September 12
Sudan: Sudan Is Burning and Foreign Powers Are Benefiting - What's in It for the UAE
The United Nations has accused foreign players of prolonging the war in Sudan, making it harder for the country to find peace. The fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and… Read more »
West Africa: Hustle Academies - West Africa's Online Scammers Are Training Others in Fraud and Sextortion
As the world becomes increasingly connected, digital fraud has evolved from a local problem into a global one. West Africa, particularly Ghana and Nigeria, is witnessing the rise… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria Is the World's Second Biggest Plastic Polluter - Expert Insights Into the Crisis
Plastic pollution is a major problem in Nigeria. Read more »
South Africa: Johannesburg's Underbelly Is Explored in Niq Mhlongo's Fresh New Novel About a Messy Break-Up
Niq Mhlongo was born in Soweto, Johannesburg in 1973 and grew up under apartheid, South Africa's institutionalised racial segregation under white minority rule. He graduated in… Read more »
Africa: African Countries Are Adopting Two Houses of Parliament to Boost Democracy - but That's Not Always What Happens
At independence, most African states had two legislative chambers - a lower and upper chamber - in their parliament. African leaders saw that as a colonial legacy and as… Read more »
Africa: Why Mpox in Africa Was Ignored for Too Long and Children Are Dying As a Result - Podcast
An epidemic of mpox in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is spreading quickly, particularly among young children. At least 20,000 people are known to be infected in… Read more »
September 11
South Africa: South Africa Is Failing Its Youngest Children - Report Flags Critical Gaps in Early Learning, Social Protection and Health Care
Nearly 10 years ago South Africa outlined its commitment to invest in the health and development of young children. Read more »
Africa: Global Media Tell Only Part of Africa's Story - New Report Shows Which Outlets Perform Best and Worst
Media coverage of Africa has always been dominated by narratives of disease, poverty, conflict and political instability. These portrayals, rooted in colonial histories, continue… Read more »
Africa: Fire Safety Tips At Home - the Risks and How to Avoid Them
In many African communities, fire hazards are a concern due to the materials used for building and daily activities such as cooking and heating. The risks are increased by the use… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Green Hydrogen Hub - EU Grants Not Nearly Enough to Get Industry Going
South Africa is poised to become a major player in the global energy transition, thanks to its vast renewable energy resources (sun and wind) and its plans for green hydrogen… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigerian Farmers Lack Insurance - Payouts Triggered By Weather Data Offer a Solution
Agriculture is hugely important to Nigeria. It makes up about a quarter of the country's economy, and almost half of the population are smallholder farmers. Most farm on less than… Read more »
September 10
Africa: Ghana Is Africa's Largest Gold Producer, but It Has an Illegal Mining Issue - 5 Essential Reads
Ghana is one of the world's gold hotspots. It is Africa's largest producer of gold and it ranks sixth globally. In 2023, 4 million ounces were produced. It is essential to Ghana's… Read more »
Sudan: Looting of the Sudan National Museum - More Is At Stake Than Priceless Ancient Treasures
Reports continue to emerge of the alleged looting of tens of thousands of artefacts from the Sudan National Museum in Khartoum. The museum, near the confluence of the White and the… Read more »
South Sudan: South Sudan Floods - the First Example of a Mass Population Permanently Displaced By Climate Change?
Enormous floods have once again engulfed much of South Sudan, as record water-levels in Lake Victoria flow downstream through the Nile. More than 700,000 people have been affected.… Read more »
South Africa: Steve Biko's Murder Exposed Deep Racism in How Medicine Was Taught and Practised in South Africa
In 1966, Steve Biko began studying medicine at the University of Natal in South Africa, the same year that the general assembly of the United Nations declared apartheid a crime… Read more »
September 09
Kenya: Kenya's New Social Health Insurance Fund Wants to Improve Care for Mothers and Babies - but It Faces Challenges
Kenya has made strides in maternal and child health over the past decade. Read more »
Africa: Rating Agencies and Africa - the Absence of People On the Ground Contributes to Bias Against the Continent - Analyst
Rating agency Fitch recently warned that the rapid spread of the mpox virus in sub-Saharan Africa could add to the fiscal pressures many countries in the region are already… Read more »
South Africa: Sexual Violence in South Africa - Women Share Their Stories About the Dangers of Commuting On Minibus Taxis
Millions of people use minibus taxis to get around South Africa every day. These "pillars of public transport" (which are privately owned and run rather than operated by the state)… Read more »
South Africa: Pluto Mission - South African Astronomers Join Forces With Nasa to Learn More About the Dwarf Planet
When the International Astronomical Union announced in 2006 that Pluto was being demoted from its status as the Sun's ninth planet, many astronomers and non-experts alike were… Read more »
September 08
Ethiopia: Demolitions in Ethiopia Are Giving Rise to a New Addis Ababa
A spate of demolitions radically transformed one of the oldest parts of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, in early 2024. The city is home to an estimated 4 million people. Read more »
Africa: Africa Desperately Needs Mpox Vaccines. but Donations From Rich Countries Won't Fix This or the Next Health Emergency
Africa says it needs an estimated ten million doses of mpox vaccine to control this public health emergency. Read more »
Nigeria: Nigerian Households Use a Range of Energy, From Wood to Solar - Green Energy Planning Must Account for This
Low and middle-income countries generally lack access to renewable energy and rely excessively on traditional fuels like firewood and charcoal. In these countries, 2.6 billion… Read more »
South Africa: James Matthews - the Rebel Writer Who Was South Africa's Voice of Resistance
World renowned South African poet James Matthews has died at 95. His was the last great voice of an era of writers who worked against South Africa's repressive and racist system of… Read more »
September 06
South Africa: South Africa's Economy Needs a Shot in the Arm, Not Austerity
For the past 11 years the South African government has pursued a policy of austerity. In recent years, government has reduced per capita spending (adjusted for inflation) by… Read more »
South Africa: Steve Biko, the South African Struggle Hero Who Was Prepared to Sacrifice His Life for Black Liberation
What happens when death becomes the ultimate marker of one's commitment to one's freedom? Jacob Dlamini explores this and other questions in his new book, Dying for Freedom:… Read more »