Steve Harvey on feeling at home in Africa and the work he's doing on the continent
Sara-Jayne Makwala King sits down with the top US entertainer at FAME Week Africa in Cape Town.
Comedian and game show host Steve Harvey speaks during a conversation about the economy with US Vice President Kamala Harris at the 100 Black Men of America, Inc. 38th Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 14, 2024. Picture: Elijah Nouvelage / AFP
US star Steve Harvey has a special place in his heart for South Africa, and the continent as a whole.
The TV host, comedian, actor, and producer has been in Cape Town headlining FAME Week Africa 2024, where Sara-Jayne Makwala King had the chance to catch up with him.
Africa is home for him, says Harvey, where he feels 'more at home than I do anywhere else'.
"When I get off the plane I'm keenly aware that I'm from here. You have a sense of belonging, the whole continent... from Ghana to Botswana to Kenya, all the way down to Cape Town, it's home."
Steve Harvey, US entertainer
Harvey talks about the emotional experience of visiting slavery sites in Africa, and the history of African slaves in the US.
"I've been to the the slave castles, I just cried... We were dragged from here and put in a place where they didn't want us but they needed us. And then we built America. The country is the economic power it is today because of the of free labour on the backs of black African slaves..."
"...and after you build the counttry they have the audacity not to want you there. In spite of this, so many of us have risen above the clamour of racism. We are making headway... We watched Obama become president, we many very well be looking at Kamala Harris becoming president..."
Steve Harvey, US entertainer
While the US is a land of opportunity, it's a fight to get those opportunities he says.
Harvey's work in Africa also focuses on opening up opportunites for especially young people.
Through the 'Botswana Ignite' initiative he's helping nurture local creative talent and foster growth in the country’s television and video production industries.
His vision is to do this work across the continent in 'the countries that need it'.
"South Africa and Nigeria have a jump on this. SA has beautiful studios, TV stations... You know how to produce content, you've taken all these American programmes and made them your own like Housewives, X Factor... but there are countries that could use some help."
Steve Harvey, US entertainer
The reason his focus is on young people is because there was somebody who gave him a chance once, Harvey says.
"If you can give young people not only hope but the tools to remain and become hopeful, that's the winning ticket."
"I'm 67 years old and I'm so fly! But my love is for young people because they're our future."
"The future of what this world is going to be is in the hands of young people, the creators, the content providers... and now there's more content providing streams than ever before, so what we do is we create programmes where we teach the business of show business."
"A lot of people on this continent have great shows but not the business savvy to pull it off. We teach the business savvy of it and, at the same time if you'e a content creator, we give you the opportunity to produce a show and be in it yourself."
Steve Harvey, US entertainer
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