October 01, 2023
South Africa: Siya Kolisi - the South African Rugby Star's Story Offers Valuable Lessons in Resilience
In the world of sports, some stories transcend the boundaries of the game and become symbolic of something greater. Siya Kolisi's journey from an adverse upbringing to becoming… Read more »
September 30, 2023
Nigeria: Nigeria At 63 - Four Reasons for Persistent Disunity Six Decades On
At 63 the story of Nigeria can be anything from the "celebration of greatness to an act of barbaric cruelty". These are the words of Nigerian writer Dipo Faloyin in his book Africa… Read more »
September 29, 2023
South Africa: Aziz Pahad - the Unassuming South African Diplomat Who Skilfully Mediated Crises in Africa, and Beyond
Aziz Goolam Pahad, who has died at the age of 82, was a South African anti-apartheid activist, politician and deputy minister of foreign affairs in the post-1994 government. Read more »
South Africa: Nation Has One of the Strongest Navies in Africa - Its Strengths and Weaknesses
The deaths of three members of the South African Navy (SA Navy) on 20 September 2023, when a freak wave swept them off the deck of the submarine SAS Manthatisi, has put the… Read more »
September 28, 2023
Ghana: Akan Folklore Contains Ancient Wisdom That Could Benefit Ghana's Western-Style Education System
Philosophies of education serve as frameworks for producing lifelong learners and a knowledgeable and skilled human workforce who develop their societies. Ghana's education system… Read more »
South Africa: South African Men Are Much More Likely to Die From TB Than Women - Here's Why
Around the world, men are more likely to get TB and to die from it than women. Read more »
Zimbabwe: Zimbabweans Divided on China's Influence
China has big ambitions in Africa. Between 2000 and 2020, the economic superpower loaned African governments US$159 billion to build railroads, highways, stadiums and bridges. Read more »
Mali: Salif Keïta, the Defiant Malian Football Legend Who Created History On and Off the Field
Former Malian footballer Salif "Domingo" Këita, who passed away on 2 September in Bamako, embodied a crucial moment in the history of African football, helping shape its… Read more »
September 27, 2023
Somalia: Somali Piracy, Once an Unsolvable Security Threat, Has Almost Completely Stopped. Here's Why
In 2011, pirates carried out 212 attacks in a vast area spanning Somali waters, the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, actions that the World Bank said cost the world… Read more »
Nigeria: Lagos Building Collapses - We Used Machine Learning to Show Where and Why They Happen
Building collapses have become a major menace in Lagos, Nigeria. Lagos is the business hub of the country and has its largest seaport and airport. With an estimated population of… Read more »
South Africa: Meteorite Discovery - Unusual Finds By South African Farmer Add to Space Rock Heritage
Meteorites - fragments of rock that have fallen to Earth from space in spectacularly fiery meteors - have been the subject of public fascination, awe, myths and even religious… Read more »
September 26, 2023
Africa: Awareness of Climate Refugees Is Growing. Full Recognition Is Needed
As our planet warms, we're experiencing more frequent and severe weather events, rising sea levels, prolonged droughts and altered ecosystems. These environmental shifts directly… Read more »
South Africa: Family Homes Clash With Laws in South African Townships
During apartheid, black South Africans could not own land - and therefore their homes - in what were classified as "white" cities. In racially segregated townships, living in… Read more »
Zambia: World's Biggest Bat Colony Gathers in Zambia Every Year
Everybody who visits Kasanka National Park in Zambia during "bat season" agrees that the evening emergence of African straw-coloured fruit bats from their roost site is one of the… Read more »
Africa: Queer Film in Africa Is Rising - Even in Countries With the Harshest Anti-LGBTIQ+ Laws
A recent book, Queer Bodies in African Films, studies the growing LGBTIQ+ output from film-makers around the continent, from Morocco to South Africa. In the process it analyses… Read more »
September 25, 2023
Morocco: Giant Sea Lizards - Fossils in Morocco Reveal the Astounding Diversity of Marine Life 66 Million Years Ago, Just Before the Asteroid Hit
Sixty-six million years ago, the Cretaceous period ended. Dinosaurs disappeared, along with around 90% of all species on Earth. The patterns and causes of this extinction have been… Read more »
South Africa: South African Tourism - Informal Traders Need Support, Not More Red Tape
South Africa is an attractive tourist destination for foreign travellers on the African continent. It ranks 27th out of 128 countries in the world when it comes to visitor… Read more »
Ghana: Kwame Nkrumah - Memorials to the Man Who Led Ghana to Independence Have Been Built, Erased and Revived Again
Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park lies at the centre of Ghana's capital, Accra. Recently renovated, it is dedicated to the memory of Kwame Nkrumah, the leader of Ghana's independence… Read more »
September 24, 2023
Southern Africa: Young People With Sexual, Gender Diversity At Higher Risk of Stopping HIV Treatment Because of Stigma, Harsh Laws
Ending the AIDS pandemic - particularly in eastern and southern Africa - cannot be achieved unless more resources are channelled to meet the needs of key vulnerable populations. Read more »
Africa: Global Approach to Serious Crimes Is Shifting to Domestic Trials - Here's What I Found in Three African Countries
Domestic trials of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes are considered quicker, cheaper and more responsive to victims' needs than the International Criminal Court's… Read more »
September 22, 2023
South Africa: Hominin Fossils Were Sent Into Space and Scientists Are Enraged
When a Virgin Galactic commercial flight soared into space on 8 September 2023, there were two Virgin Galactic pilots, an instructor and three passengers on board - as well as two… Read more »
Sudan: Khartoum's Burning Tower - Architects On the Destruction of a City - and What It'll Take to Rebuild
There has been a continued escalation in fighting between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The destruction of the capital Khartoum continues - physically,… Read more »
Africa: Farmed Rhinos Will Soon 'Rewild' the African Savanna
With all the terrible news on climate change, it's easy to lose track of what's happening with particular species. So, in case you missed it, a new report has bad news for Earth's… Read more »
September 21, 2023
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwean Names Are Still Haunted By the Ghosts of Colonialism
In African cultures, the names given to children play an important role because they are often laden with meanings. Read more »
North Africa: Was the Freak 'Medicane' Storm That Devastated Libya a Glimpse of North Africa's Future?
Storm Daniel landed on the Libyan coastal town of Toukrah in the early hours of September 10 and started moving east. Soon the wind was rising and heavy rain falling, forcing… Read more »