AFRICAN BUILDINGS

Think of an African building, and perhaps a picture of a mud hut pops into your mind. When I returned to England after living in Africa, school kids would ask me, "Mister, did you live in a mud hut?"
"No," I'd say. Because in Africa most white people live in comfortable spacious houses. Yet the vast majority of Africans today still live in mud huts. In rural areas, it is still considered a standard skill. On the pages in this part of the website you can see some rare pictures of a hut being built from the ground up. But in towns, most people live in simple concrete or brick houses, often constructed by the government, or foreign companies wanting to offer housing that is more permanent and comfortable than the traditional dwellings. Beyond residential districts, African towns are not dissimilar from those in most industrialized countries. High rise towers, office blocks, shopping malls and freeways are common features that anyone will recognize.