Identifying and understanding stereotypes across four countries in Africa

Identifying and understanding stereotypes across four countries in Africa
When Google asked Mantaray to lead the African contingency of the SPICE research project—originally conducted in India— we discovered that the most powerful insights are often derived in people's mother tongue, which may not always be written how it is expressed verbally. This project reminded me of how significant this understanding is when conducting UX research in culturally rich and diverse regions. Our team conducted this multi-country research project across South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana, engaging with 100 participants in each country. It was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my career, not just because of the scope of the project but also for all the unexpected learnings along the way.
The research goal 
The primary goal was to investigate how people understand, experience, and repeat stereotypes related to identity, whether gendered, tribal, regional, or religious. We were searching for more than simply surface-level labels. We asked participants to explain stereotypes they had heard or encountered and to be as explicit as possible. For example, rather than just stating "women", we encouraged people to share perceptions like "Muslim women from the northern region" or "young single mothers from urban areas". This amount of specificity revealed not only what people believed but also how culture, language, and geography influence those beliefs and shape those ideas.
Our research methodology
Broad-reaching surveys were conducted to collect a diverse sample of beliefs and biases. This was mirrored in our recruitment of people of various ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, levels of education, and access to technology, as well as a diversity of genders and religions. The majority tribes were identified in each country, and the survey was conducted in the native languages.
Telephonic interviews, conducted by local researchers in the person's mother tongue and captured in English across South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana. All interviews start in the person's mother tongue, and the conversation could change to another language if the participant feels more comfortable in another language.
Conduct interviews
Telephonic interviews were conducted in participants' native language to elicit richer and more emotionally grounded responses.
Record responses
Capturing authentic expressions and emotional nuances in English as well as the native language if available.
Analyse findings
Identifying patterns and cultural insights.
Providing specific cultural and linguistic insights when needed.
Linguistic translation and analysis framework
This was not a quick translation exercise; what people say may not be the same words when written. It was an intentional decision to preserve context and nuance as much as possible. Literal translations frequently fail to capture culturally sensitive phrases. That is why we collaborated with expert linguists and moderators from each region to verify the content we gathered, deeply local and emotionally accurate phrases.
Cultural context
Preserving accuracy to ensure we understand and comprehend the cultural context of the stereotypes.
Expert linguists
Collaboration with regional specialists to ensure the written language matches the spoken language.
Term and attribute translation
Ensuring the stereotypes are accurately translated across Zulu, Yoruba, Kikuyu, Akan, and Swahili
Our process
We treated each language and country as unique, building on the same process and consolidating across.
Cross-cultural patterns
We could identify some common themes across the countries and languages.
Local variations
Understanding regional and language differences across the interviews.
Data analysis
Extracting meaningful insights across four distinct language groups and cultures.
Key findings
Identifying key themes and groupings of stereotypes.
Stereotypes are complex and localised
Regional differences in Ghana
In Ghana, stereotypes across urban and rural participants differed significantly.
Historical narratives in Nigeria
In Nigeria, even within the same region, complicated historical narratives moulded attitudes of the Igbo and Yoruba people.
Shared language, different perceptions
Even when two communities spoke the same language, they did not see each other in the same light.
Language can add or remove meaning
When discussing painful or stigmatising stereotypes, participants almost instinctively turned to their mother tongue, and this was critical during the study. The emotional weight of certain terms like those used for "lazy", "promiscuous", or "ambitious" simply didn't land or translate well into English. 
Emotional expression
Mother tongue is often used for emotional topics.
Cultural nuance
Local terms carry deeper cultural meaning at times.
Translation limitations
English fails to capture full context.
Contradictions and contextual influences meaning
Common contradictions
We discovered that people often hold opposing views. For example, a young man may admire female entrepreneurs but still use a stereotype that suggests they are "aggressive" or "too Western". These tensions revealed deeper societal conflicts between tradition and modernisation.
Reinforcement channels
Stereotypes don't live in a vacuum. They are reinforced by the media, family, and religion. Some stereotypes were regarded as "harmless jokes", while others had a definite influence and impact on people's opportunities and mental health.
Implications for brands
For brands designing products, ignoring these layers when building products and messaging runs the risk of alienating customers.
Reflections: Listening between the lines
This project was about understanding the human stories behind biases. Listening to individuals discuss their perceptions was emotional, at times uncomfortable, but always informative.
Inclusive design requires inclusive research, which in turn needs local language moderators and teams with deep cultural understanding.
To enable global products to really work, it must feel personal, and therefore context is key.
Take action with Mantaray Africa
Expert research
Our specialised team understands the nuances of culturally diverse markets
Actionable insights
Transform research into strategic product decisions for your business
Real user understanding
Connect with the actual needs of your target audience to ensure you build a product that customers love
Want to uncover insights like these for your product? Talk to Mantaray Africa today
Learn more about our other UX work across Africa!