February 15, 2023
Africa: Invisible Trillions Book Review - Global Capitalism Operates Beyond Rule of Law, Threatens Democracy
Secrecy has become as important for corporations as transparent and taxable profits used to be, according to Raymond W. Baker in his new book Invisible Trillions. Global… Read more »
February 14, 2023
Somalia: Al-Shabaab Attacks in Somalia Affect Communities As Far As 900KM Away - Aid Agencies Need to Take Note
Policymakers tend to assume that the effects of conflict are felt only where violence occurs. As a result, humanitarian aid, protection efforts or asylum policies largely focus on… Read more »
Africa: When Two Elephants Fight - How the Global South Uses Non-Alignment to Avoid Great Power Rivalries
An African proverb notes that "when two elephants fight, it is the grass underneath that suffers". Read more »
Africa: What Is Mondiacult? 6 Take-Aways From the World's Biggest Cultural Policy Gathering
Culture's status in global society got a major boost in 2022 when it was recommended to become its own sustainable development goal. This happened at the Unesco World Conference on… Read more »
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's Budget Plans Open Door for Growth but Only If High Interest Rates Don't Derail Them
When Zimbabwe's finance minister Mthuli Ncube presented the national budget for 2023 to Parliament in November 2022, he placed high emphasis on a raft of initiatives designed to… Read more »
February 13, 2023
Nigeria: Nigerian Elections - Eight Issues Young People Want the New Govt to Address
As Nigeria prepares for the 25 February presidential elections, it's interesting to consider what young Nigerians are expecting. Read more »
Senegal: Dakar's Clandestine Taxis Are Essential for Daily Travel - but They're Illegal
Africa's major cities are growing at a rapid pace. In Dakar, Senegal's capital, for instance, the population has almost doubled in 20 years, reaching 4 million inhabitants today. Read more »
Africa: Advantages and Challenges of Anti-Covid Nasal Vaccination - The Promises of a French Approach
Contrary to the widely shared popular belief, the primary purpose of current vaccines against Covid-19 is solely to protect against serious forms of the disease in order to prevent… Read more »
February 12, 2023
South Africa: AKA - Slain Rapper Was a Once-in-a-Generation Pop Culture Sensation
AKA, South Africa's most recognisable name in hip-hop, was gunned down - with his friend, celebrity chef Tebello 'Tibz' Motsoane - outside a restaurant along Durban's popular night… Read more »
South Sudan: South Sudan's Oil and Water Give It Bargaining Power - but Will It Benefit the People?
South Sudan has long been one of east Africa's most unstable states. But surging external interest in its resources and the diplomatic agility of its rulers are again underlining… Read more »
Africa: How Valentine's Day Gifts Have Changed Over the Centuries
For Valentine's Day, some couples only roll their eyes at each other in mutual cynicism. The capitalisation of love in the modern world can certainly seem banal. Read more »
Africa: African Researchers Are Ready to Share More Work Openly - Now Policy Must Make It Possible
Librarians are the curators of creativity. They collect success stories and share it with the world. Traditionally, the success was from published authors, which libraries shared… Read more »
February 10, 2023
Tanzania: Tanzania Has Ditched School Rankings. It Should Replace Them With Something More Useful
While announcing the results of the 2022 Certificate of Secondary School Examination, Tanzania's National Examination Council did not provide school rankings for the first time in… Read more »
South Africa: Parks Versus People? Challenges Facing the South African Capital's Greening Efforts
Urban green spaces have recently been getting more research attention because of the benefits they offer. Read more »
South Africa: Radio in South Africa Turns 100 - and Collides With Podcasting and Streaming
This year marks 100 years since radio was introduced in South Africa, through "the first experimental broadcast at the Railway Headquarters in Johannesburg" on 18 December 1923. Read more »
Africa: Dungeons & Dragons Licence Changes Threaten the Fan Community the Game Relies Upon - Legal Expert Explains
Dungeons & Dragons has a longstanding appeal as a role-playing game - or as some players prefer to call it, a storytelling medium. But retaining users in the face of… Read more »
Southern Africa: Henry Kissinger At 100 - History Will Judge the Former U.S. Secretary of State's Southern African Interventions to Be a Failure
Henry Kissinger, who sexed up the art of diplomacy in the eight years between 1969 and 1977, will turn 100 in May this year. Read more »
February 09, 2023
Africa: Russia's Presence On the Continent Increasingly Relies On Mercenaries
Mercenaries have been a fixture in Africa since the second half of the 20th century. They have been used to protect incumbent leaders or install new ones in conflict zones. Read more »
South Africa: 500-Year-Old Horn Container Discovered in South Africa Sheds Light On Pre-Colonial Khoisan Medicines
In 2020, a chance discovery near the small South African hamlet of Misgund in the Eastern Cape unearthed an unusual parcel - a gift to science. The parcel turned out to be a… Read more »
Africa: Is 13 Too Young to Have a Tiktok or Instagram Account?
The surgeon general is the "nation's doctor" in the United States. They are tasked with giving Americans the "best scientific information" about their health. Read more »
South Africa: Cape Town's 'Day Zero' Threat Concentrated Minds - an Activist Group Used the Moment to Secure Environmental Victories
Major cities across the world are being increasingly plagued by severe water shortages. From Bangalore, India to São Paulo, Brazil and even Beijing, China, cities are at… Read more »
February 08, 2023
Africa: How Do I Improve My Immunity? Expert Shares Tips On What to Do - and What to Avoid
The human immune system is arguably the most complex system in the human body. But scientists have made a lot of progress in understanding how it functions. Read more »
Africa: Pulses Are Packed With Goodness - Five Cool Things You Should Know About Them
Each year on February 10, the United Nations commemorates what probably sounds to many like a strange occasion: World Pulses Day. Read more »
South Africa: Few of South Africa's Chartered Accountants Are Black - Hearing Their Stories Suggests What to Fix
Chartered accountants can be found in the upper echelons of organisations all over the world as CEOs, directors and senior managers. They are often responsible for an entity's… Read more »
Kenya: Kenya's President Wants Taxes to Replace Foreign Debt - Seven Ways to Get There
In the run-up to Kenya's 2022 polls, economic issues, particularly public debt and joblessness, took centre stage. The Kenya Kwanza team led by William Ruto suggested that Kenya… Read more »