African Games 2024: is it really worth it for Ghana to host the mega sport event?

By Kamilla Swart, Hamad Bin Khalifa University The African Games, formerly the All-African Games, is taking place from 8-23 March in Ghana. Scheduled for 2023, they were postponed due to a regional impasse over marketing rights, delays in getting facilities ready and Ghana’s growing economic crisis. Kamilla Swart researches and teaches sport mega-events. We asked her about the African Games’ potential for sport tourism and about the […]

March 7, 2024 15

Africa

Wet weather and disease hit African cocoa farmers, push up prices

Cocoa farmers across West Africa are monitoring the progress of several plant diseases that are ruining crops on a vast scale and pushing up the global price of cacao, the raw material for making chocolate, to record levels. Ivory Coast and its neighbour Ghana, together supply more than half of the world’s demand for cocoa. On his farm, 250 km northwest of Ivory Coast's commercial capital Abidjan, Olivier Gnakomene realised […]

March 6, 2024 17

Sport

Capricorn Eagles Set to Soar at Debut Appearance in African Games

The Namibia women's cricket team, The Capricorn Eagles, is gearing up passionately to make its mark at the African Games hosted in Ghana. Scheduled from 7 to 13 March, this historic tournament marks cricket's grand entrance into the African Games. The Capricorn Eagles are looking forward to showcasing a good brand of cricket against formidable opponents from across the continent. Placed in Group A, alongside South Africa, Tanzania, and Nigeria, […]

March 6, 2024 24

Africa

Ghana’s finance ministry asks President not to sign anti-LGBTQ+ bill

Ghana's finance ministry has advised against the President's approval of a recent anti-LGBT bill passed by parliament, cautioning potential repercussions including the loss of $3.8bn in World Bank funding over five to six years. The bill, if signed, imposes jail terms for identifying as or promoting LGBT+ activities, sparking opposition from rights activist Linda Baumann. In a highly unusual move, the warning from the finance ministry was leaked to several […]

March 5, 2024 29

Namibia

Confirmation of VIP Guests at Presidential Memorial and Burial Services

The Heads of State of the following countries will be attending this weekend's official ceremonies to mark the passing of former President Hage Geingob: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Qatar, Zambia, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Rwanda, and São Tomé and Principe. Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, will also attend on behalf of the British Royal Family, as […]

February 23, 2024 114

Africa

Tech-savvy Africans are hedging against inflation by going digital

By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency The recent announcement by Opera MiniPay that it had signed up over one million users in Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana just five months after its launch is the clearest indication yet of the rising popularity of decentralised finance, or DeFi tools, across the continent. “MiniPay makes it easier and more affordable for individuals across Africa to acquire, send and receive Mento […]

February 19, 2024 18

Africa

Ghana’s new vehicle tax aims to tackle pollution – expert unpacks how it’ll work and suggests reforms

By Theophilus Acheampong, University of Aberdeen Ghana has introduced an annual carbon levy on vehicles and industrial emissions. It’s only the third African country to introduce an explicit carbon tax, after South Africa and Mauritius. The tax is intended to address harm associated with vehicle emissions. But it has prompted a pushback from various citizens, civic and consumer groups. The Conversation Africa’s Godfred Akoto Boafo spoke […]

February 16, 2024 22

Namibia

Ghanaian Regulator Visits Namibia to Benchmark Electricity Control Board

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission of Ghana is currently in Namibia to benchmark with the Electricity Control Board. The focus of the visit includes discussions on electricity tariffs, investments, competition, enforcement, and stakeholder protection. Pinehas Mutota, the General Manager of Economic Regulation at the Electricity Control Board, shares insights on the collaboration.

February 14, 2024 29

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 […]

February 9, 2024 6