Africa Zambia’s arts and creative sector is thriving By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency Zambia’s recent unveiling of a National Arts and Revised Film Policy is evidence of the growing interest in increasing investment and fostering the growth of the arts and creative sector. Besides committing to invest close to US$100 million in the arts and film sector between 2024 and 2028, the policy commits to improving artists' welfare in a bid to promote talent by […] today8 April, 2024
insert_link Africa Ferry Sinking off Mozambique’s North Coast Claims Over 90 Lives Tragedy struck off the north coast of Mozambique as a ferry carrying more than 130 individuals, including children, sank, resulting in over 90 fatalities. Authorities report that the vessel, a converted fishing boat en route from Lunga, encountered distress while attempting to reach an island in Nampula province. Amid the disaster, only five individuals have been rescued. Jaime Neto, Nampula’s Secretary of State, reveals that many passengers sought to flee […] today8 April, 2024
insert_link Africa Twin rate cuts set Mozambique apart as African currency rally By Seth Onyango, bird story agency Mozambique’s central bank has decisively cut its benchmark lending rate to 15.75% from 16.5%, setting a precedent as the first African country to slash rates twice in 2024. The move highlights Maputo’s aggressive push for economic growth amid a wider trend of cooling inflation and currency stability against the US dollar across Africa. Rate cuts in the southeastern African nation, prompted […] today8 April, 2024
insert_link Africa Africans showcase the continent’s athletic supremacy at the World Cross-Country Championships By Stephen Granger, SPNA If you want to get a sense of the level to which African runners dominate distance running right now, look no further than the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, held this year in Belgrade, Serbia. From Kenya to South Africa, Uganda to Ethiopia, different cross-country athletes from the continent recorded remarkable performances. Formerly known as the International Cross Country Championships, the annual event […] today8 April, 2024
insert_link Africa Young Kenyans are not finding work: how universities can do a better job of training entrepreneurs By Renson Muchiri Mwangi, KCA University; Judy N. Muthuri, University of Nottingham, and Mohsen Gul, University of Cambridge Kenya’s long-term development blueprint, Vision 2030, envisions an empowered youth driving economic growth. The focus on its young population (aged 15–34) is apt given that the median age of the country’s population of 55 million is around 20 years. This has led to a succession of policies and strategies […] today8 April, 2024
insert_link Africa South Africa’s conservation model: why expanding the use of biodiversity to generate money is a good idea By Hayley Clements, Stellenbosch University; Alta De Vos, Stellenbosch University, and Matthew Child, University of Pretoria South Africa’s government is calling for public comments on an updated version of its existing biodiversity economy plan. The National Biodiversity Economy Strategy aims to conserve biodiversity while also contributing to job creation and economic growth. It proposes to do this by promoting sustainable use of the country’s natural resources. The strategy […] today8 April, 2024
insert_link Africa Have you ever suffered intimate partner abuse? We asked girls in Malawi and 40% said yes By Anthony Idowu Ajayi, African Population and Health Research Center and Elita Chamdimba, University of Malawi Intimate partner violence starts early. Around one in four girls aged between 15 and 19 worldwide have already been subjected to physical or sexual violence. Girls who experience abuse in their childhood face increased and disproportionate levels of intimate partner violence later in life. Pregnant and parenting girls are even more exposed […] today8 April, 2024
insert_link Africa South Africa’s crucial water supplies from Lesotho: what the six-month shutdown means for industry, farming and residents By Ifedotun Aina, University of Cape Town The main water supply to South Africa’s economic hub, greater Johannesburg in the Gauteng province, and to the country’s breadbasket in the Free State, is scheduled to be cut off for six months. Maintenance work on the 37 kilometre Lesotho Highlands Water Project tunnel is due to begin in October 2024. Ifedotun Victor Aina, a senior researcher at the Water […] today8 April, 2024
insert_link Africa CFA franc: conditions are ripe for replacement of the west African currency rooted in colonialism – expert By Kai Koddenbrock, Bard College Berlin At no point in history has the CFA franc – the name of a colonial currency used in west and central African countries belonging to the franc zone – been closer to its demise. Senegal has overwhelmingly voted for leftwing Pastef candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye (and his former party leader Ousmane Sonko) while the coup governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger […] today8 April, 2024
