Following the author's wandering career and adventurous spirit, African Graffiti by Lokhilesh Takoor offers a thoughtful story of self-reliance, courage, and the ageless search for belonging.
Lokhis' journey begins in Madagascar, where his work as a field engineer opened doors for advancement, while his affable personality gained him strong connections. However, the uncertain nature of politics and quick twists of societal opinion forced him to leave, once again seeking new open spaces and safer shores to explore.
The author's professional skills took him across various African nations, giving him a broad-spectrum introduction to a variety of cultures, work practices, cuisines, military regimes, and social norms. From island life on Madagascar and Comoros to tense negotiations in Botswana, AK-47 wielding militants, and shady business dealings in smoke and whiskey-filled rooms, this is a sprawling tale of survival, street smarts, and business savvy.
His attitude is generally one of honest curiosity, excitement, and vulnerability, though there are occasionally some blunt observations about the places he visits and the people he meets. Stereotypical beliefs and assumptions about African nations and cultures are unfortunately common in both the western and eastern worlds, as some of his interactions and experiences reveal. Moving as a person of colour through areas where outsiders are rarely trusted, and often threatened, Lokhi comes face to face with moments of betrayal, revelation, personal failure, and pain. Put together, the book reads like a travel memoir, sociological study, and business memoir in one.
