Nigerian content creator Charity Ekezie is using humour and creativity to challenge outdated stereotypes about Africa—and millions of people around the world are watching.
Trained as a journalist, Charity began creating comedy sketches and videos online. Her audience grew rapidly after she joined TikTok in 2020, and she now has about 3.7 million followers on the platform.
Her videos answer stereotypical questions with clever visual humour. If someone asks whether Africans have phones, for example, she may jokingly say no while a phone is clearly visible in the background. The humour exposes how inaccurate—and sometimes absurd—these assumptions can be.
Charity combines entertainment with careful research. Before creating content about an African country or culture, she reads widely, consults followers and speaks with people who live there. Her videos help audiences learn while enjoying the humour.
This is what positive change looks like: an African creator using her talent and her own voice to replace tired stereotypes with humour, facts and a more confident picture of the continent.
Original source: The UNESCO Courier – Charity Ekezie: News organizations need to find more creative ways to engage with youth
Featured image: AI-generated illustration created for MyHappyAfrica.
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