Tanzanian Fintech Startup Offers Free Financial Advice through App
Mipango has launched an artificial intelligence (AI)-based app that provides users with free financial advice on iOS and Android devices. Mipango is a personal finance mobile application that enables users to manage their income, expenses, savings, financial targets and budgets, and access relevant investment opportunities. The app, which uses AI to guide users to better […]
Dakar Shakes Off its Colonial Past
Goree, an island in Senegal linked closely with slave trade, has decided to rename one of its main squares in response to the ongoing racism in the world. The municipal council unanimously agreed to rename the Europe Square, Liberty and Human Dignity Square. According to a statement from authorities, the move is in solidarity with […]
Rating Africa’s Economies during Pandemic
Government debt burdens across sub-Saharan Africa are rising at a faster pace and to higher levels than elsewhere in emerging markets, heightening the risk of further rating downgrades and defaults, ratings agency Fitch warned on Tuesday. Africa’s main oil exporters – Angola, the Republic of Congo, Gabon and Nigeria – have been hit particularly hard […]
The UN gets Involved in the Nile Dam Saga
Egypt has told the United Nations it faces an existential threat, from a hydroelectric dam that Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile River. Ethiopia is expected to start filling the Grand Renaissance Dam with water next month. But at a virtual meeting of the Security Council, Egypt warned of conflict if the UN does […]
Africa’s ‘Leaders for Life’
Brittany Brown and Nathalie Bussemaker contributed to this report. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to many of the world’s longest-ruling heads of state, but civil society and regional blocs may be slowing the trend of extending presidential terms in some areas. Backgrounder by Claire Felter Sub-Saharan Africa is home to many of the world’s longest-ruling heads of state. Some postcolonial […]
Sudan’s Million Man March
Sudanese protesters returned to the streets on Tuesday to pressure transitional authorities, demanding justice for those killed in the uprising last year that led to the military’s ouster of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir. As the rallies got underway, police used tear gas to disperse protesters marching on a road leading to the airport in the […]
How to Make Motorcycles COVID-19 Safe
As part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, a Ugandan innovator has come up with a plastic shield for motorcycles to protect both driver and passenger. The shield is seen as not just reducing body contact, which could spread the virus, but also adding security for motorcycle taxi drivers. Uganda has hundreds of thousands […]
Crowdfunding Sets Rwandan Genocide Survivor Up for Cambridge
The 23-year-old son of two Rwandan genocide refugees is close to realising his dream of studying law at Cambridge University after raising more than £50,000 through crowdfunding. Dylan Kawende was inspired to become a barrister by the botched investigation of the Stephen Lawrence murder, and set his heart on Cambridge because his father previously had […]
Partial and Full Lockdowns Halt Africa’s Free Trade Launch
A historic deal to smash down tariff barriers within Africa is being slowed down by the coronavirus pandemic and a thicket of negotiating problems. The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) was formally launched just over a year ago in a blaze of optimism. The accord — styled as the biggest free-trade accord in the […]
Assassination of Popular Musician Sparks Protests across Ethiopia
Demonstrations have broken out in Ethiopia following the shooting dead of musician Hachalu Hundessa, well known for his political songs. Two people have died during protests in one town, a doctor told the BBC. Hachalu’s songs often focused on the rights of the country’s Oromo ethnic group and became anthems in a wave of protests […]
