A Slice Of India In Africa
Forbes Africa|November 2017

Almost four hours before sunrise in Cape Town, another coastal town, 7,000kms away, in Kerala in south India, wakes up to the sights and sounds of dawn.

Methil Renuka
A Slice Of India In Africa

This is Kozhikode, where fishermen return ashore from the choppy waters of the Arabian Sea, bringing with them boatloads of fish, stuffed into baskets they then haul on to their bare, bony backs.

They sell the morning’s fresh catch on Kappad beach, made famous by Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama who landed here in 1498, on a voyage from Europe that included stopovers in South Africa and Mozambique before his itinerant tryst with India.

The powerful Zamorin rulers of Kozhikode welcomed the Portuguese but kept a close watch on them. The spices were enough reason for the Arabs, the Dutch, the Portuguese and the English to flock to this palm-fringed, leaf-shaped Indian state.

With a population of 35 million and regaled in global travel brochures as ‘God’s Own Country’, Kerala produces ample coffee, tea, pepper, rubber, coconut and cashew. Yet, the state’s most famous exports are its people.

This story is from the November 2017 edition of Forbes Africa.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 2017 edition of Forbes Africa.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM FORBES AFRICAView All
Down To Earth
Forbes Africa

Down To Earth

A new era in satellite technology offers space-down insight. Here are some fascinating world views.

time-read
5 mins  |
February - March 2024
Could A Digital Twin Save Your Life?
Forbes Africa

Could A Digital Twin Save Your Life?

Human digital twins are quickly moving beyond manufacturing and into the medical world advancing cancer care, soeeding up drug development, personalizing clinical trials, and much more.

time-read
4 mins  |
February - March 2024
The All-Rounder In Ecotourism
Forbes Africa

The All-Rounder In Ecotourism

An exclusive interview with renowned Kenya-born landscape architect and pioneer of sustainable tourism Hitesh Mehta. His other fascinating career? Representing East Africa and Kenya in first-class cricket and playing in three ICC World Cup tournaments in the late 1970s and 1980s.

time-read
5 mins  |
February - March 2024
Wheeler-Deeler
Forbes Africa

Wheeler-Deeler

Alex Bouaziz’s HR company became the fastest-growing software startup in Silicon Valley history by promising to take the pain out of overseas hiring. But in its rush to a $12 billion valuation, regulators worry it may have been cutting the very compliance corners it’s supposedly maintaining.

time-read
6 mins  |
February - March 2024
Culture Couture
Forbes Africa

Culture Couture

Niger designer Alia Baré, also the daughter of a former president, is working to weave together a positive narrative of her country through fashion.

time-read
5 mins  |
February - March 2024
'We Can Build A Real Unicorn Out Of Africa, Creating Impact'
Forbes Africa

'We Can Build A Real Unicorn Out Of Africa, Creating Impact'

Manish Sardana, the Nairobi-based co-founder of edtech startup Craydel, wants to democratize access to higher education in Africa and eradicate the study-abroad agent market.

time-read
10 mins  |
February - March 2024
A Record Year For Elections, 2024 Will Determine Global Geopolitics
Forbes Africa

A Record Year For Elections, 2024 Will Determine Global Geopolitics

We are all hopeful that 2024 will definitely bring better sense to people, particularly to those in power to make sincere amends to the lapses of the past.

time-read
8 mins  |
February - March 2024
For The Record
Forbes Africa

For The Record

A Brazilian producer and a Kenyan singer came together to create a song last year that sOared ujp music charts globally, and in collaborating With a an India-born director for the video, it is NOW a milestone for African sound.

time-read
4 mins  |
February - March 2024
The Best Game
Forbes Africa

The Best Game

SA20 Commissioner and former South African cricketer Graeme Smith on the ambition to create the biggest league outside of India, and why putting on a show off the pitch is as important to attract a new audience.

time-read
4 mins  |
February - March 2024
Cream Of The Crop
Forbes Africa

Cream Of The Crop

Food is the future and these proactive startups are focused on shifting agricultural practices to prepare for what is to come.

time-read
5 mins  |
February - March 2024