Benin and the Yoruba states for example, were not influenced by Arab and Berber culture - they were forest states.
The Masai, Pygmies and Khoi Khoi represent the Western caricature of Africa. These groups are largely resistant to the modern World so the West assumes that Africa is resistant to the modern World. (the Masai like the Luo are usually classed as Nilotic, not Bantu).
The problem with the Somali diaspora is similar to the problem with certain segments of the Pakistani and Algerian diaspora - the impact of a flavour of Islam that is yet to reconcile itself with the 21st Century.
The Hausa-Fulani I referred to is Aliko Dangote.
The Chinese carry much less cultural baggage than Indians, they don’t have a caste system and religious mythology built around caste. This is not say that Chinese are not racist but I do not know a society as obsessed with caste and class as Indian society.
There are pockets of the Indian diaspora in Africa that are more open to interaction such as the Indian community in South Africa but in general, Indians do not interact socially with locals.
Please also note that Western expatriates interact even less with locals than either the Chinese or the Indians. Do not let National Geographic documentary film makers, graduate researchers and movie stars fool you. These people have only a transient interest in Africa and they don’t represent the average Westerner in Africa.
Thank you -- I need to read more about these
The Masai, Pygmies and Khoi Khoi represent the Western caricature of Africa. These groups are largely resistant to the modern World so the West assumes that Africa is resistant to the modern World -- not completely correct. The Masai, Pygmies, Khoi-Khoi in fact are viewed positively in the West. What gives Africa a bad name in the West is the actions in Liberia, Sierra Leone, the Congo, Zimbabwe and also now in South Africa -- the senseless murders, cutting off of handing, rapes etc. That gives all "Africa" a bad name
The problem with the Somali diaspora is similar to the problem with certain segments of the Pakistani and Algerian diaspora - the impact of a flavour of Islam that is yet to reconcile itself with the 21st Century. -- somewhat correct, it is not just a "flavour" of Islam but Islam itself.
The Hausa-Fulani I referred to is Aliko Dangote thank you for that reference -- more for me to read up on
These people have only a transient interest in Africa and they don’t represent the average Westerner in Africa. -- I'm sure they don't. What then is the impression of the average Westerner in AFrica?
Also, on the other foot, AFricans too have stereotypes of the West -- for them this is mostly either American or British or French (depending on the part of AFrica) -- the rest of the "western World" doesn't ring a bell :)