Between whitening-cremes and wax prints
Africa's elites and their gaze toward whiteness
While Michael Jackson’s skin developed lighter patches due to a skin disorder, many Africans still bleach their skin to emulate a supposed ideal of beauty. And while Western universities dissect “critical whiteness”, many wealthy Africans worship Western luxury brands, and African stamps depict white celebrities. A guest post
By Volker Seitz
Nothing is more fascinating than reality. While Germany has a field of study known as “critical whiteness studies,” which examines the paradigm of “whiteness” as a key category of racism, in many African countries, so-called whitening products are selling like hotcakes. These remedies, which promise to lighten the skin, are used by women to conform to the beauty ideal of the “white West.” The main active ingredients used for lightening are hydroquinone, kojic acid, and arbutin.
In the name of “beauty,” the health risks are greatly neglected. In some cases, African women bleach their skin to increase their bride price. This reduces women to their appearance. Lightened faces are omnipresent in Africa—on posters, on television, in films, and on products on supermarket shelves. Most products are advertised by models who have lighter skin. Those who use the bleaching products can actually change their complexion by a few shades—above all, however, they can also become seriously ill. Women expose themselves to massive health risks, as the products often contain other dangerous ingredients such as mercury.
Rwanda, Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya have all banned products with high levels of hydroquinone and mercury, as have many other African countries. Nevertheless, the business behind this highly dubious beauty ideal is booming. Beauty, purity, and success—for many people in Africa, these qualities are associated with a light complexion. Young women and girls in particular are turning to these creams. They are aware of the health risks associated with bleaching creams but are willing to accept them in exchange for what they believe to be a more beautiful skin tone.
One of the greatest risks is skin cancer, especially in regions near the equator with high levels of solar radiation. Ronald Hall, professor of social work at Michigan State University, has collected empirical data. According to him, the prejudices associated with darker skin are still deeply rooted in the subconscious: “The lighter the skin tone, the more intelligent, educated, and attractive a person is considered to be.”
Bitter but true: in the USA, light-skinned black people are often more successful in education, work, and income than those with darker skin. In many places, lighter skin is associated with prosperity, as it is an indicator that one does not have to work outdoors in the blazing sun or in physically demanding manual labor jobs.
Despite proven health risks, the skin lightening industry is more successful than ever. In “Black Skin, White Masks,” psychiatrist Frantz Fanon wrote in the early 1950s: “..————-the black man who wants to make his race white [is] just as unhappy as the one who preaches hatred of whites.” (p. 8) and “The black man wants to be like the white man.” (p. 193) Turia Reprint, 2016. Unfortunately, this is still a very big dilemma in some places.
Lack of self-confidence among African elites?
People in Africa need to become more self-confident and believe in themselves more. The expectation that the solution to various problems will come from God, the afterlife, or the West must end. People must finally begin to take their fate into their own hands and act in the interests of the general public, not just for their own ethnic or political clique.
This ethnically oriented thinking promotes corruption and prevents nation building. If jobs are filled based on ethnicity rather than competence and experience, neither a company nor a state can function well.
African fashion
So-called wax prints are cotton fabrics produced mechanically using a batik technique. Due to high demand, African designers create and launch new, unique pieces every week in the factories. The name “wax prints” comes from the textile production process. Wax stencils are used to print patterns onto pre-woven fabrics, which are then dyed. They are an integral part of everyday life and ceremonial activities. High-quality wax prints represent lasting value. The patterns are carefully chosen and convey messages about social status, belonging, and wealth. A fabric structured with rectangles in ultramarine, burgundy, and white means, “If you want to marry, ask.” Another pattern indicates a woman’s husband’s financial means.
There are also wax prints used to insult a rival. The fabrics are frequently worn as wrap dresses across all social classes. Others are used to make Western-style clothing. In French-speaking countries, they are therefore called “pagne,” and in English-speaking countries, “wrapper” or “lapa.” For company and family celebrations, or even funeral ceremonies, a specific pattern is commissioned for members of the group to wear. This symbolizes the unity of the group.
Wealthy African women may change their outfits up to ten times at an evening event in their home to display their wealth and boost the ego of the host.
The term “African fashion” is often used when it is produced in Africa and the designer is of African origin. However, there are numerous confident fashion designers who produce in Europe or the USA but do not wish to be labeled as African designers. In some countries, fashion designers must contend with the prejudice held by many wealthy African women that quality can only come from abroad and they prefer to buy French or Italian brands in Paris and Milan.
Astonishing stamp designs
When looking at African stamps, one could almost think that the cynical wish of Jean-Pierre Bekolo, a successful film director from Cameroon, that white people should take over Africa again, might be coming true. Bekolo describes (see “Re-colonization: Why white people should return to Africa” in the German daily Die Welt, August 6, 2013) how the African elites, who plunder their own country, owe everything to the white man: “They acquire his diplomas, drive his cars, wear his suits, and send their children to his schools. Even our president is a product of the white man. He and his entire entourage behave ‘white.’ He said that 12 years ago, and nothing has changed.” By “our president,” he means 92-year-old Paul Biya, who has been in office for 42 years and who recently had his presidency extended for another seven years in a very opaque manner. [Bekolo repeats his thesis in the African arts, culture and politics magazin Chimurenga Chronic, on December 17, 2014., note from the blog owner].
It is remarkable how popular the depiction of European royal families – mostly those of the United Kingdom—seems to be on many African postage stamps: Ghana, Congo, Mauritania, Niger, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Chad, Uganda, and the Central African Republic have all featured them on their stamps. Railways are also very popular, even though this mode of transport plays no role in most of these countries.
It is striking that white artists such as Degas, Dürer, Gauguin, van Gogh, Klimt, Manet, Modigliani, Picasso, Pissarro, Renoir, Rubens, Toulouse-Lautrec, etc., are celebrated, particularly on stamps from countries where presumably very few people are familiar with these artists. In contrast, only a handful of African artists, such as the singer Miriam Makeba, the author and film director Sembène Ousmane, and the sculptor Ousmane Sow, amongst others, have been honored with a postage stamp across Africa. Curious stamps feature 16 white fighter pilots (Equatorial Guinea), pin-ups (Central African Republic), nine US presidents (Benin), the 145th anniversary of Winston Churchill’s death (Central African Republic), or Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 75th birthday (Djibouti and Niger). Even figures like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and Burt Lancaster are repeatedly marketed—“as legends of the past”—in Angola and Burundi, extending as far as the Central African Republic (CAR). The CAR’s 2023 “Les pin-ups” (The pin ups) block has a face value of 4000 FCFA, equivalent to €6.10 or US$7.10. With an average annual salary of €480 or U$560 in the CAR, hardly anyone – assuming there was any interest at all—would be able to afford these stamps. Perhaps they might appeal to European or American collectors of thematic stamps. If the “pin-up stamps” are forgeries, it is surprising that a stamp dealer can offer a similar block, “Des Pin-up CAR 2650 F,” on Amazon. An apparently genuine block with white nymphs, “Les Nymphes,” also from the CAR series, is offered on eBay with Michel catalog number 1241.
Reorientation of prejudiced narratives?
I believe the argument that, even after 65 years of independence, for most African states colonization still plays a significant role in the desire for whiteness is a product of the spirit of the times. This is an attempt to insinuate racist ideas.
The claim is that Europeans bequeathed their beauty ideal to Africans. This fits neatly into the prejudiced narratives of many media outlets. The mindset that sees Black people and Africa as perpetual victims and White people and the West as perpetual perpetrators requires a fundamental reorientation.
This text was first published in German on Tichys Einblick and translated by me.
Volker Seitz is a former ambassador with 17 years of service in Africa alone and author of the bestseller “Afrika wird armregiert oder Wie man Afrika wirklich helfen kann” (Africa is being governed into poverty, or How to really help Africa), dtv, 2025 (reprint), one of the most important books in the development aid debate.
Guest posts do not automatically reflect the opinion of the blog operator.