Royals in Africa – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Africa Tour

The challenges faced in African countries, are unique to Africa. Africa, cognizant of this fact, has over the years, strived to develop home-grown or made solutions, working with development partners from not only within the continent, but from other parts of the world as well. 

Who better to bear witness to the strides made in Africa, in developing and implementing solutions to the different challenges, than the Royal Couple, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex? The icing on the cake, is that their son, Archie, was with them on this tour, their first official tour out of the Unite Kingdom. It was the first overseas official visit by the couple as parents. It was indeed their first trip abroad as a family, Prince Harry, his wife, the Duchess and their son, Archie.

10 day tour in Africa

On this ten-day tour, which started on Monday the 23^rd of September, the couple visited four countries in Africa, South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, and Angola. However, Prince Harry was expected to visit most of the countries alone. The Duchess and son Archie remained in South Africa, where she graced different numerous events and projects started and implemented to improve the living standards of different groups of people in the African countries visited.

In day one of their visit, the couple together attended a workshop, which runs a project to empower children, teach them about their rights, self-defense, and other activities or programs aimed at empowering children in Cape Town, South Africa. 

In day two of their visit, the couple visited Monwabisi Beach. While there, they were taken through and spend time with officials of two NGOs, Waves for Change and Lunchbox Fund. Waves for Change runs a program in which the youth and other vulnerable groups in the society undergo surf therapy. The organization’s work with the youth and vulnerable in the society has won it numerous accolades. On the other hand, Lunchbox Fund provides meals to schools in underprivileged localities, a program that has ensured that students or school-going children do not miss school because of the lack of basic provisions, such as meals. These programs have immensely contributed to alleviating the living standards of the people of the areas in which they operate, and by extension, the country at large.

Day three, Wednesday the 25^th, started off with the couple visiting Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and later split for Harry to visit other countries and Megan to continue other undertakings while in South Africa.

Key among the activities undertaken

Key among the activities undertaken by Megan, the Duchess, include visiting Woodstock Exchange, a program designed and implemented to empower women, a women in public service breakfast meeting, and visit other social empowerment projects and local tourists’ attraction sites.

On the other hand, Prince Harry traversed the other three countries on their itineraries for the remaining number of days. During his trip, he was exposed to various programs implemented across the region to propel Africa forward as well as visit different tourists’ attraction sites in those countries.

Africa on the path to rejuvenation

There is something magical about Africa. Once bitten by the bug, after a visit to Africa, it is likely that The Royal couple, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, will most likely be back on the continent.

From their visit, it is clear that Africa is on the path to rejuvenation. It is on the path to coming up with home-grown solutions, and willing to work with development partners to achieve prosperity for all. The journey to the awakening of this giant is evidently gaining traction, and on an upward trajectory. The visit by Prince Harry and Megan, the Duchess of Sussex, only serves to show case some of the gains made by the African society, to address some of the issues or problems they are facing.

Important Links: BBC, Edition, Express