Africa: Africa's Capital Must Stay Home to Plug Its Financing Gap - How It Could Be Done

Africa is providing cheap liquidity to wealthy nations. In return it is paying huge interest rates to external institutional investors at the cost of its own development. Read more »

Africa: Higher Interest Rates - Can I Make Them Work for Me?

When interest rates rise, most people feel the financial pinch as repayments for home loans, car purchases or personal loans increase. This leads to less money for everyday… Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: DR Congo Is Sending in the Military to Guard Mines and Critical Minerals. Will It Be Enough?

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is taking an unusual step to secure its critical minerals. It plans to create a new paramilitary unit to protect mining sites and transport… Read more »

Africa: The World Bank Wants to Change the Way It Manages Complaints - the Fixes That Could Make It Better

The World Bank made history in 1994 by creating the Inspection Panel, the first independent accountability mechanism at any international organisation. Its function is to… Read more »

Nigeria: Informal Workers in Lagos Are Left to Cope With Devastating Floods Alone - Why Things Must Change

There have been four major floods in Lagos, Nigeria's economic hub, over the past 14 years. The floodwaters swamp the open-air markets of Oshodi, one of the city's largest informal… Read more »

Africa: Agriculture in Africa - Science and Research Can't Make an Impact Without Investment and Good Policies

Agriculture is the lifeblood of Africa. More than 60% of African households depend directly or indirectly on the land for their livelihoods. And the continent has nearly 60% of the… Read more »

Ghana: Ghana's Transport System Is Chaotic - How It Can Move More People With Fewer Vehicles - Research

Every morning in Accra, Ghana's capital, thousands of commuters sit in traffic while minibuses and taxis compete for limited road space. Read more »

Botswana: Pensions for Botswana's Elderly Are Growing, but Care Services Are Lacking - Study Tracks 20 Years

Botswana's economy is projected to contract by 0.4% in 2026, driven largely by a slowdown in the diamond sector. Diamonds account for a third of fiscal revenues and a quarter of… Read more »

Africa: Why Nairobi Africa-France Summit Bears the Hallmarks of Macron and Ruto Priorities

The 2026 Africa-France summit in Nairobi on May 11-12 is the first to be held in an African country that is not a former French colony. It is also the first to be held since the… Read more »

Mozambique: Mozambique's Economy Is Failing - the Tough Policy Choices That Need to Be Made Urgently

Mozambique is not in total crisis - but it is faltering. There has been no currency crash, no hyperinflation, no bank run. But over the past decade the main indicators of the… Read more »

South Africa: South Africa's AI Policy Cited Fake Research, Created By AI - What Lessons Need to Be Learned

South Africa's first attempt to establish a binding artificial intelligence (AI) policy framework came to an abrupt halt just 16 days after it was officially gazetted. Read more »

Africa: The Race to Mine Critical Minerals for AI and Clean Energy Is Creating 'Sacrifice Zones' That Harm Water and Health of World's Poor

There is a troubling contradiction at the heart of the global transition to a cleaner, greener, tech-driven future: Modern technologies - everything from AI to wind turbines, as… Read more »

Africa: Finance for Clean Energy Doesn't Reach Projects in Africa - the Credit Rules Are Out of Date

In African countries, there's a gap between the financing available for renewable energy and the projects its meant to reach. Funds are not reaching the right places and even as… Read more »

Ghana: Ghana's Fuel Payment Strategy Works for Now - How to Fix Longer Term Problems

Ghana introduced a new payment arrangement for petroleum imports in 2023, using gold instead of scarce US dollars. The policy was designed to ease pressure on the cedi by reducing… Read more »

South Africa: Mopane Worm and Termite Sales Relieve Poverty in Rural South Africa - Studies Explore the Impact

South Africa's Limpopo province borders Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique. It is one of the poorest provinces in the country. This is due to a combination of historical… Read more »

Africa: The End of Oil? As Fuel Shocks Cascade, 53 Nations Gather to Plan a Fossil Fuel Phaseout

US President Donald Trump is a longtime climate denier and oil industry ally, who sums up his own energy policy as "drill, baby, drill". Yet he is doing more than almost anyone to… Read more »

East Africa: East African Community's Expansion Has Triggered Financial Troubles - Why Solutions Come With Risks

The East African Community is one of Africa's oldest regional economic organisations. Its birth in 1967 was the culmination of decades of economic ties forged in the colonial era… Read more »

Ghana: Ghana's Mining Law Aims to Stop Speculation but Leaves Communities in Limbo - Insights From a Lithium Case Study

Ghana's parliament ratified the country's first lithium mining agreement in March 2026. This came three years after lithium mining was confirmed as commercially viable in September… Read more »

Africa: The IMF Enjoys Preferred Creditor Status - Why It Shouldn't Be the Judge When It Comes to Other Lenders

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) should not be an arbiter of discussions about which other multilateral financial institutions should qualify for preferred creditor status.… Read more »

South Africa: Small Businesses That Go Green Could Make a Big Impact in South Africa - Study Analyses What's in Their Way

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make up 98% of all businesses in South Africa. There are between 2.4 million and 3.5 million in the country. They play a vital role in… Read more »

South Africa: South Africans Want Solar Power but They Worry Panels Will Be Stolen - Study

South Africa would seem like the perfect place for widespread uptake of solar energy. Read more »

Africa: Disputes Over Africa's Ocean Resources - Here's What Could Help Avoid Them

Over the last several decades, the oceans have become more crowded. Aquaculture, wind and wave energy, and oil and gas exploration are taking up more space. This growth threatens… Read more »

South Africa: Electric Minibus Taxis - the Challenges and Gains Facing Cape Town's Transition

The minibus taxi is ubiquitous in southern Africa. These vehicles are the backbone of the urban economy, providing affordable mobility for millions. In Cape Town, South Africa's… Read more »

Kenya: Kenyans Are Encouraged to Work Abroad, but Protection Rights Remain Weak - New Research

Labour migration from Kenya was oriented towards Africa, North America and Europe until the 1990s. Kenyans then started moving to the Gulf countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,… Read more »

Africa: Countries Suffer When Credit Rating Agencies Lack Data - How to Fix the Problem At Source

Some developing country governments spend years making the reforms that international financial institutions want - only to find that their efforts are not rewarded. Read more »