Publish at January 15 2025 Updated January 15 2025
Although there is snowfall in a few African countries, we all know that winter is a reality in the North. Some Africans experience it when they are in Europe. Through social networks, we can see what it represents in their imaginations.
The media in Africa don't often focus on winter. Indeed, in the vast majority of African countries, we generally alternate between two main seasons: the rainy season, with more or less heavy rains depending on the region, and dry seasons with temperatures that can reach 50 degrees in the shade, depending on how close we are to the desert.
Yet there are countries in Africa that experience freezing winters, with temperatures as low as minus 7 degrees. It is imperative to point out that these countries have rather atypical climates, due to their position on the globe. Lesotho, for example, is known as the coldest country on the continent. In some places, especially in mountainous areas, snowfalls are frequent during the winter months of May and June. Other Maghreb countries such as Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco are no exception. This climate has a particular resonance with Africans, who are not at all accustomed to it.
In their imagination, the vast majority of Africans still see Europe, or more recently Canada, as an Eldorado, a paradise to be reached. Many are prepared to do anything to get there, whether officially or illegally. In fact, the flow of people heading for this destination is increasing all the time. Once there, snow is used to legitimize their success in the face of questions from family members and acquaintances back in Africa.
With this in mind, many take photos of themselves in front of a layer of snow and then post them on their social networks, leaving a message that more or less celebrates their new status and location. In this configuration, they continue to foster this feeling among other Africans who set themselves the goal of making the same journey to experience this reality at first hand.
In some contexts, such as Canada, which sometimes experiences harsher winters, many express a certain satisfaction with this climate. Surprised, native-born Canadians can't understand how people from warmer climes can be so comfortable. As Stéphane Parent puts it, they "shiver with joy".
The main characteristic of the dry season in Africa is the abundance of dust, especially in places where the roads are unpaved. Cars and public buildings are generally covered in dust during this season. Similarly, during winter in the North, layers of snow cover the same realities. This inspires some Africans to draw a humorous analogy between the two realities. As if to say that everyone has their own winter after all.
This obviously comical comparison has the merit of setting in motion two seasonal realities that have repercussions on human activities. For, in reality, snow and dust have a similar effect, if we stick to the description given above. Here, the connotation is always positive.
At least in terms of form and temperature, it's obvious that hail is closer to snow, leading the unaccustomed to confuse the two realities. Sometimes, the degree of conviction is so high that, faced with hail, some are convinced it's snow, yet it's not.
In some regions, hail occurs after heavy rain, and the connection is quickly made with snow. In this vein, the town of Bana in western Cameroon once experienced a heavy shower of hailstones. Speculation went in all directions. Many, including the media, were pleased to report that it had snowed in Cameroon. However, it was a pile-up of hailstones that took time to melt. Today, there's no more talk about it.
Incidentally, winter has a rather meliorative connotation for some Africans. We don't claim to have covered all the bases, as there may be other conceptions in other contexts, especially among the Africans of Lesotho, who do experience a winter season.
Source:
Discover the African country with icy winters - Ça m'intéresse
https://www.caminteresse.fr/environnement/decouvrez-le-pays-africain-aux-hivers-glaciaux-11195385/
White people vs Africans during winter season - https://web.facebook.com/reel/2233094503730547
The challenge of illegal immigration in the Mediterranean - https://www.robert-schuman.eu/questions-d-europe/352-le-defi-de-l-immigration-clandestine-en-mediterranee
Snow in some African countries... - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1B7jUb6zG8/
Africans in the snow - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15hfEGaGiv/
Africans and snow: a different story - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1PugWGDpY4/
These Africans say they shiver with joy in the Canadian winter - RCI | Français - https://www.rcinet.ca/fr/2016/02/01/ces-africains-qui-frissonnent-de-joie-dans-lhiver-canadien/
Did it really "snow" in Cameroon? - https://observers.france24.com/fr/afrique/20210915-cameroun-bana-ouest-changement-climatique-neige-grelons
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