March 18
Africa: Mining Companies and Land Rights in South Africa - How Environmentalists Have Used the Law to Defend Communities
Environmental activists in South Africa have been waging legal battles against the state and mining companies for years. This is often on the grounds that communities haven't been… Read more »
March 17
Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone's Digital ID Push - How Local Brokers Help Citizens Gain Legal Identity
An estimated 542 million Africans lack identity cards and potentially face statelessness. Without a legal identity, they can be excluded from basic human rights like education,… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa Will Run Out of Industrial Gas By 2028 and 70,000 Jobs Could Be Lost - Why Government Fixes Are Lacking
South Africa is about to have a gas supply crisis. Read more »
March 11
Africa: These Are Shaky Times for Oil Markets. an Expert Explains What a Prolonged War Will Mean for Prices
The US-Israel strikes on Iran have launched one of the most dramatic conflicts in the Middle East in living memory. Aside from military targets, Iranian forces have attacked… Read more »
March 16
Senegal: Senegal's Crisis - Why Debt Restructuring May Be the Least Bad Option
Senegal is facing a serious debt crisis. The IMF estimated the country's debt at 132% of GDP at the end of 2024. Debt servicing costs are projected at 5.5 trillion CFA francs… Read more »
March 15
Africa: Electric Vehicles Could Soon Be Cheaper Than Petrol Cars in Africa - If Financing Barriers Fall
The cost of electric vehicles (EVs) has long looked like a barrier to adoption in Africa. Most researchers didn't expect battery power to become affordable enough to replace petrol… Read more »
March 12
Ghana: How Do Women Entrepreneurs Survive in Ghana's Informal Economy? We Went to a Local Market to Ask Them
The informal economy is the basis of everyday economic life across sub-Saharan Africa. In Ghana, as in many low- and middle-income contexts, a lot of retail trade, food… Read more »
Africa: China's New Tariff-Free Regime for Africa - the Potential Upside and Downside
China's President Xi Jinping announced in February 2026 that from 1 May China would be granting zero-tariff treatment to 53 African countries. (That is all of them bar Eswatini,… Read more »
March 11
Kenya: Power Cuts Are the New Normal in Kenya - What Went Wrong and How to Fix It
Millions of Kenyan households and businesses have been subjected to interruptions of electricity supply since late 2024 owing to production shortfalls. President William Ruto… Read more »
March 10
Malawi: HIV in Malawi - Digital Filing System Saved Lives and Boosted Care - Research
In the global fight against HIV/Aids, one of the most exciting innovations is not a new drug, but a better filing system. Read more »
Africa: China in Africa - Investment and Trade Work Well When There's Strong Oversight, and Badly When There Isn't
China's economic footprint in Africa has grown fast over the last two decades. Across the continent, Chinese-backed mines, oilfields, railways and industrial zones have gone from… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria's Crypto Boom Isn't Just About Technology - Trust Plays a Role in the Local Gadget Trade With China
On a humid afternoon in Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, a young trader in electronics pulls out his phone and opens Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency trading… Read more »
March 06
South Africa: South Africa's Power Utility Eskom Tried to Block a Gold Mine From Going Solar - but Lost in Court
South Africa's national energy policy says: build more renewable power facilities and build them fast. Read more »
March 05
Zimbabwe: Solar Power in Rural Zimbabwe Hasn't Reduced Women's Unpaid Work - Can Policy Do Better?
Zimbabwe's 2019 renewable energy policy envisions a transition to green energy in which women and men participate equally and benefit equitably. Read more »
Africa: Women and Wealth - What Stands in Their Way and How to Overcome It
You've probably heard the saying, "The rich become richer, while the poor become poorer". It's about how uneven financial progress can be. Read more »
Africa: The Iran War and Global Trade - Will the Cape Route Become the New Normal?
Events in the Middle East during February and March 2026 again disrupted the flows of shipping trade to the eastern and western spheres of the international system. Read more »
March 03
Africa: What Is Happiness? a Philosopher Looks for Answers
When we seek happiness, what exactly are we searching for? And when we wish happiness on someone else, what is it that we truly desire for them? Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Economy Is Picking Up, but Hasn't Reached a Turning Point Yet - Economist
In presenting the 2026 national budget to South Africa's parliament on 25 February, finance minister Enoch Godongwana characterised this as the turning point in South Africa's… Read more »
March 02
Africa: Biometric IDs Are Being Rolled Out in Africa. Study Reveals the Risks and Pitfalls
Across Africa, governments are introducing digital systems that use individuals' unique physical measurements to identify them. These systems collect citizens' biometric and… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Minibus Taxi Industry Runs On Social Bonds - Reform Must Accept This
South Africa's minibus taxi industry is the backbone of the country's public transport system. Every day, millions of commuters rely on it. In many low-income and peri-urban… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Move to Greener Energy Is Creating New Jobs, but Benefits Aren't Evenly Spread
South Africa's green transition is creating jobs. But not for everyone. Read more »
February 28
Africa: Trump's Tariffs Have Gutted AGOA's Duty-Free Promise - Our Model Shows How
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) was introduced in 2000 as the cornerstone of US development-oriented trade policy towards sub-Saharan Africa. It was designed to grant… Read more »
February 19
Africa: Fish Use More Energy to Stay Still Than Previously Thought
Many fish appear to hang effortlessly in the water while they wait for prey, defend a nest or pause between bursts of activity. But our research shows that this quiet stillness is… Read more »
February 23
Africa: Scrapping Business Class Could Halve Aviation Emissions - New Study
Air travel is famously one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise, and the number of air passengers keeps increasing. Electric planes and "sustainable" aviation fuels are still a… Read more »
February 26
Malawi: Solar Power Is Taking Off in Malawi - but Poor Households Need Financial Help to Make It Work for Them
Access to electricity is widely seen as a cornerstone of sustainable development. It improves quality of life, enables household income generation, and raises living standards.… Read more »
