April 13
Mauritius: Chagos Islands Deal Shelved - Legal Expert Explains What Happens Next
The UK government has shelved legislation to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, after the US government withdrew its support for the deal. Read more »
South Africa: Nelson Mandela Was a Towering Global Symbol - but How Effective Was He As a President?
Nelson Mandela remains one of the most revered political leaders of modern times. He is widely credited with guiding South Africa through a peaceful transition from apartheid to… 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 »
April 12
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: Africa Is Losing Health Workers When It Can Least Afford to - a Pattern Rooted in Colonial History
Africa has a challenge to retain the health workers it needs. Read more »
April 10
South Africa: South Africa's Farmers Aren't Yet Replacing Chemical Fertilisers With Sustainable Alternatives - This Is Why
The growing use of toxic agricultural chemicals including fertilisers is also driving a scaling up of sustainable agrochemical alternatives. Read more »
Benin: How Reforms Under Patrice Talon Have Reshaped the Electoral Competition in Benin
Benin voters will head to the polls on April 12, 2026 to elect their next president. This election comes at a time when Benin's political landscape has been profoundly transformed… Read more »
Africa: Pope Leo's Visit to Africa - Theology Scholar Outlines 3 Realities the Catholic Church Must Face
Pope Leo's decision to make Africa one of the early destinations of his young papacy signals the continent's importance in global Catholicism. His April 2026 visit reflects both… Read more »
Africa: Embryo Fossil Found in South Africa Is World's Oldest Proof That Mammal Ancestors Laid Eggs
Between 280 and 200 million years ago, a group of animals evolved which would eventually give rise to mammals, including humans: the therapsids. They were first described more than… Read more »
April 09
Africa: Magic Mushrooms - New African Species Sheds Light On the History of the Famous Fungus
"Magic mushrooms" are consumed recreationally and for medicinal purposes around the world. These fungi gained their fame as "magic" because they produce chemical compounds (called… Read more »
Africa: Designing Cities - Should We Build From Scratch or Keep History Alive?
Cities are often described as living archives of human memory. Walk through an old neighbourhood in an Islamic city like Fez in Morocco or Cairo in Egypt, and you can see layers of… Read more »
Africa: Kidney Disease Is Growing in Africa - Big New Study Casts Light On Genetic Risk Factors
Every minute your kidneys are hard at work, filtering around 200 litres of blood, removing waste, balancing salts and fluids, and regulating blood pressure. This happens without… Read more »
Africa: Pope Leo XIV's Africa Journey - How Each Stop Reflects His Message of Peace
Pope Leo XIV will begin his journey to four African countries - Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea - on April 13, 2026. Read more »
April 08
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 »
Africa: Global Trade in Wild Birds Is Poorly Monitored - the Risks to Wildlife, Ecosystems and Human Health
Birds have, for centuries, been captured from the wild to be kept in cages - valued for their looks, songs and ability to imitate sounds. Data compiled by the Convention on… Read more »
Africa: Credit and Credibility - Rating Agency Errors Come With a Cost
The rating agency S&P Global's Africa Credit Rating Trends 2025 reviews the past year's rating activities and analyses the continent's prospects for 2026. It is an important… Read more »
April 07
Kenya: Seizure of 2,000 Ants At Nairobi Airport Highlights the Hidden Scale of Insect Trafficking
Last year Kenya Wildlife Service warned of a growing demand for garden ants in Europe and Asia, where some people view them as exotic pets. An attempt to smuggle over 2,000 garden… Read more »
South Africa: South African Court Orders Eskom to Disclose R70 Billion Coal and Diesel Contracts - Why the Ruling Matters
South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal recently ruled that the country's state-owned electricity utility Eskom must disclose its contracts with coal and diesel suppliers. This is a… Read more »
Africa: Planting Trees to Remove Carbon Can Harm the Environment - or Protect It - Study Highlights Trade-Offs
Global efforts to limit climate change require deep cuts to carbon emissions. However, global emissions are still growing. Currently, we emit roughly 42 billion tonnes of carbon… Read more »
April 06
Tanzania: How to Eat an Elephant - Fossil Find in Tanzania Shows Oldest Signs of Butchering These Giant Mammals
Imagine a creature nearly twice the size of a modern African elephant (which can weigh up to 6,000kg. This was Elephas (Paleoxodon) recki, a prehistoric titan that roamed the… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria Imports 70% of Its Medicines - Why Local Manufacturing Doesn't Meet Demand
Nigeria imports at least 70% of its medicines. This is striking for a country of over 230 million people and at least 120 active pharmaceutical manufacturers. Read more »
Africa: Should Wildlife Parks Be Fenced? We Studied 60 African Examples for an Answer
Fences are among conservation's most controversial interventions. Read more »
Kenya: Kenya's Counties Get Budgets to Undo Inequality - How It's Helped Households
Kenya devolved power and public spending to 47 counties in 2013. This was in line with a global trend in which governments were pushing power and resources down to local levels in… Read more »
April 04
South Africa: Cape Fever - a Haunting New Novel From Award-Winning South African Writer Nadia Davids
There's a line in Cape Fever, the new book by award-winning South African novelist and playwright Nadia Davids, that doesn't just establish the story, it also makes a haunting… Read more »
