insert_link South Africa Prof. Ntsikelelo Breakfast assesses Jacob Zuma’s impact on SA elections Despite being a disgraced former president who was sent to jail, Jacob Zuma is turning out to be the political wildcard in South Africa's election campaign. This follows his dramatic decision to ditch the governing African National Congress for the newly formed party uMkhonto we Sizwe. We spoke to Here’s to SA-based political analyst Professor Ntsikelelo Breakfast. todayMarch 14, 2024 38
insert_link Africa Appetite from local investors fuels surge in African startup funding By Seth Onyango, bird story agency Despite a steep downturn in startup funding in Africa since 2022, more African investors are channelling substantial investments into homegrown enterprises. This is a marked departure from the previous years, when North American investors, particularly from the U.S., led the charge in startup funding across the continent. Analysis from Africa: The Big Deal identified at least 619 unique investors who participated in […] todayMarch 14, 2024 43
insert_link Business / Economics Financial abuse from an intimate partner? Three ways you can protect yourself By Bomikazi Zeka, University of Canberra Financial abuse occurs when one person takes control over another person’s ability to acquire, use and maintain financial resources. An example is being denied access to your own funds or being forced to deposit your salary into a joint bank account but not having access to the account. It could also take place when large withdrawals are made from joint bank accounts […] todayMarch 14, 2024 24
World The UN Security Council Is Struggling ‘Day by Day,’ Japan Says Secretary-General António Guterres, left, and Kazuyuki Yamazaki, permanent representative of Japan and president of the Security Council for March, before a recent meeting on Sudan and South Sudan. Only three months in the UN post, Yamakazi leads the Council on a range of crises this month, from the wars in Gaza and Ukraine to conflicts in parts of Africa, as Japan also highlights its own two signature debates: building peace […] todayMarch 13, 2024 15
insert_link Africa Africa’s horticultural exports surge on By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency An upsurge in demand for horticultural products across global markets, particularly in Europe, spurred a significant increase in agricultural export revenues for several African countries last year. Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), reported via his blog that South Africa's agricultural exports surged to a record US$13.2 billion in 2023, a 3% increase from […] todayMarch 12, 2024 23
insert_link Environment Technology to protect South Africa’s oceans: experts find that a data-driven monitoring system is paying off A fishing boat launching into South African waters at dawn. Justin Klusener Photos Marjolaine Krug, University of Cape Town Nine years ago South Africa put in place an innovative information management system designed to monitor and protect its seas. The country is surrounded by the Atlantic and Indian oceans on its southern, eastern and western borders. The oceans are an important source of income and employment. The ocean economy contributed […] todayMarch 12, 2024 52
insert_link Africa Locally assembled handsets begin to drive Africa’s low-end smartphone shipments By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency As Africa’s major currencies weaken against the US dollar, consumers are opting for more affordable smartphones with ‘premium features’ that are either locally assembled or made in China. According to two mobile phone tracking reports, local assembly initiatives for low-end smartphones have contributed to strong growth, particularly in Kenya. The International Data Corporation (IDC) has also listed the East African economy […] todayMarch 12, 2024 34
insert_link Africa Special Economic Zones are propelling Africa’s green hydrogen drive By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency When Egypt, a prominent player in green hydrogen development in Africa, recently announced seven new upcoming projects worth US$40 billion to be rolled out over the next decade, it noted that the projects would be positioned in one location: a special economic zone (SEZ). The new projects announced by Egypt's cabinet in February, together with ongoing developments not only in […] todayMarch 11, 2024 41
insert_link Africa Women battle when trying to take climate change cases to court – South Africa and Nigeria study shows why Pedi Obani, University of Bradford Across domestic courts in Africa, climate cases have been decided in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, with some cases pending in Uganda. However, climate litigation is still fairly new. Climate lawsuits are an important way to access justice. This is particularly true for African women because, as research has shown, climate change affects women more than men in key areas including farming, […] todayMarch 8, 2024 15