January 07
South Africa: Taxes On e-Cigarettes - South Africa Must Strike a Balance Between Economic Arguments and Health Concerns
The 21st century has seen a massive expansion in the ways that people can consume tobacco and nicotine. Innovative new products include electronic nicotine delivery systems ("ENDS"… Read more »
January 02
Africa: Coca-Cola in Africa - A Story of High Politics and Marketing Gumption
A new book called Bottled: How Coca-Cola Became African tells the story of how the world's most famous carbonated drink conquered the continent. It's a tale of marketing gumption… Read more »
December 21, 2023
Nigeria: Nigeria's Plantain Wine - a Traditional Drink With Huge Economic Potential
Agadagidi, a wine made from plantain, is a popular drink at festive occasions in Nigeria. But it's not always of a high quality. Read more »
December 19, 2023
Africa: How Govt Payments to the Vulnerable Can Multiply to Create Economic Growth for Everyone
The economic fallout of COVID-19 left people around the world facing a significant threat to their livelihood. As governments scrambled to mitigate the pandemic's impact on their… Read more »
December 18, 2023
Africa: How Technology Can Help Victims of Intimate Partner Violence
Intimate partner violence is a major public health concern. According to Statistics Canada, in 2018, 44 per cent of women experienced some form of intimate partner violence in… Read more »
December 17, 2023
Africa: Trade Rules and Climate Change - Africa Stands to Lose From Proposed WTO Policy Tools
The World Trade Organisation launched its Trade Policy Tools for Climate Action during the COP28 conference. International economic law expert Olabisi D. Akinkugbe discusses… Read more »
December 12, 2023
Africa: China-Africa Relations in 2023 - Key Moments and Events to Remember
In a year when headlines have been dominated by conflict in Europe and the Middle East, and geo-economic tensions between China and the West, China-Africa relations were, in… Read more »
December 10, 2023
Africa: Trash to Treasure - Africa Powers Up from Garbage Dumps
New research on garbage dumps in 44 sub-Saharan African countries shows that 95% are unregulated. The landfill sites still take in new garbage even when they are filled to… Read more »
Uganda: Uganda Will Soon Be Exporting Oil - an Energy Economist Outlines 3 Keys to Success
Uganda entered into agreements in 2012 with two foreign oil entities to exploit its oil resources. Total Energies holds 56.67% of the joint venture partnership and China National… Read more »
December 07, 2023
East Africa: 4 East African Countries Are Going for Nuclear Power - Why This Is a Bad Idea
The east Africa region has the fastest growing population in Africa. Between 2013 and 2017, its growth rate was twice the African average. The region is also experiencing strong… Read more »
December 06, 2023
Africa: How Agriculture Can Make The Most of One of The World's Biggest Carbon Sink, Soil
It's right under our feet. We barely notice as we go about our lives, yet it is nothing less than the largest carbon repository among all of Earth's ecosystems. This distinction is… Read more »
South Africa: COP28 - South Africa Pioneered Plans to Transition to Renewable Energy - What Went Wrong
South Africa's experience in piloting a new type of climate finance vehicle can inform debates about how to fund a just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Read more »
Africa: Rural Communities Are Being Left Behind Because of Poor Digital Infrastructure, Research Shows
In an era where businesses and households depend on the internet for everything from marketing to banking and shopping, the lack of adequate digital access can be a significant… Read more »
November 29, 2023
Africa: How AI Could Reveal Secrets of Thousands of Handwritten Documents
Have you ever struggled to read what that scrawl between "carrots" and "potatoes" is on your shopping list? Soon, artificial intelligence (AI) may be able to help. Read more »
November 28, 2023
Africa: Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year - Authentic - Reflects Growing Concerns Over AI's Ability to Deceive and Dehumanize
When Merriam-Webster announced that its word of the year for 2023 was "authentic," it did so with over a month to go in the calendar year. Read more »
November 30, 2023
Africa: 'Baldur's Gate 3' Became the Surprise Hit of 2023 By Upending Conventional Wisdom About What Gives Video Games Broad Appeal
Few predicted that the smash hit video game of 2023 would feature old-school game mechanics, hours of brooding cutscenes and a vexing learning curve. Read more »
November 29, 2023
Africa: ChatGPT Turns 1 - AI Chatbot's Success Says As Much About Humans As Technology
ChatGPT was launched on Nov. 30, 2022, ushering in what many have called artificial intelligence's breakout year. Within days of its release, ChatGPT went viral. Screenshots of… Read more »
December 03, 2023
Africa: African Countries Lost Control to Foreign Mining Companies - the 3 Steps That Allowed This to Happen
Within a few years of independence, African governments asserted sovereignty over their metal and mineral resources. Prior to this, the resources were exploited by European mining… Read more »
November 29, 2023
Ghana: Ghana Wants to Restrict Imports On 22 Products - An Economist Explains How, Why and What Else Must Be Done
Ghana's Ministry of Trade and Industry has tabled in parliament a proposed ban or restrictions on imports of certain goods, including rice, sugar, poultry, fruit juices and animal… Read more »
November 28, 2023
Zambia: Zambia's Foreign Debt Tragedy - What Needs to Happen to Resolve the Crisis
Three years after defaulting on its foreign debt, Zambia is still trying to reach agreement with all its creditors on how to manage this situation. This has left the southern… Read more »
November 27, 2023
Africa: Online Foreign Exchange System Aims to Enable Cross-Border Payments in Local Currencies - What You Need to Know
The high cost of making cross border payments on the African continent has driven governments on the continent to seek options of settling trade and other transactions in local… Read more »
November 23, 2023
South Africa: 12-Year-Old Programme Offers Insights for Countries Moving to Cleaner Power Sources
There are many unknowns about how societies will manage the climate transition. And the associated energy transition from fossil fuel-based energy to renewable energy. Read more »
November 14, 2023
Africa: Should the Media Tell You When They Use AI to Report the News? What Consumers Should Know
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the media landscape, both for news organisations and consumers. Applications such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Bing AI are creating new… Read more »
November 21, 2023
South Africa: A Free Messaging App Seemed Useful for Disadvantaged South African Students
South African higher education is plagued by inequalities due to the social and economic legacies of apartheid. Read more »
November 19, 2023
South Africa: South African University Students Use AI to Help Them Understand - Not to Avoid Work
When ChatGPT was released in November 2022, it sparked many conversations and moral panics. These centre on the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on the information… Read more »