March 10
Zimbabwe: Happy Smiling African Children - Why School Tourism in Zimbabwe Shouldn't Be Encouraged
A large, air-conditioned bus draws up outside a school. Tourists, most from Europe and the US, disembark, cameras at the ready. Some have brought gifts: packages of pens and… Read more »
November 10, 2023
Africa: Visa-Free Travel for Africans - Why Kenya and Rwanda Have Taken a Step in the Right Direction
President William Ruto of Kenya recently announced that Kenya's borders would be open to visitors from the entirety of Africa, with no visas required, by the end of 2023. He said Read more »
November 09, 2023
South Africa: Tourists Are Returning to South Africa - but the Sector Will Need to Go Green to Deal With the Country's Electricity Crisis
For the past 16 years South Africans have dreaded rolling power cuts euphemistically dubbed "loadshedding". These are caused by the ailing state power entity Eskom's crumbling… Read more »
October 04, 2023
South Africa: Lion Protection Fee Paid By Tourists Could Help Stop Trophy Hunting - South African Study
Trophy hunting is contentious. It typically involves paying for and pursuing a specific wild animal, often a large or iconic species, with the goal of killing it to obtain a… Read more »
September 25, 2023
South Africa: South African Tourism - Informal Traders Need Support, Not More Red Tape
South Africa is an attractive tourist destination for foreign travellers on the African continent. It ranks 27th out of 128 countries in the world when it comes to visitor… Read more »
July 16, 2023
Africa: Why Do I Have to Take My Laptop Out of the Bag At Airport Security?
Anyone who has travelled by air in the past ten years will know how stressful airports can be. Read more »
June 29, 2023
South Africa: Lions Are Still Being Farmed in South Africa for Hunters and Tourism - They Shouldn't Be
A man was arrested at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 23 June 2023 with five lion carcasses in his luggage. He was about to board a flight to… Read more »
June 12, 2023
Kenya: Kenya's First Budget Under Ruto - Three Experts Review Its Key Points
President William Ruto's first budget comes to the national assembly on 15 June against the backdrop of massive public debt and public disquiet over high inflation. The KSh3.663… Read more »
March 21, 2023
Africa: A Microbiologist Reveals the Shocking Truth About Dirt and Germs in Hotel Rooms
For most of us, staying in a hotel room is either something of a necessity - think business travel - or something to look forward to as part of a holiday or wider excursion. Read more »
February 03, 2023
South Africa: South African Tourism Wants to Sponsor Football Club Tottenham Hotspur - Is It a Good Idea?
South African Tourism (SA Tourism) is reported to be planning to spend US$52 million (about R900 million) to sponsor UK football team Tottenham Hotspur over three years. The… Read more »
February 02, 2023
South Africa: Travelling While Black - 7 South African Travelogues You Should Read
Travel writing in Africa is often associated with colonial ventures of the past or white adventure pursuits of today. But Africans themselves have long produced captivating travel… Read more »
January 30, 2023
Africa: Jetlag Hits Differently Depending On Your Travel Direction. Here Are 6 Tips to Help You Get Over It
After a few difficult years of lockdowns and travel restrictions, people are finally winging their way across the globe again; families are being reunited and sights are being… Read more »
January 24, 2023
Africa: We Tested the Wastewater From Planes to Detect Covid Among Travellers - Here's What We Found
Small traces of many pathogens, such as viruses we may be infected with, are excreted when we go to the toilet. Ultimately, these agents find their way to municipal wastewater… Read more »
January 19, 2023
Africa: Free Movement of People Across Africa - Regions Are Showing How It Can Work
The end of January 2023 will mark five years since the African Union Free Movement of Persons protocol was signed by the African Union. A parallel initiative to the African… Read more »
October 26, 2022
Africa: South Africa's Wildlife Ranches Can Offer Solutions to Africa's Growing Conservation Challenges
Designated protected areas for wildlife - such as national parks - are the world's principal conservation strategy. But this model to conserve wildlife in Africa is increasingly… Read more »
South Africa: Crime, Covid and Climate Change - South African Tourism Faces Many Threats, but It's Resilient
South Africa's tourism industry has been rocked by the murder of a German visitor during an attempted robbery. The development resulted in negative media publicity, with a… Read more »
October 06, 2022
Africa: The Fairest Way to Tax Carbon Is to Make Air Travel More Expensive
Despite the fact that poorer people generally have lower emissions, taxes on the carbon dioxide (CO₂) our activities emit tend to affect people on low incomes more than richer… Read more »
September 22, 2022
Africa: Hosting the FIFA World Cup Brings Benefits. But Not As Many As Politicians Claim
The World Cup kicks off on 20 November, when Qatar will host Ecuador in the opening match. It will conclude on 18 December when the final will be played in the 80 000-seater Lusail… Read more »
June 21, 2022
Africa: UK Work Visa for Elite Graduates Is Exclusive and Based On Flawed Assumptions
The UK government's announcement of a new work visa option aimed at attracting top graduates has elicited some backlash because the list of eligible institutions features no… Read more »
April 28, 2022
Tanzania: Evicting People From Ngorongoro Conservation Area Is a Bad Idea, There Are Alternatives
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area in northern Tanzania is a spectacular area made up of expansive plains, forests and savanna. It's also home to a huge caldera - a depression that… Read more »
April 21, 2022
Nigeria: Nigeria's Pristine Freshwater Ecosystems Need Protection Before They Are Lost
As human populations grow, pure freshwater systems are becoming rare around the world. Urbanisation and infrastructure development have had an impact on the natural environment in… Read more »