountains From Whom Rivers Flow and the Water in Africa guide.

Victoria Falls — Zambia / Zimbabwe

Called Mosi-oa-Tunya — “The Smoke That Thunders” — Victoria Falls is one of the world’s largest curtain waterfalls. Fed by the Zambezi River, it shapes ecosystems, tourism, and spiritual meaning in southern Africa.

Wli Waterfalls — Ghana

Flowing from the Agumatsa River, Wli Waterfalls are Ghana’s highest. The surrounding valleys are home to sacred groves, fruit trees, and diverse birdlife.

Learn more: Ghana’s Volta Wli Falls.

Kalambo Falls — Zambia / Tanzania

Kalambo Falls drops nearly 235 meters into a narrow gorge, carving one of Africa’s deepest river cuts. Archaeological sites here reveal human habitation dating back hundreds of thousands of years.

Blue Nile Falls — Ethiopia

Tis Abay — “the Great Smoke” — sits along the Blue Nile, which flows from Lake Tana. Seasonal flow creates dramatic shifts, nourishing downstream communities.

Explore its larger river story in the Nile Valley.

How Waterfalls Shape Culture

• Spiritual sites
• Sacred forests
• Trade + travel corridors
• Rainmaking traditions

Water traditions live on throughout the continent — discover more in African water spirituality.

Related Reading

• Water in Africa — Rivers, Rain & Ancient Aquifers
• Mountains From Whom Rivers Flow
• Nile Valley — Epic Clash of River & Desert
• African Geography Hub

Part of the African Geography Hub.

Compare waterfall basins with the largest African countries by land area.

The story of Ausar, Aset, and Heru begins in Egypt.

Some of the great works of ancient Egyptian art and architectural influences have served as a blueprint for monuments in the United States capital of Washington, D.C. The construction of these great Washington D.C. monuments are based off the Egyptian story of Ausar, Aset, and Heru.

Story of Ausar, Aset & Heru — Ancient Egyptian Myth Retold

Ausar was an early leader of Kush, and genius who developed the written word, agriculture, and theology. Armed with this knowledge, Ausar left Kush to spread his teachings along the Nile Valley and around the world. 

On his teaching travels, he met a beautiful Nubian woman named Auset, whom he married shortly thereafter. Auset remained in her homeland while her husband continued in his travels as a teacher. Ausar gained fame and admiration throughout Kemet as a unifier, a man of order and virtue, and an exemplary scholar. 

This fame provoked the envy and hatred of his brother, Set. As Ausar traveled across Kemet unifying the wild and scattered tribes into the world’s first nation-state, his brother followed behind him like a harsh wind in an attempt to undo his brother's accomplishments. 

Set stirred up animosity among those who had come under Ausar’s rule. “Who is he that you should listen to Ausar?” Set would proclaim. “Let each man do as he pleases! Lawlessness exploded across the region, and the order that Ausar brought to Kemet began to deteriorate. Nevertheless, Set was not satisfied with the chaos that he wrought – he wanted his brother dead. 

Set followed behind Ausar, caught up to him, and murdered him while he slept. He dismembered Ausars body into 14 pieces and spread them across Kemet so that they could not be found. When Auset learned of the murder of her husband, she fled into hiding and then went searching for the missing parts of her husband’s body. 

She found every piece, except for Ausars penis. It had been cast into the Nile and eaten by a crocodile. She cleaned each piece of her husband’s body, anointed it with oil, and wrapped him in linens. She grieved over her beloved, not only because he was murdered but because they hadn’t consummated their marriage – Auset was still a virgin. 

The spirit of Ausar heard her cries and visited her in the night. Nine months later, Auset gave birth to Heru. Heru, endowed with the spirit of his father, was given the mission of defeating his wicked uncle Set and restoring order to his father’s kingdom on Earth as the rightful heir to a unified Kemet. 

Heru grew up in hiding to prevent Set from discovering that Ausar had an anointed son, but all the while preached of his father’s kingdom and preparing his disciples for the day of battle. The battle between the forces of Set, in the North, against the forces of Heru, in the South, was apocalyptic. 

Once the battle was over, instead of killing his uncle Set Heru bound him in chains and cast him into an abyss. At the moment of his victory, Heru was transformed into a falcon and was called up into heaven to stand before his father and give testament. 

Ausar was well pleased, blessed him, and sent him back down to Earth to rule as the legitimate Pharaoh of a unified Kemet. Once Heru assumed his throne on Earth, Ausar was also able to be at rest and assumed his throne as the Lord of the Underworld. 

To commemorate the victory of Heru, every temple and royal house carved a winged sun – the heru bedet – above its entrance. The heru bedet served as a reminder of the virtues of order and a warning against the dangers of greed and jealousy.

And that is the Story of Ausar, Aset, and Heru.

📚 This story is part of the Explore Africa Collection .

 

After a fight over a beautiful woman, two young men will not condescend to take a pinch of snuff together on any account, although they have been the best of friends their entire lives. It is not until their quarrel has been settled and their tempers cooled down that they can begin to say, "Ngi ncwebise ugwai " or give me a pinch of snuff.

Best Friends Fall in Love with the Same Woman African Tall Tale Folklore Story

Two handsome young men, who had been friends ever since they were quite little fellas, fell in love with the same beautiful woman, who was the chief’s daughter kind and pleasant to everybody.

These young men were inseparable; wherever the one went the other was sure to go. Whether it was to a hunt, beer drink, wedding, or dance they always went together. A certain chief took a liking to these two young men, for they were very cheerful and amusing, so he encouraged them to come to all his entertainments.

One used to ornament himself with orange beads, the other with red beads. They each carried a beautiful slender, iron-tipped, hardwood spear, a club, and a feathered shield.

These two young men were greatly struck with the girl, and both fell in love with her. The one in red decided at once to win her, but how to set about it was a puzzle, for he never before had gone anywhere without his friend, and he did not know what excuse making to go off alone. However, the next day he got a very good opportunity, for his friend was taken ill and could not attend a dance he had promised to go to.

The one in red had to go alone and make excuses for the other. Between the dances, he got a chance to try his luck with the young woman and was rejected at once for having the impudence to wear the royal color of red. This maiden thought he could not be trusted he would venture too much, and end by being killed.

He went back disappointed and annoyed but did not let his friend know anything about it, for he intended to try again. When his friend had recovered they went together to call on the chief.

His daughter brought in some food to the group and it was noticed that she paid most attention to the one in orange, and of course, that gave him hope at once. As soon as she left the house, the young man in orange beads said, "Your daughter, chief of the great house, has won my heart.

The chief answered, "You are a handsome, promising gentleman and if she agrees, my daughter shall be your wife.” The young man was delighted with this answer.  He took the next opportunity to propose and was accepted.

His friend was furiously angry and swore a solemn oath that now their friendship had come to an end, and they would be enemies for the rest of their lives, “For," said he,” A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.

They parted there and then.

The happy couple married a few weeks later.

Whenever the two old friends met the orange beads said to him, “dear friend of my youth and life, come and let us make it up. Here, take a pinch of snuff. It was no fault of mine you were rejected."

"No, ' it is too soon after your wedding," said the other, “this may be done, but I do not wish to. It is too soon my friend, irritate me not, I pray. May the spirits of the ancestors pity me and save me from harming you or her. Depart in peace! It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. "

However, three months after the wedding and after their hot anger cooled, the two friends met under a Dogwood tree, took snuff together, and vowed to forget their grievance.

More short folklore stories from Africa to make you fall in love with myths and legends again from the motherland.

1. Why the bunny rabbit has wiggly slits for a nose
2. Love Takes No Less Than Everything Marriage Folklore
3. Hunters Attack Cowards Tell the Story
4. One Do Wrong All Get Punished
5. Mighty Little Hedgehog

Too tall and too fat for love African tall tale folklore story explores the evils and pleasures of two tall fat people in Southern African have with dating and love.

African Elephant Love Folklore Story

In Southern Africa among the Zulu clans, there is told the story of a man named Silwa who grew up so tall and fat he was banned from the village because he ate up all the crops from the fields and the clan was starving because of his gluttony.

Silwa cried and wandered into the wilderness alone for many months until one day he met Mthwakazi, a beautiful woman who was also banished from her clan because no man wanted to marry her because she was too tall and too fat.

Silwa began speaking to Mthwakazi so kindly and affectionately she agreed to stay with him and together they forged for food in the forest and fell in love. Mthwakazi gave birth to four sons, all very tall and strong, who became the ancestors of the mighty Zulu Ndlovu clan.

Did you know?

Ndlovu is a Zulu clan name, meaning elephant. Ndlovu is the most popular surname among African tribes and does not signify a single clan group.


African Elephant Fact or Fiction

Elephants drink water through their trunks like a straw

Although they do use their trunks to drink, the water will not go all the way up. Instead, they will suck the water part way up the trunk and pour it into their mouths. Elephants drink water through their trunks like a straw is fiction.


Elephants can pick up sounds through their feet

African elephants have an excellent hearing; furthermore, African elephants can detect reverberations in the ground with sensory cells in their feet. An elephant will hear these vibrations when they travel to its front feet, up to its legs and shoulder bones and to its middle ear. The elephant will be able to tell where the sound is coming from by comparing the timing of the signals. Elephants can hear with their feet is fact.


Elephants love to eat peanuts

Elephants certainly do not eat peanuts in the wild, and they are not a typical diet for captive animals either. Elephants are the world’s biggest land animals and have to spend 16 to 18 hours a day eating. Elephants love to eat peanuts is fiction.

A wise father encourages breastfeeding so his baby grows up to be strong, healthy, and intelligent.

Sexualization of breasts today. Breasts in Africa; breasts are less eroticized in some rural African societies where women go topless than in urban societies where breasts are exploited in advertising and in pornography.

Breasts are for feeding infants

In Africa, the vast majority of babies are breastfed.

Breasts in Africa; breasts are less eroticized. Breasts are for feeding infants but there is a counterproductive dogged issue as female breasts exposed for money.

Breasts in the US are big business because sex sells. We see women’s breasts everywhere on television, at the movies, in magazines, on billboards. The addictive and harmful nature of porn is likely another reason why women’s breasts have become sexualized.

According to the National Geographic Society’s official website, one of the magazine’s early milestones came when its publishers decided that from then on out, they would show native peoples as they were, including when photographed nude. In the case of November 1896, that month’s issue included a photograph of a topless Zulu bride and groom from South Africa.

The message conveyed is that nudity is not necessarily pornographic in nature, but that it has a legitimate, academic place when studying world cultures. The African culture knew breastfeeding is the best way to feed baby and breasts are for nourishing life, not giving pleasure.

Above: Health extension worker Elsebeth Aklilu refers to a family health card while counseling Kedo Abdula, who is holding her 21-month-old daughter, Fenete Abdela, on best nutrition practices, at the health post in the village of Maderia, in Gemechis, a woreda (district) of Oromia Region.

One problem is other cultures see bare-breasted African women as lacking modesty, that they are closer to animals, that they are loose and want sex all the time. However, in the 18th and 19th centuries, at the same time, National Geographic displayed bare-breasted African women for scientific cultural purposes, in the Victorian age, there were and still, are taboos and social stigmas against showing nakedness, including showing your ankles or wearing pants.

The images of bare-chested African women were disgraceful, to say the least, and African women were seen as heathens and not real people. No breach of etiquette elucidates the point more than the Victorian taboo about female toplessness. A taboo persists to the present day.

In Africa, women were not taught to be ashamed of their bodies, ashamed of being naked. The African culture knew breastfeeding is the best way to feed baby and breasts are for nourishing life, not giving pleasure. Giving no other foods or liquids, including water, to babies for the first six months could save the lives of up to 1.3 million children each year worldwide.

Early initiation of breastfeeding provides warmth, promotes bonding, and helps the mother by reducing the risk of postpartum hemorrhage. During the first days of life, breastfeeding helps to prevent low blood sugar and low body temperature, which is important contributors to newborn deaths.

Most newborns are ready to find the nipple and latch on to the breast within the first hour of birth, if provided with immediate skin-to-skin contact. Colostrum, the thick and yellowish or clear breastmilk produced in the first few days provides the baby with high levels of antibodies, immune cells, vitamin A, and other protective factors.

Breast is best recommended breastfeeding practices for the newborn:

• Early breastfeeding – initiation of breastfeeding takes place within one hour of birth, with colostrum and continuous skin-to-skin contact.

• Exclusive breastfeeding (no other foods or liquids, not even water) for six months.

• Good attachment and positioning and prompt treatment of breast conditions such as engorgement, cracked nipples, mastitis, and breast abscesses.

• Frequent breastfeeds, day and night (8-12 times per 24 hours and more frequently if needed, especially in the early weeks).

• Continuation of breastfeeding when the mother or the newborn is ill.

• Extra support for feeding more vulnerable newborns, including low birthweight or premature babies, those born to HIV-infected women, sick or severely malnourished babies, and those in emergency settings such as war or natural disaster.

A wise father encourages breastfeeding so his baby grows up to be strong, healthy, and intelligent.

African moms breastfeeding children

Did you know? The average woman's breasts have increased from a 34B in the 1960s to 36DD today.

Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.

1. African Country Names Your Saying Wrong
2. What do Waist Beads Symbolize in Africa?
3. About African Healers and Witchdoctors
4. Hurricanes are Angry African Ancestors
5. Highest Temperature and Lowest Temperature in Africa
6. About African Night Running

In the African hunter never returned folklore story; the hunter goes away promising to return but never does.

 

In the land of Dagboro, there lived a skilled hunter named Lujamba. He was renowned for his unmatched prowess in tracking and capturing game. Lujamba roamed the untamed lands, venturing across the Kei River on the Wild Coast, located in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. 

Accompanying him on his adventures was Kwaziti, the revered ancestor of the late Paedite. Together, they formed a formidable duo. When Kwaziti acquired the dense, forested mountains of Amatolas from chief Pohho, they discovered that the area was infested with a large population of Bamogu, a tribe of people with a unique way of life. 

These inhuman-looking Jilambe posed a challenge to their reign over the land. One fateful day, as Lujamba and his two young companions were hunting, they successfully captured an eland. Bursting with triumph, Lujamba proudly exclaimed, "Tsi! ha! ha! ha! ha! The weapons of Kwaziti!" Little did he know that a group of Bamogu had been silently observing their every move. 

The Jilambe approached Lujamba and declared, "Behold the setting sun, for it shall be your last. You shall hunt our game no more." Realizing the danger he was in, Lujamba attempted to negotiate his release. He offered the Jilambe a significant quantity of dacha, a wild hemp used for smoking, as a ransom for his life. While one of the Jilambe was reluctant to spare him, the rest agreed to the proposal. 

The Jilambe held Lujamba captive, while he pretended to send his two young companions to fetch the promised dacha. In secret, Lujamba instructed the young men not to return. The Bamogu believed Lujamba's plan and patiently awaited the arrival of the dacha. As the day turned to night, the Jilambe indulged in their feast of eland, consuming it without pause. 

Throughout the night, they kept a watchful eye on Lujamba, their captive. When morning arrived, they inquired about the return of the young men with the dacha. 

Lujamba cunningly replied that he did not expect their arrival until sunset. Satiated with their meat-filled bellies, the Jilambe grew drowsy and decided to rest, except for the one who had advised against sparing Lujamba's life. This particular Jilambe remained vigilant but eventually succumbed to fatigue. 

Seizing the opportunity, Lujamba swiftly took his spear and, one by one, eliminated the slumbering Jilambe. In his triumph, Lujamba momentarily forgot himself and exclaimed his cry of victory, "Tsi! ha! ha! ha! ha! Izikali zika Rarabe!" 

His cry awakened the lone Kwaziti who had initially advocated for Lujamba's demise. He sprang to his feet and fled, his voice echoing through the wind, "I warned you, this Lujamba of the Kwazitis should have been vanquished. Those of you who now lie lifeless perished for not heeding my advice.

African Proverb - Yimbini yezolo yakwa Gxuluwe means Lujamba's two of yesterday. This is a saying of anyone who goes away promising to return, and does not do so. It had its origin in an event that happened many generations back.

African folklore is educational.

More short folklore stories from Africa to make you fall in love with myths and legends again from the motherland.

1. Why the bunny rabbit has wiggly slits for a nose
2. Love Takes No Less Than Everything Marriage Folklore
3. Hunters Attack Cowards Tell the Story
4. One Do Wrong All Get Punished
5. Mighty Little Hedgehog

Why Africa Is Rich in Land but Poor in Organization

Africa is huge and resource-rich — but decades after independence, it still struggles to turn land wealth into strong, organized economies. Here’s a frank look at why.

Why say Africa is rich in land?

Africa holds over 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, vast forests, deserts filled with oil and minerals, and coasts longer than Europe’s and North America’s combined. Physical wealth is not the issue.

Why glorifying Africa’s past kings and queens can be misleading

Global culture loves to romanticize Africa’s golden ages — the gold-laden Mali of Mansa Musa, the grandeur of Great Zimbabwe, the queens of Nubia and Egypt. These stories inspire pride but also create a dangerous illusion. Modern Africa does not live in those empires’ wealth. Gold and diamonds are not lying around ready to pick up. Today, extracting resources requires deep mining, advanced infrastructure, and strong governance — things many states still struggle to coordinate.

Is historic wealth the same as the wealth families need today?

No. Modern Africa does not live on past empires’ wealth. Mansa Musa’s gold caravans or the royal courts of Great Zimbabwe showed historical power and luxury, but that wealth did not create lasting systems that feed families today. Pride in past kingdoms is valuable, but it can create a disconnect: celebrating ancient riches while ignoring weak land rights, fragile markets, and poor governance. A farmer in Mali or Ghana cannot pay school fees with memories of gold. Real prosperity now depends on organized land systems, functional markets, and strong institutions — not royal history.

If the land is so rich, why are economies fragmented?

Colonial borders sliced through long-standing trade networks and ethnic regions. Economies were built to ship out raw resources rather than connect internally. After independence, many governments inherited weak institutions and patronage systems, leaving farms and industries uncoordinated.

Is corruption the main reason?

Corruption matters, but the deeper issue is institutional weakness. Land registries fail, infrastructure planning is erratic, and policies change with every administration. Long-term investment feels risky.

Why can’t farmers and businesses just organize themselves?

Many try but face roadblocks: unclear property rights, lack of affordable credit, and overlapping local authorities. Some elites benefit from keeping systems informal, trapping small farmers in subsistence cycles.

Does foreign demand make the problem worse?

Often yes. It’s easier to export raw cocoa, oil, or copper than to build local processing plants. Multinationals lock in large land deals while local producers remain fragmented and undercapitalized.

Are traditional systems to blame?

Traditional land tenure protects families but discourages big investment. When chiefs or elders allocate land informally, investors fear disputes. Reform is politically delicate but necessary.

What about initiatives like AfCFTA?

The African Continental Free Trade Area could integrate markets and build regional supply chains. But it requires roads, ports, harmonized rules, and less protectionism — areas where coordination has long been weak.

Is population growth helping or hurting?

Both. A young, fast-growing population could drive development, but without organized land use, industry, and planning, it adds urban sprawl and food insecurity rather than prosperity.

What can change this cycle?

Transparent land rights, cross-border infrastructure, strong cooperatives, less rent-seeking, and genuine AfCFTA implementation could finally turn land wealth into lasting prosperity.

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Did you know? Africa imports over $35 billion of food each year despite having some of the most fertile farmland on Earth.

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Related Reading

• The Singularity of Extraction: Africa’s Finite Wealth Trap
• African Trade Insights
• African Agriculture and Land

About Madagascar Pink Rice

Madagascar pink rice plantations bring vital income to the Malagasy people. Rice is the island’s main staple food, and pink rice has become an important crop for both local food security and economic growth. Much of the production is concentrated near Lake Alaotra, Madagascar’s largest inland lake.

History of Pink Rice Plantations in Madagascar

Rice forms the base of most Malagasy meals, but the country’s rice economy is fragile because rainfall is unpredictable — too much or too little can damage harvests.

Planting rice in Madagascar

What Is Madagascar Pink Rice?

Madagascar Pink Rice is a medium-grain heirloom rice with a distinctive pink hue from natural pigments in the bran. It has a nutty flavor and slightly chewy texture, perfect for salads, pilafs, and rice bowls. In Malagasy cooking, it is often served with meat or seafood dishes.

As an heirloom crop, pink rice is grown using traditional methods without genetic modification. Farmers typically rely on sustainable practices rather than chemical fertilizers or pesticides. In recent years, pink rice has gained popularity in gourmet markets worldwide for its flavor, color, and eco-friendly cultivation.

All rice begins as a whole grain with its germ and bran layer intact. Removing these creates white rice. Most bran layers are brown, but some rices are naturally red, black, or pink. Partially milled grains — like Madagascar Pink Rice — keep part of the bran for nutrition while cooking faster than fully brown rice.

Lotus Foods Madagascar Pink Rice keeps about 66% of the bran layer, offering high nutrition with a texture closer to white rice. Since 2007, U.S. company Lotus Foods has partnered with the Coopérative Koloharena Ivolamiarina Besarety to market a special pink rice called Varini Dista, named after the farmer who popularized it.

The Koloharena Ivolamiarina is part of the Confederation Nationale Sahavanona Koloharena (founded 1999), a network of 29 farmer cooperatives with about 950 village-based associations. They work to increase small-farm incomes using environmentally sound methods along Madagascar’s threatened humid forests.

Rice farming in Madagascar remains largely traditional and labor-intensive. Cultivation occurs in almost every climate zone of the island, with terraced paddies common between the capital Antananarivo and Antsirabe.

Madagascar’s economy is fragile; the country imports about 51% of the rice it consumes. Yet locally grown pink rice remains a cultural and economic treasure.

Pink rice ready to serve

How to Cook Madagascar Pink Rice

• Combine 1 ¾ cups water, 1 cup rice, and a pinch of salt.
• Bring to a boil over high heat.
• Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let stand covered for a few minutes.
• Fluff and serve. A rice cooker can be used with the same water-to-rice ratio.

How Pink Rice Is Grown in Madagascar

Growing Madagascar pink rice takes about 4–5 months from planting to harvest:

1. Fields are cleared and tilled by hand or with simple tools.
2. Seeds are sown during the rainy season (November–April), usually by hand in rows spaced ~15 cm apart.
3. Fields are flooded to about 10 cm depth to keep soil moist.
4. Fertilizers are a mix of organic (before planting) and small amounts of inorganic (during growth).
5. Weeding is manual, using hoes and hand tools.
6. Harvest is by hand; stalks are cut, bundled, and threshed to separate grain.
7. Rice is sun-dried for several days, then milled to reveal the pink grain.

Despite its labor demands, pink rice farming provides vital income and preserves traditional knowledge while offering a unique, high-value product for both local and global markets.

Did You Know?

Rice in Africa: Trade vs. Aid

Africa has its own ancient rice — Oryza glaberrima — domesticated thousands of years ago in the Niger Delta. But most rice eaten today is Asian rice (Oryza sativa), brought by Indian Ocean traders as early as the 8th–10th century and later by Portuguese and Atlantic merchants. Colonial farming expanded it further.

Food aid often ships imported rice during war or famine because it’s cheap and quick to cook, but aid did not introduce rice to Africa — it was traded and grown long before humanitarian programs existed.

More Rice Recipes to Try

• Mozambique Coconut Beans Recipe
• Black-Eyed Pea Casserole with Rice and Herbs
• Rice and Beans Ghana Style
• Fried Banana Rice Dumplings
• Fried Rice Cakes Recipe