October 30
Africa: Africa's Flagship Universities Have a Proud History - but Are They Serving Local Communities?
Universities play a number of crucial roles in society. They educate students, research solutions to problems and serve as spaces for national debate. This is especially true for… Read more »
Africa: Mining Must Become More Responsible and Sustainable. Where Hi-Tech Solutions Fit in
If you visit a commercial mining operation anywhere in the world today, some sights and sounds - workers descending in elevators to underground shafts, the roar of truck engines -… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria's Last Elephants - What Must Be Done to Save Them
Nigeria has a unique elephant population, made up of both forest-dwelling (Loxodonta cyclotis) and savanna-dwelling (Loxodonta africana) elephant species. But the animals are… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Fight Against Extreme Poverty Needs a New Strategy - Model Shows How Social Grants Could Work
South Africa has been struggling for decades to reduce poverty, inequality and unemployment and raise the rate of economic growth. Read more »
October 29
Africa: Climate Change Is Making It Harder for People to Get the Care They Need
The world is witnessing the consequences of climate change: long-lasting changes in temperature and rainfall, and more intense and frequent extreme weather events such as heat… Read more »
Africa: BRICS+ Could Shape a New World Order, but It Lacks Shared Values and a Unified Identity
The last two summits of Brics countries have raised questions about the coalition's identity and purpose. This began to come into focus at the summit hosted by South Africa in… Read more »
Africa: Autocrats and Cities - How Capitals Have Become a Battleground for Protest and Control
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the world's longest reigning female political leader, fled Bangladesh on 5 August 2024 for the safety of India. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of… Read more »
South Africa: Serial Killing in South Africa - Station Strangler Murders Re-Examined in New Documentary
Between 1986 and 1994, the people of Mitchells Plain in Cape Town lived with a terrifying shadow over their lives. A killer was abducting young boys, often close to railway… Read more »
October 28
East Africa: Somaliland Elections - What's At Stake for Independence, Stability and Shifting Power Dynamics in the Horn of Africa
Somaliland is due to hold a presidential election on 13 November 2024. Read more »
South Africa: Coloured South Africans Are All but Erased From History Textbooks - I Asked Learners How That Makes Them Feel
South African singer-songwriter Tyla made history in February 2024 when she won the inaugural Grammy for Best African Music Performance. Read more »
Africa: Cancer Care in Africa - Translations of Key Words Convey Fear and Need to Change
Language can give people the power to take an active part in their own healthcare, or it can create barriers. Read more »
October 27
Africa: Polluters Must Pay - How COP29 Can Make This a Reality
The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) takes place in Azerbaijan in November 2024. The annual climate change conference must focus on holding corporations and countries… Read more »
Africa: Giving Feedback Is a Skill - 3 Tips On How to Do It Well for Students
It can be difficult to tell someone what you think of their work, even if you mean well and even if you think they're doing a good job. Sometimes the person doesn't understand what… Read more »
Africa: Breast Cancer in Africa - Myths That Need to Be Debunked
There are many myths about breast cancer, particularly in Africa with its rich diversity of people, different genetic backgrounds and ancestral histories. Read more »
October 24
Congo-Kinshasa: Rwandan-Backed M23 Rebel Group Seeks Local Power in DRC, Not Just Control Over Mining Operations
The violence wrought by the Rwandan-backed rebel group M23 Movement is often narrowly framed as intended to control eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's resource-rich mining… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa Amended Its Research Guidelines to Allow for Heritable Human Genome Editing
A little-noticed change to South Africa's national health research guidelines, published in May of this year, has put the country on an ethical precipice. The newly added language… Read more »
Africa: Avian Architects - Weaver Birds in Africa Have Unique Building Styles
From afar, the acacia trees look like they have been decorated with grass pom-poms. The birds have been busy, building shelters of straw and grass. Up close the real shape of the… Read more »
South Africa: Naked Protests in South Africa - a Psychologist Explores the Emotional Power of This Form of Activism
Naked protests are a form of public demonstration where individuals, often women, use the symbolic power of their naked bodies to challenge injustices. These protests have become… Read more »
October 23
Africa: How to Stay Safe in Cyberspace - 5 Essential Reads
Whether we're socialising, shopping, banking, studying or working, billions of people around the world spend hours each day online. Read more »
Africa: Being Mentally Flexible Might Influence Our Attitudes to Vaccination, a New Study Shows
Making decisions about our health is a complex and sometimes difficult process. Read more »
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's Water Supply Is in Crisis - How Political Interference and Underfunding Did the Damage
In Zimbabwe, control over water is supposed to be decentralised. In other words, the seven regions in the country have the authority to govern their own water resources in the way… Read more »
South Africa: Quality of Life Continues to Slide in South Africa's Key Economic Province, Gauteng - New Survey
The Gauteng City-Region, which has long been South Africa's economic engine, is in decline. The region contributes about 35% of the country's total economic output, and is home to… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Massive Sasol Petrochemical Plant Faces Serious Challenges - New Report
The giant Secunda complex of Sasol, South Africa's biggest chemicals and energy company, provides the fundamental ingredients to South Africa's petrochemical sector. It produces… Read more »
Africa: IMF Isn't Doing Enough to Support Africa - Billions Could Be Made Available Through Special Drawing Rights
At the 2021 UN Climate Summit, Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley called for more and better use of special drawing rights (SDRs), the International Monetary Fund's reserve asset. Read more »
October 22
Africa: War and the Supernatural - Former Congolese Soldiers Recall the Ritual Practices Used to Prepare for Battle
War takes a toll on soldiers' bodies and minds. To prepare for battle, soldiers are taken through various forms of training. Part of this training aims to strip candidates of their… Read more »
The Conversation Africa (Johannesburg)
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