August 23, 2022
Africa: Did an Accidental 'Blood Plague' in World of Warcraft Help Scientists Model Covid Better? The Results Are In
Way before COVID, in 2005 the World of Warcraft game developers accidentally introduced an extremely virulent highly contagious disease into this game which then spread to infect… Read more »
August 22, 2022
Africa: Tips On How to Help Innovative Ideas Get Wings - From Universities to Businesses
Slowed economic growth and high unemployment almost seem the norm across Sub-Saharan Africa. There are many factors that has caused this including varying skills levels, low levels… Read more »
Zambia: Copper Mines Hard-Baked Racism Into the Workplace By Labelling Whites 'Expats'
Zambia's Copperbelt has been a centre of the world copper industry for almost a century. When mining began on an industrial scale in the 1920s, the mines employed both migrant… Read more »
South Africa: Fuel Price Subsidies - A Close Analysis Shows They Don't Reduce Poverty
Consumers in South Africa continue to grapple with a high cost of living, particularly with the latest rising fuel costs. In the last several months, the price for one litre of 95… Read more »
August 18, 2022
Africa: Social Network BeReal Shares Unfiltered and Unedited Moments From Our Lives - Will It Last?
BeReal hit the social networking scene in late 2019 but didn't take off until downloads started skyrocketing in 2022. So, what is BeReal all about, and is it here to stay? Read more »
August 21, 2022
Nigeria: Nigeria Wants to Ban Motorcycle Sales to Dent Terror Attacks. Why It Won't Work
Insecurity in Nigeria has worsened. In the north-east region, despite gains recorded by the military, the activities of jihadist terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigerians Feel the Pinch As Food Prices Continue to Spiral. There Aren't Easy Solutions
Nigeria is grappling with rising food prices, as reflected in the spike in inflation. The annual inflation rate accelerated for a sixth straight month to 19.64% in July 2022, the… Read more »
Africa: South Africa's Nuclear Sector Has Failed Its Test - the Koeberg Nuclear Plant Life Extension
South Africa's only nuclear power plant, Koeberg, has frequently been in the news in 2022, all for the wrong reasons. Read more »
Uganda: Idi Amin's 'Economic War' Victimised Uganda's Africans and Asians Alike
Fifty years ago - in early August 1972 - President Idi Amin summarily decreed the expulsion of Uganda's "Asian" (that is, Indian and Pakistani) community. Over 50,000 people were… Read more »
August 16, 2022
South Africa: Mobile App Offers New Learning Tools for Anatomy Students. but Tech Isn't a Silver Bullet
For most people who finished school or university even a decade ago, the idea of virtual reality in the classroom probably seems like the stuff of science fiction. But immersive… Read more »
South Africa: Proposed Fracking Regulations Should Do More to Protect Groundwater
South Africa is extremely water scarce, and water supply will become more challenging in the future. The population and economy are growing, increasing demand. Rainfall is variable… Read more »
Kenya: What William Ruto's Presidency Would Mean for Economy
William Ruto has been declared the winner of Kenya's 2022 presidential election. The close results have been queried, raising the risk of a prolonged political transition. But, if… Read more »
South Africa: Marikana 10 Years On - Survey Shows Knowledge of Massacre Is Low
To explore the patterns of collective memory in South Africa after nearly three decades of democracy, we set out to establish how much of the country's recent history people in the… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria's Breadmakers Have Been On Strike - the Head of Their Association Explains Why
The Premium Breadmakers Association of Nigeria, representing the interests of all breadmakers in the country, recently embarked on a national strike complaining about the… Read more »
August 15, 2022
South Africa: Auto Manufacturing Is Changing - How South Africa Can Adjust to Protect Workers and Jobs
Technological changes in industry have given rise to contending schools of thought about their impact on work and workers. Automation is rapidly deepening and widening, reaching… Read more »
August 14, 2022
Africa: Yes, Continent's Informal Sector Has Problems, but the Answer Isn't to Marginalise It
African leaders are increasingly aspiring to "modernise" their cities. That is to make them "globally competitive" and "smart". The hope is to strategically position cities in… Read more »
Kenya: Uhuru Kenyatta's Economic Legacy - Big On Promises, but Weak On Delivery
Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, ascended to Kenya's presidency in March 2013. This followed a contested poll that they won with a slim majority of 50.3% of the votes… Read more »
August 12, 2022
Africa: Expanded Access to Solar Power in Africa Can Stimulate Economic Development - but There Are Risks
UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 aspires to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030. But in Africa, around 600 million people continue… Read more »
August 10, 2022
Africa: Corporations Want to Profit From the World's Problems - They Can Solve Them Instead
There's a good chance that you would like to see COVID disappear for good. And you may also wish for an end to the war in Ukraine - or any other war for that matter. Read more »
South Africa: Higher Electricity Connection Fees? A Good, and Necessary, Next Step
There's been outrage from some quarters in South Africa about reports that the power utility Eskom and some municipalities intend to increase the connection fee for electricity… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Proposed Electricity Industry Reform - Lost in Translation?
South Africa's ruling party recently proposed establishing a second state-owned power company. The purpose is to offset the "grave strategic risk" of relying on Eskom, the… Read more »
Africa: When the IMF Comes to Town - Why They Visit and What to Watch Out For
In most rich countries the news that a mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is coming to visit is met with indifference. But, in most African countries the news can… Read more »
Africa: What's Wrong With the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The "Fourth Industrial Revolution" is a term coined in 2016 by German economist Klaus Schwab. It's used to describe the technology revolution that the world is going through. But… Read more »
August 08, 2022
Africa: Sex Work Is Real Work - Global Covid-19 Recovery Needs to Include Sex Workers
During the pandemic, business shifted from in person to work-from-home, which quickly became the new normal. However, it left many workers high and dry, especially those with less… Read more »
August 09, 2022
Angola: How Not to Respond to Drought - Lessons From Angola
Three years after a severe drought in southwestern Angola, people in the area continue to suffer. Hunger remains pervasive and they are still losing livestock. Read more »