August 26
Africa: 85 Percent of the Matter in the Universe Is Missing. but We're Getting Closer to Finding It
Most of the matter in the universe is missing. Scientists believe around 85% of the matter in the cosmos is made of invisible dark matter, which has only been detected indirectly… Read more »
Zimbabwe: Soccer Betting Is On the Rise Among Young Zimbabweans
Betting on soccer games is a popular pastime in many African countries. A 2024 report by GeoPoll found that 76.16% of respondents from Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria Has Seen a Lot of Conflict Over the Years - Resistance From Minority Groups Is a Strong Driver
Conflict and tension in Nigeria are not new. Ever since independence in 1960, there have been conflicts over natural resources and political agitations. The country has also… Read more »
South Africa: Giant Batteries to Store Wind and Solar Power Can Speed Up South Africa's Energy Transition - How That Can Happen
South Africa is at a pivotal moment in its energy transition: trying to decarbonise its economy (move away from coal) and make sure that everyone has access to reliable and… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's New Pension Rules - Australia, Chile and Singapore Show How Personal Savings Can Grow the Economy
Up until now South Africans have been allowed to withdraw their entire pension or provident fund when leaving a job. This has left many with no savings at all when they get to… Read more »
West Africa: The Conversation Africa Condemns Harassment of West Africa Editor Adejuwon Soyinka
The Conversation Africa condemns the harassment of its West Africa editor, Adejuwon Soyinka, by Nigeria's Department of State Security operatives. Read more »
August 25
Africa: Baobabs - Africa's Unique Trees Defy Climate Challenges, Continue to Flourish
Baobabs reach extraordinarily old ages. Some have been found to be thousands of years old. During these life spans, elder baobabs have survived erratic climate conditions. Read more »
Malawi: Maize Prices in Kenya and Malawi Have Soared, but Tanzania's Haven't - Economists Explain Why
For more than a year maize prices in Kenya and Malawi have been much higher compared with other countries in the east and southern Africa (ESA) region. Read more »
August 24
Africa: Mpox - African Countries Have Beaten Disease Outbreaks Before - Here's What It Takes
Barely over a year after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that mpox was no longer a public health issue of international concern, it is back in the news. This time with… Read more »
August 23
Rwanda: Paul Kagame's Fourth Term As President - What His Agenda Will Need to Cover
Paul Kagame started his fourth term as Rwanda's president in August 2024. He first became president in April 2000. However, as the leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, he has… Read more »
South Sudan: South Sudan's Long-Delayed Election Will Be a Landmark Moment
Elections are pivotal milestones in post-conflict countries - and nowhere is voter anticipation felt more keenly than in South Sudan, the world's youngest nation. Read more »
Africa: Mpox Cases in Australia Are Less Severe Than in Africa. Here's What to Know About the Strain Spreading Here
Western Australia and Victoria both issued health alerts this week over cases of mpox. WA has seen two cases, while Victoria has recorded 125 cases so far this year. New South… Read more »
August 22
Lesotho: We Discovered a New Way Mountains Are Formed - From 'Mantle Waves' Inside the Earth
In 2005, I was navigating winding roads through the Drakensberg Mountains, in Lesotho, Southern Africa. Towering cliff-like features known as escarpments interrupt the landscape,… Read more »
Kenya: Bird Species Are Disappearing At an Alarming Rate in Kenya - New Study
Sub-Saharan Africa has a vast amount of uncultivated, arable land - about 2 million km², accounting for about 50% of the global total. This land is a critical habitat for many… Read more »
Africa: Africa's Ageing Leaders - Succession Race in Cameroon, Congo and Equatorial Guinea Could Destabilise the Region
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea is 82 and has been in power for 45 years. Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo, 79, has held on to power for 40 years. Cameroon's Paul… Read more »
Kenya: How Debt and Taxes Conspired to Rob Nairobi's Slum-Dwelling Youth of the Promise of a Better Life
Throughout the summer of 2024, young Kenyans have taken to the streets of the capital, Nairobi, in a series of anti-government demonstrations. Read more »
Africa: Spontaneous Acts By Yoko Tawada - an Adroit Poetic Novel About Connection Post-Pandemic
Spontaneous Acts by German-Japanese writer Yoko Tawada follows a fierce and scrupulous search for connection and meaning in a noisy and overwhelming world emerging from the… Read more »
Zimbabwe: Sex Sells in These Zimbabwe Take-Out Chicken Ads - Showing How Fragile Masculinity Is
Around the world, fast food advertising has been called out for sexualising and objectifying women's bodies. In South Africa in 2019, for example, one fast food chain was… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Scarce Water Needs Careful Management - Study Finds Smaller, Local Systems Offer More Benefits
South Africa is a water-scarce country, the 30th driest in the world. Using water wisely will become more and more important as the population grows and droughts related to climate… Read more »
August 21
Africa: Squid Have Tiny Teeth in Their Suckers - Scientists Could Use Their Unique Properties to Make Self-Healing Materials
When you think of a fearsome, sharp-toothed predator, a squid probably isn't the first animal that comes to mind. But these complex creatures have sophisticated eyesight, a strong… Read more »
Africa: Avalanches Can Grow 100 Times Larger Under the Sea Than On Land - Here's Why They're a Risk to the Internet
Underwater avalanches are powerful natural events that happen all the time under the surface of the ocean. They are impossible to see and extremely difficult to measure, which… Read more »
Africa: How Does a Disease Spread From Animals to Humans? A Lot Has to Do With People's Behaviour
COVID stunned the world with an unanticipated pandemic. Now mpox, a disease which originated in animals, has been declared a global public health emergency. Read more »
Ghana: Corruption Holds Small Businesses Back - Ghana Study Reveals Two Strategies to Avoid the Traps
Small and medium enterprises account for 95% of all registered businesses and contribute about 50% to the total GDP of countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Read more »
Mozambique: Mozambique Forest Stores Huge Amounts of Carbon - Laser Technique Puts New Value On Miombo Woodlands
Dry, tropical forests are often overshadowed in popular and scientific perception by wet and tall rainforests. They are less obviously charismatic or exotic and so may seem less… Read more »
Southern Africa: Drought Is Devastating Southern Africa's Crops - Why It's Happening and What Can Be Learned
Southern Africa's worst drought in years has destroyed crops of the staple food, maize, across the region. Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Namibia… Read more »