March 21
South Africa: South Africa Has a Problem With People in the Public Service Lying About Their Qualifications - What Needs to Change
The persistent challenge of falsified or misrepresented qualifications in South Africa exposes serious shortcomings in recruitment and appointment processes. Although the scale of… Read more »
March 20
Somalia: Islamic State in Somalia - the Terrorist Group's Origins, Rise and Recent Battlefield Defeats
The Islamic State in Somalia is an affiliate of the transnational jihadist group Islamic State, known in short as ISIS. Based in the semi-autonomous northern Somalia territory of… Read more »
South Africa: Scientists in Antarctica - Why They're There and What They've Found
A media storm blew up in mid-March 2025 when a researcher at South Africa's isolated Sanae IV base in Antarctica accused one of its nine team members of becoming violent. Read more »
South Africa: What Is Apartheid? New Book for Young Readers Explains South Africa's Racist System
A new book, Together Apart: The Story of Living in Apartheid, has just been published in South Africa. Intended for young people but speaking to readers of all ages, the book… Read more »
Africa: South Africa Hasn't Given Individuals Access to the African Court - This Needs to Be Fixed
US President Donald Trump's second term has brought South Africa's domestic human rights record into stark international prominence. Based on misinformation, Trump's anti-South… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria's Oil-Rich Rivers State Under Emergency - Sending in the Army Isn't the Answer
President Bola Tinubu recently declared a state of emergency in Nigeria's oil-rich Rivers State, in the country's south-south region. Read more »
Africa: 5 Years On, True Counts of Covid-19 Deaths Remain Elusive - and Research Is Hobbled By Lack of Data
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers struggled to grasp the rate of the virus's spread and the number of related deaths. While hospitals tracked cases and deaths… Read more »
March 19
South Africa: South Africa's Unsafe Water Supplies - Licensing Service Providers Won't Solve the Issue
In many cities and towns across South Africa, water shortages and supply disruptions have become more frequent. Most recent figures show that 33% of all urban water users and 65%… Read more »
South Sudan: Violence in South Sudan Is Rising Again - What's Different This Time, and How to Avoid Civil War
A rise in political tensions in South Sudan and an escalation of violence in the Upper Nile State have raised fears of a return to civil war in the world's youngest nation. In… Read more »
Cameroon: Cameroon's Baka People Say They Are Part of the Forest - That's Why They Look After It
The Congo Basin's hunter-gatherer people have the secret to living well with the forest. Read more »
Africa: Fossil Face Discovery Highlights Challenges Faced By Europe's Earliest Settlers
Piecing together the story of Europe's earliest settlers is a challenge, largely because relevant human fossils are scarce. On March 12, researchers announced thediscovery of a new… Read more »
Africa: Chimpanzee Genes Have Changed Over Time to Suit Local Conditions - New Study
Chimpanzees are humans' closest living relatives, sharing over 98% of our DNA. They are endangered, with fewer than 250,000 left and an annual decline of between 1.5% and 6%. This… Read more »
Africa: Covid-19 - We're No Better Prepared for a Pandemic Today Than We Were in 2020
On March 11 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. According to official data there have been more than 770 million cases of COVID, which have caused… Read more »
March 18
Ethiopia: Ethiopia's War May Have Ended, but the Tigray Crisis Hasn't
For over 20 years, Ethiopia was led by the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, a coalition of four ethnic-based political parties representing Tigray, Amhara, Oromo,… Read more »
Africa: Water Cooperation Is Essential When Countries Share Lakes and Rivers - Yet It's Been Deteriorating in Many Places, With Serious Consequences
Just over half the world's population shares a river or lake basin with at least one other country. To sustainably manage those water resources for the health of people, ecosystems… Read more »
Zambia: High Soybean Prices in Zambia and Malawi May Make Chicken Costly Too - Lack of Competition Is to Blame
Poultry is one of the cheapest protein sources for the growing population of the east and southern Africa region. That makes soybeans critical to food security in the region, as… Read more »
South Africa: Surf Therapy for Children With Disabilities - How It's Changing Lives in South Africa
Children with disabilities face significant challenges in South Africa. Firstly there are delayed diagnoses which can lead to complications. The high cost of healthcare and little… Read more »
March 17
Nigeria: Rescuing Nigeria - How to Break the Cycle of Decline and Bring Progress
Nigeria has abundant human and natural resources but remains mired in underdevelopment. There are high levels of poverty, corruption, unemployment and inequality. The country is… Read more »
South Africa: Lost Fynbos Seeds From Underground 'Time Capsules' in South Africa Can Grow Again - New Study
Underground seed banks in South Africa that date back over 130 years have been found to contain fynbos seeds that are alive. These seed banks are natural storage areas in the soil… Read more »
Rwanda: Rwanda Has Moved People Into Model 'Green' Villages - Is Life Better There?
After the devastating 1994 genocide, Rwandans returning from the violence established homes and began farming where they could find land. Read more »
Southern Africa: Global Crises Have Hit Education Hard - 24 Years of Research Offers a Way Forward for Southern Africa
Global crises have shaped our world over the past two decades, affecting education systems everywhere. Higher education researcher Emmanuel Ojo has studied the impact of these… Read more »
March 16
Ghana: Ghana's Poor Are the Ones Who Suffer Most From Corruption
It didn't take long for the new government of John Mahama in Ghana to find a dramatic way to highlight its commitment to combating corruption. On 12 February 2025 his special… Read more »
Africa: The First Fossil Thrips in Africa - This Tiny Insect Pest Met Its End in a Volcanic Lake 90 Million Years Ago
Thrips are tiny insects - their sizes range between 0.5mm and 15mm in length and many are shorter than 5mm. But the damage they cause to crops is anything but small. A 2021… Read more »
Sudan: Middle Eastern Monarchies in Sudan's War - What's Driving Their Interests
The civil war in Sudan that began in April 2023 involves several external actors. The conflict pits the Sudanese Armed Forces against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in a… Read more »
South Africa: Who Owns Digital Data About You? South African Legal Scholar Weighs Up Property and Privacy Rights
In the digital economy, data is more than just information - it is an asset with immense economic and strategic value. Yet, despite its significance, a fundamental legal question… Read more »
The Conversation Africa (Johannesburg)
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