ABSTRACT
Afropolitanism seems to be about embracing just enough of Africa to retain a certain flavour that sets one apart from the norm – presumably Euro-American – but not so much as to be too 'African'. Like Coke Lite or a lite beer, Afropolitanism seems to promise Africa lite: Africa sans the 'unhealthy' or 'intoxicating' baggage of Africa. This set of comments is an attempt to think through some aspects of the debate on Afropolitanism. In this chapter, the author explores his/her dis-ease with the promises of Afropolitanism, as a concept which, as Simon Gikandi rightly notes is rich in conceptual and ideological promise, in countering certain forms of Afropessimism; but seems also to be a concept that was expected to run before it had been allowed to crawl and find its feet. This partly opened up the term to extensive appropriation, commoditization and association with conspicuous consumption, with an African flavour.
