January 23, 2023
Zambia: Copper Transformed Way the World Works Before - It's About to Do So Again
Copper is all around us. The metal is both ever-present and invisible in our world. Copper makes reading the words on this screen possible. And the global spread of artificial… Read more »
January 20, 2023
South Africa: Power Cuts in South Africa - Trend to Get Off the Grid Is Gathering Pace, but Total Independence Is Still a Way Off
South Africans have been battered by power shortages for several years. These have worsened to the point that towards the end of 2022 the country's electricity utility, Eskom, had… Read more »
January 19, 2023
Africa: How the Fifa20 Video Game Reproduces the Racial Stereotypes Embedded Within Football
EA Sports' Fifa football videogame series is arguably the most successful sports gaming franchise of all time. Since its debut in 1993, it has sold over 260 million copies across… Read more »
Africa: Installing Solar-Powered Refrigerators in Developing Countries Can Reduce Hunger and Slow Climate Change
Food loss and waste are major problems around the world. When food is tossed aside or allowed to spoil, it makes economies less productive and leaves people hungry. Read more »
South Africa: Pay Inequality Is High - Bosses Are Part of the Problem
South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world. This income inequality is mostly due to high unemployment and large differences in wages. Read more »
Nigeria: New Lekki Port Has Doubled Cargo Capacity, but Must Not Repeat Previous Failures
Three-quarters of the world is covered by water and up to 90% of world trade is seaborne. Seaports and shipping are critical to the conduct of global trade. Read more »
January 18, 2023
Africa: How to Spot a Cyberbot - Five Tips to Keep Your Device Safe
You may know nothing about it, but your phone - or your laptop or tablet - could be taken over by someone else who has found their way in through a back door. They could have… Read more »
January 17, 2023
South Africa: Technology and Sustainable Development - A Hamlet in Rural South Africa Shows How One Can Power the Other
It's hard to imagine that the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the fourth industrial revolution can be part of the same conversation. Read more »
Africa: Extreme Storms and Flood Events Cause Damage Worth Billions to Ports - and They Are Most Disruptive to Small Island Developing States #AfricaClimateCrisis
Shipping ports are crucial for the global economy. They handle the majority of trade, are industrial and transportation hubs and provide employment. But ports, by their nature, are… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria's Currency Redesign and Withdrawal Limits - Questionable Policy and Bad Timing
The Central Bank of Nigeria launched new banknotes in November 2022. The new notes came into effect on 15 December 2022. Read more »
January 16, 2023
South Africa: Being a Volunteer Won't Land You a Job. but It Could Improve Your Chances of Getting One
The South African government has implemented numerous economic policies to boost employment since the democratic transition in 1994. But between 1995 and 2022 the growth in… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria's University System Needs Radical Reform
Amid strikes by Nigeria's Academic Staff Union of Universities, one thing is clear: the current funding model for the country's public universities is broken. The government's new… Read more »
January 15, 2023
South Africa: Farming in South Africa - 6 Things That Need Urgent Attention in 2023
South Africa's agriculture remains an important sector of the economy and holds great potential to reduce poverty. It's also central to the political economy of the country, as… Read more »
January 13, 2023
Congo-Kinshasa: Mining and Armed Conflict Threaten Eastern DR Congo's Biodiversity in a Complex Web
The Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) conflict-affected eastern provinces are home to numerous protected areas. These areas host unique biodiversity and a range of threatened… Read more »
January 11, 2023
Ethiopia: Chinese Imports Could Undermine Ethiopian Manufacturing - Leaving Women Workers Worst Off
China is now the African continent's largest trading partner, accounting for US$254 billion in 2021. It's also the main country of origin for African manufacturing imports,… Read more »
Tanzania: Why Solar-Powered Cold Storage Could Be a Sustainable Solution to Tomato Harvest Waste #AfricaClimateHope
Feeding Africa's growing population is a big development challenge for governments, policy makers and agriculture experts. Adding to the challenge is the high level of food loss… Read more »
January 06, 2023
Africa: Global Economy 2023 - Why There Will Still Be Plenty of Pressure On Food Prices in the Year Ahead
Welcome to this special report on the food industry, the fourth instalment in our series on where the global economy is heading in 2023. It follows recent articles on inflation,… Read more »
January 11, 2023
Africa: Chinese Workers On Africa's Infrastructure Projects - the Link With Host Political Regimes
China has rapidly become Africa's most important infrastructure builder, and the footprint of Chinese construction companies is seen in cities, towns and villages across the… Read more »
January 06, 2023
Africa: Deforestation - Proposed EU Import Ban May Fail to Protect Tropical Rainforests and Farmers - Here's How It Should Work
Most European consumers' shopping baskets tend to include items linked to deforestation in tropical regions, involving agricultural commodities such as beef, soybeans, palm oil,… Read more »
January 09, 2023
Africa: Women Work Harder Than Men - Our Anthropological Study Reveals Why
For most people around the world, physical work takes up a great amount of time and energy every day. But what determines whether it is men or women who are working harder in… Read more »
January 10, 2023
Kenya: Kenya and South Africa Are Working to Address Trade Barriers - Where to Start
Trade volumes between Kenya and South Africa have always been minimal compared to each country's engagement with its other major trading partners. But in recent years, leaders of… Read more »
January 09, 2023
Africa: Children and Money - Five Ways to Start the Conversation
When it comes to teaching young children about the world, parents may feel that some topics - like politics and religion - are too tough to broach. Money is another. Parents may… Read more »
South Africa: The South African Government Has Been Buying Farmland for Black Farmers. It's Not Gone Well
When the African National Congress came to power in South Africa in 1994, an expressed priority was land reform. This was to address the fact that black farmers had been excluded… Read more »
Ghana: Why Ghana Relies Heavily On Used Cars
The sale of electric cars is growing. Globally, some 2 million electric vehicles were sold in the first quarter of 2022 - 75% more than in the first three months of 2021. Most,… Read more »
January 06, 2023
Africa: Amazing System Plants Use to Shape Their Roots, Why It Could Help Protect Crops From Climate Change #AfricaClimateHope
Plants have colonised the vast majority of the Earth's surface. So what is the key to their success? Read more »