March 06
Africa: Why You Can Remember Every Word of a Song From 25 Years Ago - but Not Why You Walked Into the Room
While driving recently, a long-forgotten song came on the radio. I found myself singing along; not only did I know all the lyrics to a song I hadn't heard in 25 years or more, but… Read more »
March 05
South Africa: What Does a House Mean to You? We Asked Some Women Who Head Households in South Africa
South Africa's new democratic government inherited a 1.5 million housing backlog in 1994, which it has been struggling to close. The current national deficit stands at 2 million. Read more »
Congo-Kinshasa: Faith Leaders Joined the Fight Against Woman Abuse in the DR Congo. Did It Help?
Can pastors, imams and rabbis be allies to women and children and help stop gender-based violence? Read more »
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 »
Nigeria: Sophie Oluwole, the Trailblazing Nigerian Woman Who Redefined Philosophy
Sophie Oluwole (1935-2018) was a Nigerian scholar and the first woman to earn a PhD in philosophy in her country. She not only placed Nigeria's rich Yoruba philosophical tradition… 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 »
Ghana: Women in Ghana Can Access Safe Abortions - Why Are So Many Still Using Unsafe Methods?
Ghana's abortion law is relatively liberal. Abortion is legally permitted in the first trimester when a pregnancy endangers the mother's life or physical or mental health, or when… Read more »
South Africa: Women Farmers in South Africa Pay the Cost of Broken Irrigation Systems - the Story of One Cooperative
The South African government makes a great deal of the fact that it supports women's empowerment in agriculture. 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 »
Ghana: Ebo Taylor Took Highlife to the World and Changed Ghanaian Music Forever
The news of the passing of Ghanaian highlife star Ebo Taylor on 7 February 2026 felt less like the loss of a public musical figure and more like the closing of a living chapter of… Read more »
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwean Artist Option Nyahunzvi Explores Cultural Values in a Bold New Exhibition
In Zimbabwe, hunhu is a cultural belief system that instructs us to embrace our neighbours, honour our elders and respect each other's rights. Also known as ubuntu, it's a way of… Read more »
March 04
Africa: Iran War Fallout for the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa - Political Analyst Weighs Up the Risks
The death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, in March 2026 marks the end of a political era in the Middle Eastern country. Khamenei was killed in US and Israeli… Read more »
South Africa: A New Face for 'Little Foot', the Most Complete Australopithecus Skeleton to Date
What did the face of our ancestors look like 3 million years ago? Meet the reconstructed face of "Little Foot" - the most complete biological Australopithecus specimen that ever… Read more »
South Africa: Eczema and Asthma in Children - How Household Fuels Are Harming Health in Poor South African Homes
In many households in Mabopane and Soshanguve - townships on the northern outskirts of South Africa's City of Tshwane that are marked by high poverty, unemployment and informal… Read more »
Africa: Colonialism in Africa - Archaeology Offers a Deeper View
Colonialism has been a central part of history around the world, differing only in form over time and space. After all, whenever people have moved from one place to another, they… Read more »
South Africa: Teaching Mathematical Statistics - One Lecturer's Way of Testing What Students Understand
It's getting tougher to assess how much university students have learnt. In his work as a Mathematical Statistics lecturer, Michael von Maltitz has tried a new way of getting… Read more »
March 03
Africa: Obesity Is On the Rise in Africa - 5 Essential Reads On What to Do
Obesity - which the World Health Organization classifies as a disease - is not just an individual issue; it is shaped by the systems people live in. Research shows that… Read more »
South Africa: Warships As Diplomats - How the South African Navy Is Tasked With Building Ties With Other Nations
A naval exercise off the South African coast in January 2026, dubbed Will for Peace and involving the warships of South Africa, China, Russia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and… 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 »
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 »
March 02
Africa: Why Are So Many Statues Naked? an Art Historian Explains This Tradition's Ancient Roots
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you'd like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Read more »
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 »
Tunisia: Do Doctors Treat Poorer Patients Differently? Our Study in Tunisia Found They Do - in Subtle Ways
People with lower income and less education get sick more often, have worse access to care, and don't live as long. This is one of the most consistent findings in health research… 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 Sudan: South Sudan Has Never Had an Election to Hand Over Presidential Power - So What Are the Rules of Succession?
South Sudan has not held an election since it gained independence 15 years ago, and progress towards a new constitution has stalled. Election dates have been set and postponed at… Read more »
