insert_link Africa President Samia to meet the Pope in the Vatican Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan is meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican this week. Her 2-day tour includes a delegation from Tanzania's Catholic Church associations. Daniel Kijo reports. todayFebruary 12, 2024 28
insert_link Africa The Moroccan referee who has overcome cultural barriers and gender stereotypes to make history at AFCON 2023 By Joel Omotto, bird story agency Bouchra Karboubi is blazing a trail through the beautiful game. While there has been a laudable increase in the number of female referees at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following the appointment of six women, only one has been given the mandate to officiate as a centre referee, with the rest working as either assistant referees or Video Assistant Referees […] todayFebruary 9, 2024 12
insert_link Africa Trucking innovation highlights Africa’s cold storage problem and opportunities By Bonface Orucho, via bird story agency A new, sustainable method of generating electricity to refrigerate trucks has been introduced into the African cold storage market. As reported by Creamer Media’s Engineering News, Global logistics company DP World partnered with food and clothing retailer Woolworths to unveil a mobile refrigeration trailer in South Africa powered by AxlePower technology. According to Engineering News, the project's AxlePower technology “transforms ordinary […] todayFebruary 9, 2024 11
Africa Tanzania’s elections are vulnerable to state abuse – urgent law reforms are needed By Aikande Clement Kwayu, Tumaini University Makumira Tanzania’s electoral law reform is overdue for an overhaul. This was made most apparent by the 2019 local elections and the 2020 general elections. The results were big wins for the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM): 99% of local authorities, 98.9% of parliamentary seats and 84% of the presidential vote. These margins of victory were contested. The United Nations, research […] todayFebruary 9, 2024 17
insert_link Africa The rise of African prophets: the unchecked power of the leaders of Pentecostal churches By Josiah Taru, Rice University Over the last 20 years there’s been an unprecedented increase in charismatic Pentecostal prophets – or men of God as they’re called in Pentecostal parlance. Across Africa their unchecked influence has spread into social, economic and political institutions. Pentecostalism is one of the fastest-growing strands of Christianity on the continent. In Zimbabwe, for example, the Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministry claims its membership […] todayFebruary 9, 2024 41
insert_link Africa Nigeria’s street food: tasty but toxic? Expert shares advice to make it safer By Helen Onyeaka, University of Birmingham In the lively streets of Nigeria’s cities, where delicious street food is a daily delight, a wide variety of food can be bought and consumed instantly. From the sizzling suya snack in Abuja to the aromatic jollof rice in Lagos, street food has become an integral part of Nigerian life. However, beneath these enticing flavours lies a critical question of public safety […] todayFebruary 9, 2024 21
insert_link Africa Zimbabwe scraps death penalty Zimbabwe’s cabinet has agreed to abolish the death penalty for murder offences almost two decades after its last execution. Bloomberg News reports that the cabinet on Tuesday approved the Memorandum on the Private Member’s Death Penalty Abolition Bill introduced to parliament last year, bringing an end to the death penalty introduced in the southern African nation by British colonial administrators. todayFebruary 8, 2024 12
insert_link Africa The growing role of telco operators in driving financial inclusion through accessible mobile-first financial services. By Robert van Breukelen, COO at Itemate Solutions Africa remains a hotbed of mobile innovation. Telco operators across the continent are stepping in to fill gaps left by lower levels of development in key areas, including banking and financial services. A 2022 report estimated that just over half of Africa's population remained unbanked. The same report found that banks across the continent are investing in digital transformation […] todayFebruary 8, 2024 19
Africa Zambia hits a copper jackpot from an AI-powered exploration By Bonface Orucho, via bird story agency Zambia’s mineral portfolio has received a major boost with the discovery of the largest copper deposits ever recorded in the country. Through an official statement on the social media site X, on February 5, 2023, KoBold, an American startup backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, announced the discovery of vast copper deposits at their Mingomba mine in northern Zambia. “Mingomba […] todayFebruary 8, 2024 4
