10 Must-Know Insights from Bright Simons on Africa’s Mapping and Katanomics

1. Popular maps misrepresent Africa’s size: Traditional projections like Mercator shrink Africa, making it appear similar in size to Greenland, though it’s nearly 14 times larger.
   
2. The African Union prefers Equal Earth projection: This system improves size representation, inspired by the Robinson projection, though it still has limitations.
   
3. No projection is perfect: All map projections involve trade-offs between size, shape, and navigational accuracy.
   
4. Historical and digital context matters: The dominance of Mercator persists partly due to legacy systems and practical advantages for navigation and digital mapping.
   
5. Policy accountability differs from political accountability: Simons introduces “Katanomics” to describe how Africa’s limited policy audiences hinder effective continental policy enforcement.
   
6. Geo-politics often trumps geo-policy: African elites prioritize political influence over policy substance, limiting practical progress on continental strategies.
   
7. Weak policy constituencies limit action: There are few coordinated groups capable of driving pan-African policies, leaving operational frameworks underdeveloped.
   
8. Africa lacks homegrown mapping initiatives: Unlike other regions with specialized thematic projections, no major map projection system has been led by Africans.
   
9. Standards are geopolitically influenced: Global mapping and GPS systems, like the World Geodetic System, are controlled by powerful countries (e.g., the U.S.), affecting African digital navigation.
   
10. Mobilizing expertise is key: The African diaspora has the knowledge and capacity to influence mapping and geospatial policy, but linking politics with deep policy networks is critical for real progress.

Final Thought:

Until African elites link the politics of continental integration with the policy networks capable of deep-diving into the underlying policies within and across countries, efforts like the African Union’s map projection initiatives will remain motion without transformative outcomes for ordinary Africans. True progress requires connecting geo-politics with actionable policy to enrich lives meaningfully.