The Intersection of African Product Needs and Capacity Gaps
Mozilla, the non-profit behind the Firefox browser, has partnered pan-African tech hub community AfriLabs to convene a series of roundabout discussions aimed at identifying new product ideas for Africa. The partnership between Mozilla and AfriLabs, which has a network of over 255 technology innovation hubs spread across 47 countries, will convene African startups, entrepreneurs, developers […]
The Sultan Who Never Ruled Zanzibar Goes Back
After more than half a century of living in Southsea, Portsmouth, with its unpredictable British weather, shingle beaches and Victorian pier, relocation to the Gulf state of Oman might take some adjustment. But for Jamshid bin Abdullah al-Said the 91-year-old last sultan of Zanzibar, it was the next best thing to going home. The man […]
Police Visibility Foils DRC Kidnappings
Night police roadblocks have reappeared in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo DRC, to track down taxis accused of kidnapping, assaulting and ransoming helpless passengers. Their “Road-block” operation allows ordinary vehicles to pass and only stops taxis, recognizable by their yellow color, ordered to park on the side and open their […]
Maseru is Well Positioned to Turn Opportunity into Real Jobs
Lesotho stands to benefit from the shift in the world’s thinking, not least because of its manufacturing capability as a result of the US African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), which allows duty-free imports from Africa into the US and has helped create a small but thriving textile and apparel industry. This provides more than […]
Justice for Civilians Murdered by Cameroon Soldiers
Four Cameroonian soldiers were sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison for the execution-style killings of two women and their children, one of them a baby, in a region where the army is fighting jihadists. A fifth soldier received a two-year sentence. A video broadcast on social media in July 2018 showed soldiers shooting two […]
Disney Joins Forces with a Nigerian Production and Distribution Company
The partnership will market some of the American entertainment conglomerate’s new releases such as “Mulan” in English-speaking West Africa.The deal makes FilmOne Entertainment the sole distributors of Disney-owned films in Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia.”It is a major career highlight, that we’re able to get the world’s biggest movie studio as a partner,” Moses Babatope, a […]
Getting Women Up the Academic Ladder
In many African countries there are gender gaps when it comes to women enrolling in, and completing, their PhD studies. This subsequently affects their recruitment into university teaching and research positions. Women make up just just 30% of the Africa’s researchers. There are various reasons for this. For instance, a study covering several African countries […]
Bamako Prepares to Swear in New President
The junta that overthrew Mali’s president last month said Monday that former defense minister and retired Col. Maj. Bah N’Daw will be the president during the transition period. Bah N’Daw was appointed by a 30-person panel set up by the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), the junta that has ruled Mali […]
Top Ugandan Institution Up in Flames
A fire has gutted an iconic building at Uganda’s Makerere University, which is a prominent landmark in the capital. Known as the “Ivory Tower”, an overnight blaze has left its distinctive white walls with blue-shuttered windows blackened. Police in Kampala have started an investigation into the cause of the fire at one of Africa’s oldest […]
The Mystery of Mass Elephant Deaths in Southern Africa Solved
Officials in Botswana say the deaths of hundreds of elephants in recent months which baffled and alarmed conservationists in the country were caused by toxins produced by cyanobacteria in water. The government in the landlocked Southern African country, home to a third of the continent’s declining elephant population, said in July it had launched an […]
