ABOUT YOU AS A FUTURES THINKER / PRACTITIONER

You identify yourself as an African futures thinker or practitioner. How would you describe to the woman or man on the street what it is that you do in this regard?

My interest in African Futurism stems from my love for youth development, especially as far as education, health and citizenship is concerned The African continent has a youth population of 60% of its 1.2 billion people. These are people under 25 years and by the year 2100, Africa’s youth population could be equivalent to twice Europe’s entire population. It is critical that we consider the future these young people and ourselves will live in and therefore I am a reader and commentator on the way the African continent is and should be developing to meet the needs of its unique future.

How many years have you worked as an African futures thinker / practitioner?

It has been four years.

In which countries or places have you had working experience as an African futures thinker / practitioner?

South Africa

In what languages have you undertaken futures / foresight related work or research?

English

What is it that motivates you to work or participate in the foresight / future studies / related field

Honestly, it’s my three sons. I always think about the world they will live in and think about how to get them prepared for it. Because of this, I then start getting myself educated on what possibilities lie in that future so I can share this them.

Who or what most influenced your thinking as a futures thinker / practitioner, and how?

Alvin and Heidi Toffler

What is your main disciplinary background? (i.e. your primary training / qualification)

Development Studies

How do other people describe you and how do you describe yourself?

Others describe me as… Insightful
I describe myself as… Curious

YOUR PERSPECTIVE

What is one of your favourite quotes about the future?

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” By Alvin Tofler

How would you describe the state of African futures thinking right now?

You cannot go forward if you are constantly looking back. Africa has a lot of pain from its past and this is understandable because the past haunts Africa more than any group of people in the 21st century. But this culture of trying to fix the past at the expense of catching up to what the future will bring creates limitations in the number of people who can be dedicated to the type of futures thinking that inspires younger people to see themselves doing this as a career. Futures thinking seems like a luxury Africa cannot afford right now simply because futures thinking has an image of blue sky thinking for those who do not have real world problems to deal with.

What is, in your opinion, the main barrier to uptake of futures knowledge by African institutions and organisations?

Africa is vexed with the type of social problems that make it hard to dedicate resources to futures knowledge. Public institutions have limited resources and almost all are dedicated to resolving bread and butter issues of extreme poverty, lack of basic infrastructure and sustainable livelihoods. It is only in the more affluent communities and organisations that futures work can be carried out and resourced sufficiently.

If you were to give advice to someone who wants a career in African foresight / future studies, what would you say to him or her?

Understand what plagues your community right now and imagine what the future of that problem will look like if left as it is. Then imagine what it will take to solve it and study that.

What are your recommended readings for every African futures thinker / practitioner?

• Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein
• Future Shock by Alvin Toffler
• After Shock: The World's Foremost Futurists Reflect on 50 Years of Future Shock by Ray Kurzweil
• Powershift Knowledge, Wealth, and Violence at the Edge of the 21st Century by Alvin Toffler

What are your recommendations for other favourite futures resources: websites, newsfeeds, mailing lists, associations, etc.?

http://www.millennium-project.org
https://issafrica.org/topicsregions/search?regions=&topics=218
https://www.metafuture.org/
https://www.futureafrica.science/
https://www.ethicsnet.org/