June 27
South Africa: South Africa's Political Monopoly Has Been Broken - Could It Help the Economy?
Over the last decade or so there has been something of a revolution in economics. The long held belief that unfettered markets deliver good outcomes for all is now overwhelmingly… Read more »
June 26
South Africa: Shell Didn't Consult Communities Properly About Mining the Wild Coast - but How Much Legal Protection Do South Africans Have?
South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal recently dismissed an appeal by Shell, Impact Africa and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to overturn a High Court judgment… Read more »
June 23
Africa: An Eerie 'Digital Afterlife' Is No Longer Science Fiction. So How Do We Navigate the Risks?
Imagine a future where your phone pings with a message that your dead father's "digital immortal" bot is ready. This promise of chatting with a virtual version of your loved one -… Read more »
June 25
East Africa: Lake Victoria - Why So Many Fishers Are Dying and What Can Be Done About It
Small-scale fishers on Lake Victoria (Africa's largest freshwater lake, shared by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda) are drowning. Safety issues such as storms, a lack of available life… Read more »
South Africa: Technology Makes It Possible to Diagnose Diseases On the Spot
Digital technology has hugely improved healthcare in many ways. Read more »
South Africa: Mining Needs More Regulation, According to South Africans - Survey
South Africa has large reserves of coal, gold, manganese and platinum. Read more »
June 24
Kenya: Kenyan Protesters Have Taken to the Streets in Their Thousands - What the Law Says About Their Rights
Across Kenya, thousands of mostly young citizens are protesting against tax proposals tabled by President William Ruto's administration in its annual budget legislation. Using… Read more »
Botswana: 'Fong Kong' Products Have Helped Drive Local Manufacturing - Study
Chinese products are frequently viewed as inferior and inexpensive, contributing to their negative reputation. This is true in African countries too. Read more »
June 22
Kenya: Kenyan Protesters Driving Change From Screens to the Streets
Nationwide demonstrations have erupted in Kenya over a controversial tax bill. The Finance Bill 2024, initially presented to parliament in May, has sparked discontent with an… Read more »
June 21
Nigeria: Nigeria's National Anthem Change Was a Tactic to Distract Attention From the Country's Real Problems - Political Analyst
A year into his administration, Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the National Anthem Bill into law, replacing an anthem adopted in 1978 with its predecessor. The… Read more »
June 18
Africa: Floating Solar Panels Could Provide Much of Africa's Energy - New Research
New research has found that several countries could meet all their energy needs from solar panel systems floating on lakes. Climate, water and energy environmental scientists R.… Read more »
June 17
Mauritius: Mauritius' Next Growth Phase - a New Plan Is Needed As the Tax Haven Era Fades
Mauritians will head to the polls by November 2024 and politicians are considering the economic direction of the island country. Read more »
June 16
Africa: How to Avoid Being Hacked - Start By Upping Your Password Game - '12345' Doesn't Cut It
If you type the term "password cyberattack" into Google News, the results will show just how often cyber criminals are getting hold of important data belonging to companies and… Read more »
Ghana: Ghana's Economic Crisis Was Caused By Govt Borrowing - Economist
Ghana is going through its worst economic crisis in a generation. The past two years have seen record high inflation in the country. Ghana's central bank (the Bank of Ghana) has… Read more »
June 11
Africa: Africa's Freeports Should Boost Trade and Foreign Exchange Earnings - but Evidence Is Thin
The concept of a freeport - an area where normal tax and customs rules don't apply - has existed for centuries. Over time, different terms have emerged. They include export… Read more »
June 07
South Africa: Home Solar Systems in South Africa - More Will Be Installed If Households Are Given Loans, Free Maintenance and Security
South Africa is making efforts to increase the use of solar photovoltaic energy. But it's happening at a very slow pace. Read more »
June 06
Africa: Hydropower Damages River Systems in Africa - How More Solar and Wind Power Can Solve This Problem
Across the African continent, more than 300 new hydropower projects are planned to meet the growing demand for electricity. Some of these will require big dams, which can have… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Largest Oil Refinery Sold for a Few Cents - Will BP and Shell Be Held Accountable for Environmental Damage?
The sale of the South African Petroleum Refinery (Sapref), jointly owned by multinational energy companies BP and Shell, to the state-owned Central Energy Fund for R1 (five US… Read more »
June 05
Nigeria: Naira Is in Crisis but Cryptocurrency Isn't to Blame - Nigeria Needs Consistent Policy
Nigeria's Securities and Exchange Commission is considering tighter controls to combat illegal trading in digital assets, including cryptocurrencies. The Conversation Africa asked… Read more »
June 04
Africa: Africa Doesn't Have a Choice Between Economic Growth and Protecting the Environment
Heathrow Airport in the UK currently uses more energy than the entire west African country of Sierra Leone. Despite Africa accounting for less than 4% of all global greenhouse gas… Read more »
May 31
South Africa: Race Still Divides South Africa - Study Shows Little Transformation in New Suburbs in Country's Economic Hub
As South Africa reflects on 30 years of democracy, it's important to ask whether its cities have changed for the better when it comes to racial mixing. Read more »
Africa: African Countries Could Unlock Billions in Local and Global Trade - What's Working and What's Not
Africa's share of global trade remains disproportionately small, hovering around 2%-3%. Countries on the continent trade more with the rest of the world than they do among… Read more »
May 29
Africa: Power Cuts Have Hit South Africa's Labour Market Hard - the Biggest Toll Has Been On Jobs - New Research
Access to electricity - measured by the share of individuals who use electricity as their main energy source - has significantly improved in lower-income countries in recent… Read more »
May 28
Africa: Democracy in Africa - Digital Voting Technology and Social Media Can Be a Force for Good - and Bad
It's a bumper year for elections on the continent: by the end of 2024, 20 countries ought to have gone to the polls to vote in national elections. A handful of others are also… Read more »
May 23
South Africa: Gold Mine Pollution Is Poisoning Soweto's Water and Soil - Study
For 140 years, gold mines in Johannesburg, South Africa have been leaking wastewater contaminated with heavy metals. The acid mine drainage from Johannesburg's estimated 278… Read more »