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The Conversation Africa
Sudan is the world’s worst modern war – what has happened and what it’ll take to rebuild
Sudan’s war has been raging since April 2023. The country was on a bumpy road to democracy after mass uprisings in 2019 ousted long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir. This all came to a halt when troops from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary force, attacked a military airstrip in the early hours of 15 April 2023.
Mpox in the DRC: children are at high risk – health expert explains why
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that children, pregnant women and people with weak immune systems are at higher risk from the mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Reports confirm that children under five account for 39% of all cases in the country, and babies as young as two weeks are being diagnosed with this viral illness.
Climate change has deep historical roots – Amitav Ghosh explores how capitalism and colonialism fit in
Amitav Ghosh is an internationally celebrated author of 20 historical fiction and non-fiction books. The Indian thinker and writer has written extensively on the legacies of colonialism, violence and extractivism. His most famous works explore migration, globalisation and commercial violence and conquest during the colonial period, against the backdrop of the opium trade in the 1800s.
Burnout and bias can lead to poor care during childbirth – we created a project in Kenya that helps health workers
An estimated 800 women die every day across the world as a result of pregnancy-related complications. Most deaths (95%) occur in low- and middle-income countries. Two-thirds are in sub-Saharan Africa. For every woman who dies, about 20 others suffer from various pregnancy related complications. Roughly three-quarters of these deaths result...
Rick Turner and Steve Biko were leading liberation thinkers in 1970s South Africa – why their ideas still matter
Steve Biko was undoubtedly the most influential South African liberation struggle theorist and activist of the 1970s. Rick Turner was arguably among the most effectual white anti-apartheid activists of the era. Biko espoused black consciousness while Turner was a Marxist philosopher. Biko (30) was murdered by apartheid police in 1977. Turner (36) was shot dead by an apartheid assassin in 1978. Their ideas continue to resonate. Political scientist and philosopher Michael Onyebuchi Eze sets out, in a chapter of a new book, Rick Turner’s Politics as the Art of the Impossible, how the two men’s philosophies mirrored and critiqued each other. The Conversation Africa asked him to explain.
Is ‘Africa’ a racial slur and should the continent be renamed?
Should African people be called black – or is the categorising of people by skin colour a racist practice? How about Africa? Is the name of the continent a racial slur because it was chosen by European exploiters and based on the weather rather than the people – and should it be renamed?
Mpox vaccines: where they come from and what stands in the way of distributing them in Africa
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization (WHO) have declared the latest outbreak of mpox in Africa a health emergency. An epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to neighbouring countries and more than 1,400 new mpox cases were detected in just one week. Vaccination is one of the key strategies to contain the disease.
Playing technology games and making science fun helps young kids solve visual problems and grasp ideas better
As I watched my sons, Wavhudi and Rivhavhudi, play games on my phone before bedtime, I was captivated by their enthusiasm and how deeply they were engaged – especially when the games involved maths or science. Both boys experienced speech delays and I hoped the games would help them develop their language skills. It worked.
Starting a business after university: young South African entrepreneurs discuss the highs and lows
South Africa’s youth unemployment rate, at 45.5% (among those aged between 15 and 34), is worryingly high, even in the context of widespread unemployment across the African continent. More than 72 million young people in Africa, most of them women, are neither employed nor pursuing tertiary education. And, while...
Africa’s ‘youthquake’: huge numbers of young people have no jobs, the wrong skills and little hope
By 2050, one in every three young people on earth will be of African origin, according to the 2024 International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Global Employment Trends for Youth report. Africa’s young people will be key players in the direction of future global consumption, culture and even stability. It’s...
Kenya champions the free movement of people in east Africa, but it’s failing immigrants and refugees at home
Kenya has played a leading role in lowering barriers to the movement of people in the east African region. It has also made huge strides in protecting Kenyan emigrants working abroad. But there are still gaps in how it creates and implements domestic immigration and employment policies. In 2023, according...
South Africa’s coal workers face an uncertain future – Mpumalanga study flags they’re being left out of the green transition
South Africa is on the path to decarbonisation – doing away with burning coal and other fossil fuels and moving towards renewable, clean energy, such as solar and wind power. However, the coal industry employs 91,000 people. If these workers lost their jobs and were not transferred to new jobs in renewable energy and other sectors, this would devastate entire communities.
Competition in South Africa’s electricity market: new law paves the way, but it won’t be a smooth ride
South Africa endured an electricity crisis from 2008 characterised by intermittent rolling blackouts and a growing culture of non-payment. The state-owned utility, Eskom, came to be regarded as the single largest risk to South Africa’s economy. At the end of March 2020 Eskom’s debt stood at R488 billion (US$27.4 billion).
Children and the internet: helping kids navigate this modern minefield
The United States’ most senior public health official, surgeon-general Vivek Murthy, believes social media platforms should come with warning labels. The United Nations’ education, science and culture agency says smartphones should be banned in schools. Chinese regulators are pushing to limit children’s smartphone use to just two hours a day.
Rwanda is creating shiny, modern cities after the genocide – but this won’t help communities heal from the past
Over the past 17 years, Rwanda has cleared informal settlements to make way for modern urban construction. Kigali’s ambitious city master plan is expected to be fully realised by 2050. But what about the people who are pushed out in the process, and their memories? Shakirah E. Hudani presents some of their stories in her new book Master Plans and Minor Acts: Repairing the City in Post-Genocide Rwanda. She answers questions about Kigali’s emergence from conflict, and what could be.
Rock painting is the oldest image of an African rail, a bird that may have had a special meaning for the San people
The African rail (Rallus caerulescens) is a handsome bird, with a blueish breast, red legs, eyes and bill, prominent barring on the flanks, chestnut upper parts, and long toes. It also has a characteristic trilling call. This wetland dweller is only found in sub-Saharan Africa, with a concentration in South Africa’s Western Cape province.
Nigeria has seen a lot of conflict over the years: resistance from minority groups is a strong driver
Conflict and tension in Nigeria are not new. Ever since independence in 1960, there have been conflicts over natural resources and political agitations. The country has also experienced a civil war, the Nigerian-Biafran war, and the 12 June 1993 presidential election was annulled – leading to a major political conflict. Peace and conflict studies expert Onyekachi Nnabuihe, in a recent paper, highlights the role of minority groups resisting different forms of domination.
Soccer betting is on the rise among young Zimbabweans – our study found it can serve a positive purpose
Betting on soccer games is a popular pastime in many African countries. A 2024 report by GeoPoll found that 76.16% of respondents from Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria had gambled or placed bets and that soccer was by far the most popular sport to bet on. Young men (aged 16 to 34) make up the bulk of soccer bettors in those countries.
Giant batteries to store wind and solar power can speed up South Africa’s energy transition – how that can happen
South Africa is at a pivotal moment in its energy transition: trying to decarbonise its economy (move away from coal) and make sure that everyone has access to reliable and affordable energy. Storage of renewable energy is very important for this transition. Solar and wind power are not available all the time. To keep the national grid stable, renewable energy must be stored somewhere and supplied reliably.
South Africa’s new pension rules: Australia, Chile and Singapore show how personal savings can grow the economy
Up until now South Africans have been allowed to withdraw their entire pension or provident fund when leaving a job. This has left many with no savings at all when they get to retirement age. But a new system, due to come into effect on 1 September 2024, will introduce...
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