Betrayal of world’s vulnerable

When negotiators from Africa headed to Baku, Azerbaijan, last month for this year’s iteration of the global climate jamboree known as the Congress of the Parties, they – like their counterparts... 

Elites escape healthcare crisis

I'm part of a WhatsApp group for journalists from across Central, East and Southern Africa, where we share serious news and insider titbits and occasionally dive into debates ranging from... 

Trump 2.0 and Africaʼs fate

Among the first to tweet (or should we now say to “X”?) their congratulations to Donald Trump following his victory over Kamala Harris in this month’s US elections were African leaders such as... 

Beyond liberation movements

When the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) was founded in 1980, it was a coalition of postcolonial States bound by the noble dream of economic cooperation. By 1994, the... 

The other Somali republic

Mention of Somalis – as in Somali nationals – conjures up images of the unstable Horn of Africa nation that has known little peace since the flight into exile in Nigeria of erstwhile President... 

Egypt’s triumph over malaria

Imagine this: every single day, the world loses the equivalent of a jumbo jet full of passengers to malaria – a staggering 1 600 lives snuffed out by a relentless disease. That’s 600 000 lives each... 

Africa’s aid famine

Africa has long been the belle of the ball when it comes to overseas development assistance. But now, as donor countries turn inward thanks to economic hiccups from the Covid-19 pandemic and the... 

Fading voices on sanctions?

This year’s iteration of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) has come and gone. What stood out was the noticeable absence of the familiar spiel from African leaders railing about how the “economic... 

Africaʼs media blind spot

As I noted last week, it’s been about nine months since Ethiopia became the first country to ban the importation of fossil-fuel-powered vehicles, decisively shifting gears towards a low-carbon... 

Ethiopia’s electric leap

Ethiopia is not just a historical footnote as one of only three African countries to have dodged colonisation – alongside Sierra Leone and Liberia, which were established to resettle black... 

Jackpot or jinx?

The race for Africa’s critical minerals has sparked a mixed reaction. On one hand, there is excitement that these minerals – key to the transition to a low-carbon future – could herald a new age of... 

Corruption’s exodus effect

It’s often said corruption is a cancer that ravages society, an insidious affliction that’s nearly impossible to eradicate once it takes hold. What’s less frequently discussed, however, is how this... 

Billionaire reshuffle

The latest shake-up of the world’s billionaire hierarchy has seen Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote relinquish his crown as Africa’s richest person, after a 13-year reign. But while Nigeria... 

New impetus needed if South Africa is to begin meeting R&D investment goals

In the drive for economic advancement and global competitiveness, innovation stands as a pivotal force, with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) highlighting that a... 

New impetus needed if South Africa is to begin meeting R&D investment goals

In the drive for economic advancement and global competitiveness, innovation stands as a pivotal force, with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) highlighting that a... 

Mouthfuls of trouble

History is replete with government officials who put their foot in their mouth, often with dire consequences for their countries. A striking recent example involves Ukrainian military intelligence... 

Informal sector a jobs lifeline?

Statistics South Africa released its Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the three months ending in June earlier this month – and the results are decidedly bleak. While employment figures managed a... 

Shared costs, big gains

Ivorian President Alassane Outtarra took some hits last week as I criticised Zimbabwe’s decision to splash $200-million on luxury villas and other infrastructure ahead of the Southern African... 

Bling over basics

Imagine a country rolling out the red carpet for foreign guests while its citizens grapple with severe food shortages. In Zimbabwe, this contradiction is illustrated by the decision to spend... 

Olympic oops in Paris

As the 2024 Summer Olympics spin towards their grand finale on August 11, Paris is set to be remembered for more than just record-breaking performances and emerging stars. Besides the dazzling... 

African ratings quest

The call for ‘African solutions for Africa’s problems’ resonates strongly in discussions about our continent. Cunning autocrats have also invoked it, wielding it as a shield to deflect... 

South Africa’s crime epidemic

In South Africa’s cities, caution is the currency, and being labelled ‘among the unsafest in the world’ isn’t just a statistic – it’s a stark reality. This sentiment is underscored by Numbeo’s... 

UK-Rwanda refugee plan sinks

Rishi Sunak’s tenure as UK Prime Minister has clocked out, following his Conservative Party’s electoral drubbing earlier this month. Also consigned to the dustbin of history is his government’s... 

From ‘Dear John’ to unity

After the dear John letter that never was, five Democratic Alliance (DA) members have taken up their positions in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet alongside their counterparts from the African... 

Dissecting elephant voices

Elephants possess a diverse communication repertoire, encompassing everything from resonant trumpeting and deep, reverberating rumbles to menacing growls, soothing purrs and plaintive squeals.... 

Fragile unity test

We ought to give the African National Congress (ANC) props. Thanks to its political sleight of hand, the party is poised to continue its dominance of South African politics for the next five years,... 

Despite big obstacles, AfCFTA viewed as key to weaving new trade and industrial tapestry

In the grand tapestry of international commerce, Africa’s 55 nations have stood as individual threads rather than a unified fabric of economic opportunity. But a new era of collaboration being... 

Despite big obstacles, AfCFTA viewed as key to weaving new trade and industrial tapestry

In the grand tapestry of international commerce, Africa’s 55 nations have stood as individual threads rather than a unified fabric of economic opportunity. But a new era of collaboration being... 

Politics of vengeance

African politics has always been a big theatre where a recurring spectacle, one that never fails to captivate and intrigue, is the age-old saga of former Presidents clashing with their successors.... 

A misunderstood prophecy

The year was 2008, in the month of September. Back then, a seer from the rugged hills of Nkandla in the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal prophesied that the political party he led, the African... 

Steadfast hold on power

In the intricate tango of politics and military might, one undeniable reality emerges: once soldiers seize State control, they seldom relinquish it willingly. Ibrahim Traore, the 36-year-old... 

Stevie finds rhythm in Ghana

I’m not a great music fan, but I would not be completely honest if I did not own up to my partiality towards Stevie Wonder, the US-born virtuoso of soul who has created music that has reverberated... 

Myth of arbitrary boundaries

Conventional wisdom has it that the political map of Africa as we know it today was solely determined at the Berlin Conference of 1884 to 1885 by European actors who knew little about conditions on... 

The great business retreat

The announcement last week by oil giant Shell that it is to divest from downstream operations in South Africa seems to have been a godsend to the political opposition, which did not waste time in... 

Slipping influence

Africa may be the world’s poorest continent – hosting 33 of the 46 economies designated by the United Nations (UN) as the least developed – but it remains the target of courtship by the major... 

A titbit about Tanzania

That the way many of Africa’s countries turned out had less to do with fate than the meddling of external players, especially during the Cold War years, has been well documented by many a scholar.... 

What the voters want

As election day draws ever closer, political parties are pulling out all the stops in their quest to win the hearts and minds of South African voters. All manner of promises are being made – from a... 

Rhian Capostagno

This we profile Rhian Capostagno, a partner at Partners in Performance, a firm of management consultants 

Will the Zimbabwe Gold, or ZiG, restore currency confidence?

The heightened sense of urgency within Zimbabwe’s government to act as the country’s currency crashed – losing 90% of its value since the beginning of the year – was there for all to see in the... 

Rwanda’s rebirth

The 100-day period from April 7 to July 15, 1994, will forever be etched on the memory of Rwandans and indeed the rest of humanity. That’s when armed militia from the majority Hutu ethnic group...