It may have left the tabloids of America salivating, but the rest of us were somewhat befuddled when we heard Paris Hilton was coming to Rwanda. What was she coming to do? Was she seeking redemption after her stay at the less than salubrious Century Regional Detention Centre, where she served a 23 day jail sentence for probation violation? Could anything useful come out of such a visit?

Whatever the real reason for her visit she joined the long list of celebrities that have worked out that a trip to Africa, whether it is for Charity (Bob Geldof, Bono) or to adopt (Angelina Jolie, Madonna) rarely leads to negative publicity and can actually do your career a lot of good.

Paris Hilton’s trip to Rwanda was arranged under the auspices of the Playing for Good Foundation which today released a statement announcing the postponement of the trip due to restructuring of the Foundation.

Some see the planned trip by Paris Hilton as just another in the growing ‘misery tourism’ industry that is taking root across Africa with many celebrities and even ordinary folk coming over to, as they often put it, raise the profile of one or the another of the afflictions that affect Africa. It presents an opportunity to be painted in a positive light as you cuddle the obligatory half naked doe-eyed African child and assuage themselves of any guilt from living a life of conspicuous consumption.

In the long term any real change in Africa must come from within and this so in that sense we breathe a sigh of relief that Rwanda has been saved from becoming an outside location for the Holiday special of The Simple Life.