July 13, 2023
South Africa: Street Gangs in South Africa and Canada Are Worlds Apart - but They Have a Great Deal in Common
At first glance, it would appear that there's little in common between the vast plains of the Canadian Prairies and the mountainous swells of South Africa's southernmost coastline.… Read more »
July 12, 2023
Zimbabwe: Ezekiel Guti - Revered Zimbabwean Church Leader Who Preached Hard Work and Morals Over Miracles
Ezekiel Guti, who has died at the age of 100, was one of the founders of Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa (Zaoga). He also established a media empire, a university, a hospital and… Read more »
Cote d'Ivoire: Côte d'Ivoire Is Launching Its First Satellite for Earth Observation - and It's Locally Made
Côte d'Ivoire has announced plans to launch its first satellite within the next two years. A team of scientists in the fields of astrophysics and geology tell The… Read more »
Tanzania: Tanzania's Gas Boom That Never Was - When Local Hopes Are Dashed By Global Realities
Rising international commodity prices can shape or reshape the fortunes of places. When large mining and oil and gas prospectors suddenly show an interest, a remote area can become… Read more »
Zimbabwe: Revered Zimbabwean Church Leader Who Preached Hard Work and Morals Instead of Miracles
Ezekiel Guti, who has died at the age of 100, was one of the founders of Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa (Zaoga). He also established a media empire, a university, a hospital and… Read more »
South Africa: Sindiwe Magona's New Book of Essays Tackles Issues South Africans Aren't Talking About
Sindiwe Magona - who turns 80 this year - is a celebrated South African writer, storyteller, speaker and activist. In 2022 Magona, once a domestic worker, received her PhD in… Read more »
Africa: Strep Throat Can Easily Be Confused With Throat Infections Caused By Viruses - Here Are a Few Ways to Know the Difference
"My sore throats, you know, are always worse than anybody's." Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Land Bank Can Be Fixed - Change the Funding Model and Narrow the Focus
It is disheartening to see how many South Africans, including parliamentarians, have forgotten the simple and influential role the Land and Agricultural Development Bank (Land… Read more »
July 11, 2023
Ethiopia: Ethiopia's Bid to Join BRICS - Expert Weighs Pros and Cons
A few years ago, the BRICS grouping - Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa - had lost salience because three of its members were in severe economic difficulty. Brazil,… Read more »
Angola: Painted Messages in Angola's Abandoned Liberation Army Camps Offer a Rare Historical Record
In Angola's Malanje province, the buildings of Camalundu stand abandoned amid open fields. On one of them, the fragmented words "IAN NGOYI" recall a figure little-known in Angola… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria's Growing Population Can Be an Advantage, With Better Data and a Policy Focus On Young People
Nigeria's population is currently estimated at over 222 million, with the median age - the age at the midpoint of the population - 18.1 years. This poses challenges and… Read more »
Congo-Kinshasa: DRC Has One of the Fastest Growing Populations in the World - Why This Isn't Good News
The demographic profile of a country matters because it sets its development pace - it creates opportunities and presents risks. For many developing countries, the challenge is to… Read more »
Africa: Weight Loss - Why You Don't Just Lose Fat When You're On a Diet
When you go on a diet, you don't just lose fat - you lose muscle too. This can have many repercussions - not only on your fitness and strength, but on your metabolism. Read more »
Ghana: Ghana's Population Is Young and Rapidly Urbanising - Policies Need to Match the Data
Ghana's population has reached 30.8 million according to the 2021 population census. This is a 6.1 million increase from the 24.7 million recorded in 2010. Understanding population… Read more »
July 10, 2023
Africa: How an African Collection of Art in Canada Is Celebrated With Care and Community
A significant collection of traditional African art has had a home in Canada for almost a hundred years. Read more »
Congo-Kinshasa: DRC Violence Has Many Causes - the UN's Narrow Focus On Ethnicity Won't Help End Conflict
The UN Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo's 2023 mid-term report reduces the very complex causes of violence in the eastern part of the country to inter-communal… Read more »
Nigeria: Nearly a Third of Nigerians Don't Have Access to a Basic Supply of Water
Water, sanitation and hygiene facilities are essential for health and welfare. Providing them is one of the core duties of the state. Read more »
South Africa: The True Origins of the World's Smallest and Weirdest Whale
The pygmy right whale, Caperea marginata, is the weirdest whale you've probably never heard of. Read more »
July 09, 2023
Kenya: Kenya At 60 - Six Key Moments That Shaped Post-Colonial Politics
Kenya celebrates 60 years of independence this year. As a political scientist who has studied Kenya for the past 20 years, I consider a turning point from each decade that helped… Read more »
Somalia: Somaliland - Berbera City's Growth Is Being Held Back By a Power Supply Monopoly
Somaliland's main port, at the city of Berbera, accounted for two-thirds of the country's revenues in 2020. Over the years, these revenues have mostly gone into the central state… Read more »
July 07, 2023
South Africa: Tennis and Apartheid - How a South African Teenager Was Denied His Dream of Playing At Wimbledon
Today the All England Lawn Tennis Club, hosts of the famous Wimbledon Championships, pledges to be diverse and inclusive. But in 1971 an 18-year-old university student, Hoosen… Read more »
July 06, 2023
East Africa: Kiswahili - How a Standard Version of the East African Language Was Formed - and Spread Across the World
Kiswahili originated in east Africa, spreading around the continent and the globe. It's been adopted as a working language at the African Union and there's a push for it to become… Read more »
Ghana: Ghana's New Chief Justice - Gertrude Tokornoo Faces Challenges, but Could Help Transform the Country's Courts
Her Ladyship Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo took office as the 15th ,chief justice of Ghana on 12 June 2023. She is the third woman to occupy the position, which is the… Read more »
July 05, 2023
Africa: New Research Shows How Covid-19 Affects Younger Children and Those From Deprived Areas
At the heights of the pandemic, particularly since 2021, many children and teenagers admitted to hospital had COVID. However, it was never clear what proportion of them were in… Read more »
Mozambique: Mozambican Terror Group Is Strikingly Similar to Nigeria's Deadly Boko Haram
Terrorism is a global problem affecting many countries. Until 2017, however, southern Africa was largely spared from this phenomenon. The bloody conflict sparked by Ansar al-Sunna… Read more »