"My Flight Arrives at 5 am, Can You Pick Me Up?": The Gatekeeping Burden of the African Academic

Over the past decade, there has been increased awareness and discourse around the inequalities which structure North-South academic collaboration. The purpose of this discussion is to look at the other side of this dynamic: the gatekeeping burden of African scholars in facilitating Northern fieldwork within the African continent. We argue that this burden further exacerbates inherent inequalities within North-South relationships. By way of conclusion, we offer a number of practical steps that Northern researchers can take when engaging African academics which will contribute to more ethical collaboration, and a more positive and lasting impact within African institutions.