August 28
South Africa: South Africa's Coal Workers Face an Uncertain Future
South Africa is on the path to decarbonisation - doing away with burning coal and other fossil fuels and moving towards renewable, clean energy, such as solar and wind power.… Read more »
South Africa: Playing Technology Games and Making Science Fun Helps Young Kids Solve Visual Problems and Grasp Ideas Better
As I watched my sons, Wavhudi and Rivhavhudi, play games on my phone before bedtime, I was captivated by their enthusiasm and how deeply they were engaged - especially when the… Read more »
South Africa: Starting a Business After University - Young South African Entrepreneurs Discuss the Highs and Lows
South Africa's youth unemployment rate, at 45.5% (among those aged between 15 and 34), is worryingly high, even in the context of widespread unemployment across the African… Read more »
August 26
Africa: A Third of the World's Population Lacks Internet Connectivity - Airborne Communications Stations Could Change That
About one-third of the global population, around 3 billion people, don't have access to the internet or have poor connections because of infrastructure limitations, economic… Read more »
August 27
Africa: Children and the Internet - Helping Kids Navigate This Modern Minefield
The United States' most senior public health official, surgeon-general Vivek Murthy, believes social media platforms should come with warning labels. The United Nations' education,… Read more »
South Africa: Competition in South Africa's Electricity Market - New Law Paves the Way, but It Won't Be a Smooth Ride
South Africa endured an electricity crisis from 2008 characterised by intermittent rolling blackouts and a growing culture of non-payment. The state-owned utility, Eskom, came to… Read more »
Rwanda: Rwanda Is Creating Shiny, Modern Cities After the Genocide
Over the past 17 years, Rwanda has cleared informal settlements to make way for modern urban construction. Kigali's ambitious city master plan is expected to be fully realised by… Read more »
August 21
Africa: Avalanches Can Grow 100 Times Larger Under the Sea Than On Land - Here's Why They're a Risk to the Internet
Underwater avalanches are powerful natural events that happen all the time under the surface of the ocean. They are impossible to see and extremely difficult to measure, which… Read more »
August 26
South Africa: Giant Batteries to Store Wind and Solar Power Can Speed Up South Africa's Energy Transition - How That Can Happen
South Africa is at a pivotal moment in its energy transition: trying to decarbonise its economy (move away from coal) and make sure that everyone has access to reliable and… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's New Pension Rules - Australia, Chile and Singapore Show How Personal Savings Can Grow the Economy
Up until now South Africans have been allowed to withdraw their entire pension or provident fund when leaving a job. This has left many with no savings at all when they get to… Read more »
August 22
Kenya: How Debt and Taxes Conspired to Rob Nairobi's Slum-Dwelling Youth of the Promise of a Better Life
Throughout the summer of 2024, young Kenyans have taken to the streets of the capital, Nairobi, in a series of anti-government demonstrations. Read more »
August 18
Africa: Generative Ai Hype Is Ending - and Now the Technology Might Actually Become Useful
Less than two years ago, the launch of ChatGPT started a generative AI frenzy. Some said the technology would trigger a fourth industrial revolution, completely reshaping the world… Read more »
August 20
Africa: Australia Won't Have 'Green Steel' to Itself. Africa Is Poised to Become a Global Hub
Australia is at the forefront of efforts to turn steelmaking green. Read more »
Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone's Women Farmers Use a Custom Called Bora to Access Land - but It's Making Them More Vulnerable
Bora - a type of thank you gift - is a Sierra Leonean custom of respect that is often used in relation to land. For instance, informal farmers pay bora to landowners to be able to… Read more »
August 21
South Africa: South Africa's Competition Law Has Special Conditions for Company Mergers - Do They Benefit Society or Hinder Business?
Competition is a good thing. This is the common thread through global competition law, which aims to prevent monopolies - when one firm dominates a sector. Read more »
August 15
Africa: Meta Just Closed a Vital Online Research Tool. It's Bad News for the Fight Against Misinformation
For more than a decade, researchers and journalists have relied on a digital tool called CrowdTangle to track and fight the spread of viral falsehoods online. Read more »
August 16
Ethiopia: Ethiopia's Bold Economic Reforms Target Stability and Growth, but They Come With Risks
Ethiopia's recent macroeconomic reforms, supported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, could have profound implications for the country and the region. The… Read more »
August 15
Nigeria: Nigeria's Niger Delta Biohazards - High Radioactive Levels Detected in New Study
The Niger Delta, in southern Nigeria, is one of the most significant oil-producing regions in the world. It spans over 70,000 square kilometres and is also an area of great… Read more »
August 13
South Africa: South Africa Has a Huge Gap Between the Rich and Poor - 4 Urgent Reasons to Tackle Inequality
South Africa has exceptionally high levels of inequality. As someone who studies issues of inequality and sustainability, I have argued before that South Africa's income inequality… Read more »
August 12
Africa: African Economic Expansion Need Not Threaten Global Carbon Targets - Study Points Out the Path to Green Growth
Africa contributes only about 4% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. The continent consumes the least energy for each person, compared with other regions of the world. With… Read more »
South Africa: Small Towns in South Africa Can Benefit From Renewable Energy Projects - Here's What Developers Should Do
South Africa's Northern Cape province has become a prime area for investment in renewable energy. It is host to 59 of the 112 large-scale renewable energy projects secured through… Read more »
August 08
Nigeria: Young Nigerians' Push for Change Must Go Beyond Street Protests - Historian
Nigerians began a 10-day #EndBadGovernance protest on 1 August 2024 and are expected to continue until 10 August. They took to the streets to demand economic and political reforms,… Read more »
August 04
Africa: Why Africa's Slums are Among the World's Most Vibrant Business Hotspots
In the classic tale of economic development, urbanisation and industrialisation have generally gone hand-in-hand. Cities coalesce around factories; factories fuel urban growth by… Read more »
July 30
Africa: Verifying Facts in the Age of AI - Librarians Offer 5 Strategies
The phenomenal growth in artificial intelligence tools has made it easy to create a story quickly, complicating a reader's ability to determine if a news source or article is… Read more »
July 31
Nigeria: Nigeria Under Cost of Living Pressure - 8 Essential Reads On Rising Tensions
In recent times, Nigeria, Africa's largest democracy, has been under intense pressure. Read more »