February 28
Africa: When Floods Hit, the Risk of Malaria Follows - How Disaster Systems Can Prepare Better
When floods sweep through southern Africa, the most visible damage is immediate: homes washed away, crops destroyed, clinics disrupted, families displaced. These images dominate… Read more »
February 27
Africa: A Virus Hiding Inside Bacteria May Help Explain Colorectal Cancer
The gut bacterium Bacteroides fragilis has long presented researchers with a paradox. It has been associated with colorectal cancer, yet it also lives quite happily in most healthy… Read more »
February 26
Malawi: Prophets and Profits - the Art of the Sell in Shepherd Bushiri's YouTube Sermons
In a widely viewed YouTube sermon called 3 Types of Keys, a preacher, dressed in a sky blue Italian suit, holds a microphone and speaks with great assurance about spiritual… Read more »
Morocco: Ancient Fossils Shed Light On a Key Period in Human Evolution
Could a Moroccan cave hold a crucial piece of the puzzle of human origins? Hominin fossils dating back 773,000 years discovered in the country are bringing new evidence to the… Read more »
Africa: Dance Scenes in South African Rock Art - a Closer Look At Ritual, Music and Movement
Rock art is widespread across southern Africa and includes a wide range of depictions such as human figures, animals, dots, handprints, and other painted or engraved imagery on… Read more »
South Africa: Leopards Adapted to South Africa's Cape So Successfully That They're Genetically Unique - Study
Animals of the same species don't always look the same. From birds with different beak shapes to mammals that vary in size or colour, populations living in different places can… Read more »
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 »
February 25
Africa: Disability and Access to Justice in Four African Countries - Strong Laws, Weak in Practice
South Africa has a reputation as one of the most progressive countries on the African continent when it comes to disability rights. Read more »
Botswana: Botswana's Hike of Old Age Pensions Hasn't Fixed the Problem of Who Cares for Them - New Study
The government of Botswana in southern Africa dramatically increased the universal old age pension for all citizens aged 65 and above from P830 (about US$63) to P1,400 (about… Read more »
February 24
Africa: Ivermectin Was Touted As a Cure for Covid, Now It's Being Tested for Cancer. but What Can It Actually Treat?
Ivermectin was originally celebrated as a revolutionary treatment for parasitic disease in humans and animals. It has since evolved into a focal point of misinformation and heated… Read more »
Africa: Africa's Militaries Have Always Relied On Imported Weapons - Why a Shift to Homegrown Defence Is Now Under Way
Africa's militaries are built on imported power. Foreign countries such as China, Russia, the United States, Turkey and France dominate Africa's weapons market. Between them they… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Carbon Tax Should Stay - Climate Scientists Explain Why
The South African minister of electricity and energy, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, is proposing to suspend the country's carbon tax after experiencing pressure from fossil fuel lobbies. Read more »
February 23
Africa: Can African Penguins Be Brought Back From the Brink? Better Designed No-Fishing Zones Could Help
South Africa is home to 88% of the world's colonies of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus). The species is classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for… Read more »
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 »
Ghana: Ghana's Cities Are Getting Hotter - They Need More Trees to Keep Them Cool
Ghana's cities are expanding at a breathtaking pace. From Madina to Cape Coast, from Sekondi-Takoradi to Tamale, concrete infrastructure are rising, wetlands are shrinking, and… Read more »
February 22
Africa: Africa's Public Finances Are in a Mess - a New Book Explains Why and What to Do
Public finance, or how governments at all levels raise and allocate money, is in evidence everywhere you look. That pothole destroying your car. The health clinic without medicine.… Read more »
Africa: Killer Beetles in the Baobabs - Researcher Warns of Risk to African Trees
Baobabs aren't supposed to fall. They can live for up to 2,500 years. Famous for their resilience, these huge trees have stood tall across Africa, weathering droughts and winds… Read more »
South Africa: Invasive Mesquite Plants Do More Than Deplete Water Reserves - New Research in South Africa Shows They Damage Soil Too
Mesquite (Neltuma juliflora), a woody plant native to parts of South America, was introduced into South Africa's drylands in the 1880s with good intentions. Read more »
Nigeria: Curious Kids - What Is the Smallest Thing in the Universe?
Curious Kids is a series for children in which we ask experts to answer questions from kids. Read more »
February 20
Ethiopia: Ethiopia and Eritrea Are On Edge Again - What's Behind the Growing Risk of War
The histories of Eritrea and Ethiopia have long been closely intertwined. Once part of Ethiopia, Eritrea launched an armed struggle for independence in 1961 that resulted in its… Read more »
Africa: From the Editor - How to Make the Conversation a Preferred Source On Google
There's a lot of dodgy and divisive content online. But now there's a way to choose something better. Google recently launched a new feature that allows you to nominate which… Read more »
February 19
South Africa: South Africa Is Sending in the Army to Fight Crime (Again). Does It Ever Work?
Soldiers from the South African National Defence Force are going to be deployed alongside members of the South African Police Service to combat gangs and armed groups associated… Read more »
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 »
Africa: Should South Africa Use the Army to Fight Gangs? the Short Answer Is No
When President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the deployment of the South African National Defence Force to the provinces of Gauteng and the Western Cape in his 2026 State of the Nation… Read more »
Africa: African Union - How Does It Make a Difference in Everyday Life and What Would Happen If It Didn't Exist?
The African Union held its 39th Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in February 2026. The two-day assembly produced the usual number of decisions… Read more »
