Nigeria: God in Nigeria - the Country's Novelists Help Us Understand the Complexity of Christianity

In African literature, Christianity has usually been shown as a foreign religion brought to the continent by European missionaries and colonisers. But in the past few decades,… Read more »

South Africa: Who Was Albert Luthuli? the Murdered South African Leader Who Put His People Above Himself

South African liberation leader Albert Luthuli died on 21 July 1967 near his home in Groutville, in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. A government inquest concluded his… Read more »

Southern Africa: Becoming Human in Southern Africa - What Ancient Hunter-Gatherer Genomes Reveal

New genetic research is shedding light on some of the earliest chapters of our human history. In one of the largest studies of its kind, scientists analysed DNA from 28 individuals… Read more »

South Africa: Expensive Data and Poor Internet Access - South Africa Fails to Measure Up Against Brazil

Emerging middle-power countries like South Africa, India and Brazil face growing inequalities. At the same time, everyday lives are becoming more and more digital - from paying… Read more »

Zambia: Zambia's Factories Burn Too Much Coal - How Reusing Hot Water Can Cut Energy Use

Zambia wants to cut its national greenhouse gas emissions almost in half by 2030. But its 8th National Development Plan aims to transform the country into a "prosperous… Read more »

Africa: Africa's Drylands Need the Right Kind of Support - Listening to the Pastoralists Who Live There

Africa's drylands are often imagined as vast, empty spaces. Romantic wilderness on the one hand. Zones of hunger, conflict and poverty on the other. Media stories tend to emphasise… Read more »

Sudan: Sudan's Protesters Built Networks to Fight a Tyrant - Today They Save Lives in a War

Sudan has a long history of civilian-led resistance, with young people playing a key role. For example, informal neighbourhood networks established in 2013 to survive repression… Read more »

South Africa: South Africa Needs to Rethink How It Measures Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities - What's Lacking

The effective planning and delivery of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in South Africa is severely constrained by the lack of reliable data. Read more »

South Africa: Fossil Hunters Find Tracks of Animals From About 3 Million Years Ago - a First in South Africa

South Africa is well known for its fossil heritage, a record of plants and animals that tells us what the world was like long ago. Read more »

Africa: African Land Policy Reforms Have Been Good for Women and Communities - but Review of 18 Countries Shows Major Gaps

Land tenure is the relationship, defined in law and customs, that people as individuals or groups have with land. It involves a bundle of rights to land, such as the right to use,… Read more »

Guinea Bissau: Guinea-Bissau's Military Takeover Highlights Sorry History of Coups and Deepening Regional Crisis

Army generals in Guinea-Bissau seized power on Nov. 26, 2025 - the eve of a scheduled official declaration of the winner in the West African nation's presidential election. Read more »

South Africa: Machines Whisper Before They Scream - We Built an AI Model That Predicts Expensive Problems

In most industries, maintenance is a waiting game. Things are fixed when they break. But in the 21st century, an age defined by data and automation, that approach no longer makes… Read more »

Africa: Africa's Longest-Running Grassland Research Project Offers Up a Wealth of Knowledge

For 75 years, grasslands research conducted just outside Pietermaritzburg, South Africa has informed policy makers and farmers about sustainable management, while training… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria's Low-Cost Private Schools Are the Only Option for Millions - Is Closing Them a Good Idea?

Nigeria's basic education landscape consists of public (government) schools and a diverse private sector. Private schools in Nigeria refer to educational institutions that are run… Read more »

South Africa: Johannesburg's Produce Market Has Supplied the Informal Sector for Decades - a Refresh Is Due

South Africa's food system is a complex landscape where high levels of production coexist with severe food insecurity. In a 2024 survey, 63.5% of households were found to be food… Read more »

South Africa: Youth Workers Are Spreading Health Messages On Social Media - How to Support What They Do in South Africa

Mental health messaging on platforms like TikTok and WhatsApp is becoming common in the digital age. Globally, digital media technologies have become integral to how young people… Read more »

Africa: Factory Farming in Africa - Development Banks See It As a Good Idea, but It's Bad for the Climate

In sub-Saharan Africa, pastoral livestock farming - where cattle, goats and sheep roam freely across grasslands, grazing at will - has been the main form of livestock production.… Read more »

Malawi: How to Stay Healthy On HIV Treatment, and What Side Effects to Look Out for - Malawi Research

HIV treatment has delivered life-altering advantages. Antiretroviral therapy has led to a reduced mortality and improved life expectancy for people living with HIV. Nearly 41… Read more »

Africa: Distance Learning Changes Lives, but Comes With Its Own Challenges

Across Africa, distance education has become one of the most powerful forces for expanding access to higher learning. Open and distance learning institutions such as the Open… Read more »

Africa: Men's Drinking Harms Women and Children, and the Impact Is Worst in Poorer Countries

Drinking alcohol is known to be harmful to people's health. It's also known to be harmful in other ways. Read more »

South Africa: No Space for Culture - 'Matchbox Housing' Leaves Residents Unable to Honour Customs in a South African Town

In South Africa, urban planning is influenced by western-centric and colonial planning, including social housing, building technologies, architectural form, master plans, zoning,… Read more »

Africa: News Influencers Are Reshaping the Media - Insights From Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa

News creators and influencers have become increasingly important sources of news as more people turn to social media and video networks like Facebook and YouTube to inform… Read more »

Ghana: An Important Wetland in Ghana Is Under Siege. Researchers Investigate the Real Issues

Wetlands are vital ecological resources that provide several benefits in urban and peri-urban areas. They slow down flood waters, and act as a source of fishing and farming… Read more »

South Africa: Thousands of Criminals Reoffend in South Africa - Better Data Would Show Where the Justice System Is Failing

In a recent statement, South Africa's minister of correctional services said more than 18,000 parolees had reoffended in the past three years. They included 209 committing murder… Read more »

Africa: TotalEnergies - French Court Ruling Over False Climate Claims Could Boost African Cases Against Polluters

A court ruling in France could give African countries more power to hold corporations to account when they pretend to be environmentally friendly. The Paris Judicial Court found… Read more »