South African heritage tourism could uplift rural communities, with a little help: the case of Sekhukhune

By Madiseng Phori, Tshwane University of Technology Imagine visiting a remote valley surrounded by mountains, hundreds of kilometres away from the nearest city, listening to local people explaining hundreds of years of history to you. The Tšate Valley, in South Africa’s Limpopo province, is one such place. Housing the Tšate heritage site and home to the Bapedi nation, the area has a rich natural and cultural history. […]

September 5, 2024 9

Africa

Kenyan artists reflect Gen Z hopes and frustrations in new exhibition

By Anne Mwiti, Kenyatta University As young protesters in Kenya took to the streets in June to demand the government account for its spending of taxpayers’ money, the Wajukuu Art Project was opening a new exhibition in Nairobi. Visitors to In the Absence at The African Arts Trust Gallery are greeted by large installations. Draped materials hang from a pillowy sky, razor sharp knives are welded to […]

September 5, 2024 11

Africa

Looting of African heritage: a powerful new book explores the damage done by colonial theft

By Françoise Vergès, UCL European colonisation of Africa was not only about armed conquest, massacres and the exploitation of resources. It was also about the appropriation of spiritual and political symbols. It led to the erasure of a social, cultural, symbolic world. A 2024 book, Fifteen Colonial Thefts: A Guide to Looted African Heritage in Museums, adds to the growing literature on the history of […]

September 5, 2024 20

Africa

DRC is the world’s largest producer of cobalt – how control by local elites can shape the global battery industry

By Raphael Deberdt, Colorado School of Mines and Jessica DiCarlo, University of Utah The mineral-rich Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is often portrayed as a victim of exploitation by China, the US and Europe in their competition for its minerals, which are critical for the energy transition. But our research has found that the DRC can influence the shape of the cobalt market, in which it is […]

September 5, 2024 11

Africa

China’s investments in Africa aren’t working as well as they as they should for cities: this needs to change

By Astrid R.N. Haas, University of Toronto Over the past two decades African leaders have become increasingly drawn to Chinese financing and investment. These investments are made rapidly and with reportedly less stringent conditions than traditional financing sources. Some also suggest that China’s approach aligns more closely with African priorities. This sentiment was summarised by the former president of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, in 2008: China’s approach to […]

September 4, 2024 13

Africa

A motorbike-sized meteorite shows how African collaboration can uniquely contribute to space science

By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency On Sunday, August 25, A meteorite lit the skies of South Africa’s Eastern Cape, peppering the region with rock fragments. Some were found as far as Kirkwood, over 100 km from St Francis where others were spotted. Initially mistaken for space debris, the motorcycle-sized object streaked across the sky on Sunday morning around 9 am, emitting a bright light as it […]

September 4, 2024 12

Africa

1200+ Fintech Stakeholders to Converge at the 12th Edition of the Africa Fintech Summit in Nairobi, Kenya

Nairobi, Kenya, is set to host the 12th edition of the Africa Fintech Summit in two days. The event, slated to take place at the J.W. Marriott from September 4-6, 2024, will bring together African and global Africa-focused fintech stakeholders for growth-enabling conversations and engagements. The Nairobi event is the latest edition of the biannual Africa Fintech Summit, which takes place in Washington, D.C., and in an African […]

September 4, 2024 9

Africa

Made in Africa shipbuilding gains momentum

By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency As a South African shipbuilding firm works on an export vessel that needs no sailor, several other African countries are joining the league of local shipbuilders, to tap into a burgeoning market on the continent and elsewhere. In May, A South African media reported that shipbuilder Legacy Marine was building an autonomous vessel for a client in Saudi Arabia as a proof-of-concept […]

September 4, 2024 27

Africa

Victory for women’s rights in Ghana as affirmative action law is passed – what must happen next

By Josephine Jarpa Dawuni, Howard University The passage of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Bill by the country’s parliament on 9 August 2024 marked a victory for women’s rights in Ghana. The bill, which has been years in the making, is the result of several actors, allies and activists lobbying and protesting for over a decade. The bill in it its current form makes it compulsory […]

September 4, 2024 14

Africa