insert_link Africa Nigerian E-payments eclipse South Africa’s 2022 GDP, in latest surge When the Nigerian Central Bank introduced newly designed currency notes in November 2022 and a month later put a cap on the maximum amount of hard cash that individuals and corporations could withdraw, the idea was to tame money laundering in the country. During that year’s Christmas festive season and in the run-up to the 2023 Nigerian presidential election in February 2023 –– two high spending seasons –– the country […] todayFebruary 15, 2024 10
insert_link Africa Investors bet big on Africa’s logistics potential By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency Africa's logistics sector is growing into a lucrative market and strategic hub within the global logistics network as investors' confidence in the sector increases. A new report by logistics company Agility confirms the global logistics industry is considering expansion plans or first-time investments in the continent’s logistics sector. According to Agility Vice Chairman Tarek Sultan, “This is the most optimism we’ve […] todayFebruary 15, 2024 12
insert_link Uncategorized Africa’s green energy potential lures crypto miners By Seth Onyango, bird story agency Nomadic crypto miners in search of affordable energy are eyeing Africa, with Ethiopia emerging as a prime location for blockchain mining. This pivot towards the continent is driven by its abundant renewable sources including solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. Ethiopia, with its colossal hydroelectric dam, has seen an increased inflow of bitcoin miners especially from China, who are dodging Beijing's tight […] todayFebruary 14, 2024 6
insert_link Africa Morocco dinosaur discovery gives clues on why they went extinct By Nicholas R. Longrich, University of Bath 66 million years ago, the last dinosaurs vanished from Earth. We’re still trying to understand why. New fossils of abelisaurs – distant relatives of the tyrannosaurs – from north Africa suggest that African dinosaurs remained diverse up to the very end. And that suggests their demise came suddenly, with the impact of a giant asteroid. The causes of the mass […] todayFebruary 13, 2024 12
insert_link Entertainment 100 years of radio in Africa: from propaganda to people’s power By Sisanda Nkoala, University of the Western Cape; Christina Chan-Meetoo, University of Mauritius; Jacinta Mwende Maweu, University of Nairobi; Marissa J. Moorman, Indiana University; Modestus Fosu, Ghana Institute of Journalism, and Stanley Tsarwe, University of Namibia Radio is thriving across Africa. Exact figures are difficult to come by because audience research differs across countries. But studies estimate radio listenership to be between 60% and 80% of the continent’s […] todayFebruary 13, 2024 31
insert_link Africa Black rhinos moved to Kenya’s Loisaba Conservancy as species recovers A black rhino in Loisaba Conservancy. Image courtesy of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. By Graeme Green via Mongabay Twenty-one critically endangered black rhinos have been safely delivered to Loisaba Conservancy in northern Kenya from other parts of the country, part of a wider mission to secure the long-term future of the species in Kenya. “It’s been a massive operation,” says Tom Silvester, CEO of Loisaba Conservancy, who oversaw the […] todayFebruary 13, 2024 22
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
insert_link Business / Economics Investment in African women-founded and led startups remains a bright spot in a global ecosystem drained of funding. By Conrad Onyango, via bird story agency Africa’s women-led startups retained their sparkle through 2023, against the backdrop of one of the darkest periods for global startup funding, raising US$200 million, 7% growth over the previous year, according to a report from Africa: The Big Deal. In 2022, these female-founded ventures had grown by 4%. The amount remains significantly lower than the US$ 2.7 billion raised […] todayFebruary 9, 2024 4
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
