Black people don’t know how to complain?

We need to have an honest discussion.

In Australia one can get a smart phone for about $120 or less if one shops around. And mind you, electronic goods, among other things are more expensive in Australia, than let’s say, the US. In Zambia it seems the starting price is around $400. I will not provide figures to support the obvious, which is that people in Australia earn more than people in Zambia.

Help me get to the bottom of this. Why so expensive?

In one of his shows, Trevor Noah says “Black people don’t know how to complain.” hmmm, is there truth in this?

Before I suggest and seek any measures that can be taken to address this, I want to understand why, why do smart phones cost so much in Zambia?

I have been down this road before, sending things to Zambia and experiencing something close to a nightmare or at the least, the ‘shock’ that comes with unexpected expenses to be paid at the border.

Comparing apples and oranges? Well let’s continue anyway. One can import goods into Australia under $1,000 and not attract any duty. The last time I heard the duty free threshold in Zambia was around $200, and this was on personal items.

Yes, some have been innovative and have enabled people to access Facebook via SMS or USSD, but we all know that accessing it in full via web, mobile web or mobile apps makes for a much better experience.

So, who is denying you this 21^st Century, Human Right, and one of the greatest gifts to humanity called the Internet?