Africans discovered dinosaur fossils long before the term ‘palaeontology’ existed

Africans discovered dinosaur fossils long before the term ‘palaeontology’ existed

By Julien Benoit, University of the Witwatersrand; Cameron Penn-Clarke, University of the Witwatersrand, and Charles Helm, Nelson Mandela University Credit for discovering the first dinosaur bones usually goes to British gentlemen for their finds between the 17th and 19th centuries in England. Robert Plot, an English natural history scholar, was the first of these to describe a dinosaur bone, in his 1676 book The Natural History of Oxfordshire. Over […]

January 8, 2024 26

Africa

Young Africans could disrupt authoritarian states but they don’t – here’s why

By Lovise Aalen, Chr. Michelsen Institute and Marjoke Oosterom, Institute of Development Studies Africa has the world’s largest youth population. By 2030, 75% of the African population will be under the age of 35. The number of young Africans aged 15-24 is projected to reach 500 million in 2080. While population dynamics vary across the continent, most sub-Saharan countries have a median age below 19. Niger is the youngest country […]

January 8, 2024 48

Africa

Ambassador Naanda supports Africa’s bid for a UN Security Council seat

Ambassador Penda Naanda, the executive director of the Ministry of International Relations led the Namibian delegation to the 10th High-Level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa, in Oran, Algeria. Speaking at the seminar, Naanda said that Africa is ready to take a permanent seat in the council to take back the continent's power.

December 21, 2023 102

Business / Economics

Unpacking FinTech: A financial journalism deep dive

By Angie Scholtz 1. INTRODUCTION: The world over, the inclusion and advancement of technology in the financial services sectors and markets have become more and more prevailing to the extent where the accepted acronym for this has been determined to be FinTech which essentially relates to Financial Technology as a designated term. The world is aware of the various levels of information technology infrastructure in various countries which would by […]

December 21, 2023 42

Africa

Gavi approves $1.8B African vaccine manufacturing accelerator for self-reliance

By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency Recent approval by the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) of a US$1.8 billion African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA), a financing instrument that will support sustainable vaccine manufacturing in Africa is being hailed as a game changer for the continent. “The targeted US$1 billion from Gavi to African manufacturers is a game changer for the continent and advances our efforts towards vaccine self-reliance,” said Jean Kaseya, Africa […]

December 21, 2023 47

Africa

World’s tallest wood building signals growing investor confidence in sustainable construction practices

By Seth Onyango, via bird story agency Wooden buildings like the engineered timber construction planned for the world's tallest wood building in Zanzibar may only be starting to appear in cities worldwide but that is not stopping investors from betting on wood becoming a key building block in African construction. "About 200 years ago, everyone was building with timber, then it shifted to cement, steel, and stones. Now people […]

December 21, 2023 58

Africa

Cameroon and Zimbabwe Lead Christmas Spending Across Africa

African households will focus on gifts and decorations as they take a more cautious approach to their Christmas holiday spending this year, on the back of a rising cost of living, according to the Cost of Christmas report. A new ‘Cost of Christmas’ study by WorldRemit shows Cameroon (US $650 and Zimbabwe( US$ 254) will be the continent’s biggest spenders this season, with bulk of their expenditure going to […]

December 20, 2023 15

Health / Medical

What sunscreen is best? A dermatologist offers advice on protecting your skin

Bianca Tod, Stellenbosch University Sunburn is a sign that skin has experienced significant levels of damage. Ultraviolet light can change a person’s DNA structure, which can lead to cancer. At the same time, choosing from the multitude of modern sunscreens can be overwhelming. Health & Medicine editor Nadine Dreyer asked dermatologist Bianca Tod what to look for in sun protection. What are the dangers of too much exposure to the […]

December 19, 2023 23

Business / Economics

Africa’s top 25 Best Places to Work revealed for 2023

The Best Places to Work organization announced today the top 25 most performing employers in Africa for 2023. The program recently compiled its annual list based on the assessment of over 500 organizations operating across the continent. Findings from this year indicated that the top performing organizations in Africa continued to invest in creating a highly-engaged workforce, with an average engagement score of 80%,1 point lower compared to last year […]

December 19, 2023 9