Africa’s middle class, those with a daily expenditure of between US$4 and $20 a day, currently stands at just over 120 million, or 13.4% of the population. According to a report by the African Development Bank, if remittances from Africans living abroad are taken into account, this figure might be closer to 300 million.

The Other Africa is photographic project by Philippe Sibelly that started in 2005. It is a visual document studying the emergence of a middle class on the continent. All the images below depict a modern side of Africa far from the negative views conveyed in the western media.

Visit the official website at www.theotherafrica.eu or on Facebook

About the photographer:

Philippe Sibelly was born in 1971 in Marseille. He left for Sydney, Australia, in 1991 in search of adventure. He stayed there for seven years, living off casual jobs and taking many photos. In 1998 he moved to Dublin, Ireland, doing the entire journey overland from Sydney to Dublin. In Ireland he completed a degree in photography at DLIADT (Dun Laoghaire Institute of Arts, Design and Technology). In 2004 he moved to London where he completed a PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) in Art and design to become a secondary art teacher. He has photographed in over 60 countries and now lives in South London with his Irish partner and two children.