August 14, 2023
Africa: The Science of Why You Can Remember Song Lyrics From Years Ago
Why is it that many people can't remember where they put their car keys most mornings, but can sing along to every lyric of a song they haven't heard in years when it comes on the… Read more »
Southern Africa: Fossil Footprint Discoveries and What They Tell Us
Footprints on a sandy surface don't usually last long: they're washed away by water, wiped out by wind or covered over by new tracks. At certain sites in southern Africa, though,… Read more »
August 13, 2023
Africa: How to Grow Rhinos in a Lab - the Science That Could Save an Endangered Species
There are several parallel projects running across the world to save the northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum), one of Africa's captivating and iconic wildlife… Read more »
Ghana: National Health Insurance Users Often End Up Paying As Much As Those Who Don't Belong. So Why Join?
Health financing is a challenge any country has to deal with to provide good healthcare services. It's especially important for developing countries such as Ghana, where ability to… Read more »
August 11, 2023
Africa: Military Coups in Africa - Here's What Determines a Return to Civilian Rule
Slightly more than two years after Niger's first peaceful handover of power from one civilian president to another, the military seized power in July 2023. The coup - the fourth in… Read more »
South Africa: Zuma Prison Case Casts Doubt On South Africa's Medical Parole Law
The Constitutional Court order relating to a case involving former President Jacob Zuma has illuminated some of the flaws in the law governing medical parole in South Africa. This… Read more »
August 10, 2023
Africa: The WHO Has Declared Eris a 'Variant of Interest'. How Is It Different From Other Omicron Variants?
EG.5 is a family of Omicron variants (descended from XBB.1.9.2) that first appeared back in February 2023. Read more »
South Africa: Lion Farming in South Africa - Fresh Evidence Adds Weight to Fears of Link With Illegal Bone Trade
In South Africa an estimated 8,000 lions are bred and kept in captivity for commercial purposes in more than 350 facilities. This is far more than the country's wild population,… Read more »
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Heads to the Polls Amid High Inflation, a Slumping Currency and a Cost of Living Crisis
Zimbabwe is facing a host of pressing challenges that voters dearly want the next president to address. Persistently high inflation, elevated interest rates, and a slumping and… Read more »
Nigeria: Ayobami Adebayo's New Novel Is a Modern Nigerian Tragedy About the Rich and the Poor
Nigerian writer Ayobami Adebayo took the literary world by storm with her debut novel Stay With Me in 2017. Six years later, she has followed up with an equally brilliant… Read more »
Africa: Heritage Algorithms Combine the Rigours of Science With the Infinite Possibilities of Art and Design
The model of democracy in the 1920s is sometimes called "the melting pot" - the dissolution of different cultures into an American soup. An update for the 2020s might be "open… Read more »
August 09, 2023
Kenya: The Fast, Furious, and Brutally Short Life of an African Male Lion
The death of a lion in Kenya's picturesque savannas rarely tugs at people's hearts, even in a country where wildlife tourism is a key pillar of the nation's economy. But when one… Read more »
Africa: Depression Isn't Just Sadness - It's Often a Loss of Pleasure
It's often thought that if someone is depressed, they will feel sad or low most of the time. But what many don't realise is that these aren't the only symptoms of depression.… Read more »
Kenya: Kenya Is Going Digital to Boost Tax Revenue - There Are Lessons to Learn From Other African Countries
Many African tax authorities have weak capacity to raise revenue. From 1990 to 2020, sub-Saharan African countries on average collected only about 12%-15% of GDP as taxes, a much… Read more »
Africa: Through Space and Rhyme - How Hip-Hop Uses Afrofuturism to Take Listeners On Journeys of Empowerment
It is perhaps only natural, as hip-hop celebrates its 50th anniversary, that people look to the genre's future. But for some rappers, the future has always been part of the story. Read more »
August 08, 2023
Senegal: Internet Shutdowns - Here's How Governments Do It
Senegal's government has shut down internet access in response to protests about the sentencing of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. This is a tactic governments are increasingly… Read more »
West Africa: Niger Coup - Why an Ecowas-Led Military Intervention Is Unlikely
Hopes are fading for a quick resolution of Niger's coup or the potential use of force by the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) to free Nigerien president Mohammed… Read more »
Kenya: Kenya's Political Dialogue Is a Welcome Sign of Democracy At Work - If Both Sides Understand Their Roles
Since Kenya's presidential election in August 2022, the new government has been in conflict with the opposition. Read more »
South Africa: Violence, Health and Money Issues Among 5 Biggest Obstacles That Stand in Women's Way
Every year on 9 August South Africa celebrates Women's Day, marking an important moment in the country's history. This was the day in 1956 when women marched to the seat of… Read more »
August 07, 2023
Africa: Computer Science Can Help Farmers Explore Alternative Crops and Sustainable Farming Methods
Humans have physically reconfigured half of the world's land to grow just eight staple crops: maize (corn), soy, wheat, rice, cassava, sorghum, sweet potato and potato. They… Read more »
South Africa: Umlungu - the Colourful History of a Word Used to Describe White People in South Africa
In South Africa "umlungu" is a word that's commonly used to refer to white people. It comes from isiXhosa, the language of the country's Xhosa people. It's always been a mystery… Read more »
West Africa: Sickle Cell Disease Is Rife in West Africa - a Fresh Approach Is Needed to Combat It
Sickle cell disease refers to a group of inherited blood disorders with symptoms like anaemia and blocked blood vessels. About 80% of the world's sickle cell disease cases occur in… Read more »
South Africa: How to Build Financial Resilience - Insurance and Retirement Savings Are the Most Effective Tools in South Africa - Study
Imagine you've found yourself in a difficult financial situation and needed to raise R40,000 (more than US$2,000) on the spot. Where and how would you raise these funds? Or what if… Read more »
August 06, 2023
Ghana: Ghana's Housing Policy and Regulation Is Failing - Covid Proved As Much
Access to decent housing is a fundamental human right. Across sub-Saharan Africa, however, this right remains an elusive dream for many households. Read more »
Africa: An Expanded Brics Could Reset World Politics but Picking New Members Isn't Straightforward
Eager to escape perceived western domination, several countries - mostly in the global south - are looking to join the Brics bloc. The five-country bloc (Brazil, Russia, India,… Read more »