“Anything We Do Is Wrong”: Gauteng Activist Pieter Kriel Discusses the World Looking Down on Africa

• Gauteng human rights activist Pieter Kriel shared a video discussing how the world sees Africa and its people
• The political commentator said he wants Africa to stand on its own feet instead of bowing down to the East or the West
• Social media users praised his point of view, with many saying his way of thinking makes him a candidate for SA's future president

A Gauteng man sparked interest online after sharing his thoughts on how the world sees Africa. Pieter Kriel, a human rights activist and political commentator from Heidelberg, posted a video on 21 October 2025 discussing his vision for the continent and why he believes other parts of the world have a problem with Africa standing independently.

During an interview, Kriel made it clear that he doesn't speak for black people but wants to speak with and alongside them. He says he doesn't want Africa to bow down to the East or the West, but rather wants the continent to stand on its own feet and drive its own future

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Kriel also pointed out something that many people don't like to talk about. He says it's disgusting that the rest of humanity looks down on Africa, and explains that during colonialism, the word "civilisation" itself was westernised and seen through a Western eye. Anything different from Germany or France was considered less than.

The clip ended after he broke it down by saying:

"White is fine, brown is not good, yellow is mellow, but black is not. Black has to stand back."

He wants to break that mentality. Kriel makes it clear he doesn't want to be the leader or president of South Africa, but he does want to ignite a flame in people, whether they're black, white, or whatever they are, to push for this vision.

Social media users react to Pieter Kriel's views

Mzansi flooded the comments section with support for Kriel's message. These are user-generated comments from the original post and have not been independently verified:

@Bennie van Nieuwenhuizen said:

"If only all of us had your mindset, imagine what a wonderful country we'd live in! Pieter Kriel, hope people hear you and take note."

@Gudisang Batho commented:

"This young boy is very intelligent because he has an independent mind free from racial limitations."

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@Sîr Donald Lahm Mampuru added:

"I like this, racism is outdated... Let's wake up and work for our continent without imperial interference... We are good enough to be independent 😉."

@JohnTwenty Milanda stated:

"Im might just vote for him. He eloquently presented my thoughts."

@Siblings Tour suggested:

"Maybe he should join the ANC youth league."

@Fiestro Sdizo gushed:

"This guy is building himself properly to be a future president. He's still young, and it will eventually happen in the future. You can hear he's working on that himself."

Africa's aid dependence problem

Pieter Kriel shared his thoughts on his Facebook page @realpieterkriel, touching on a real problem the continent faces.

According to a lecturer at Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study, Professor Emeritus Elsabé Loots, Africa has been living off aid money for decades. Over the last 30 years, the continent has received around US$1.2 trillion in aid. Twenty-three African countries depend on this money to survive, with some countries getting more aid per person than others. The global average for aid dependence is around 20-25%, but Africa's average sits above 50%. Seven African countries even go over 100%.

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Here's the problem, though: even with all this money coming in, poverty is still everywhere. About 460 million people, or 30% of Africa's population, still live in extreme poverty. The aid is supposed to help fight poverty and support development, but the results haven't been great.

China has also jumped in as the biggest single country giving aid to Africa, but there are worries about debt traps and dodgy lending practices that could leave African countries worse off. Some African voices are saying the continent needs to move beyond aid, but that's easier said than done. Africa would need at least US$100 billion per year to replace the aid money, and right now there's no clear plan for how to make that happen.

Watch the Facebook clip below:

More Pieter Kriel-related stories

• Briefly News reported on the young activist Pieter Kriel criticising the DA's governance in the Western Cape.
• The young human rights activist challenged the idea of unity during South African rugby matches.
• Kriel also shared a heartfelt video from his visit to Palestine, capturing him interacting with children during challenging circumstances.

Source: Briefly News