The Bedrock of Afrobeats
Ebo Taylor became one of Ghana’s major prolific musicians in the 1950s and ’60s, making his signature Ghanaian highlife that influenced the father of afrobeat, Fela Kuti. As highlife and afrobeat music has entered the global stage, Taylor’s work has been sampled by international R&B artist Usher on his 2010 track “She Don’t Know,” featuring […]
Harare’s New Cash Crop
Zimbabwe sees export earnings from cannabis outstripping those of tobacco by almost three times after last year legalising the cultivation of the plant for medicinal use. The government has issued 44 licenses since September when it announced rules for growing cannabis, and sales are forecast to reach $1.25 billion in 2021. Tobacco is the southern […]
Case of an Italian Student Killed in Cairo Draws Blanks
Egypt’s public prosecutor has said the killer of the Italian student Giulio Regeni remains unknown as prosecutors in Italy prepare to close the case and move towards bringing at least five Egyptian security officials to trial in Rome. Egyptian prosecutors said on Monday they would temporarily close their investigation into the murder of Regeni, whose […]
What Africa Stands to Gain from the Internet Economy
e-Conomy Africa 2020, a new report released on November 11, 2020, by Google and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), estimates that Africa’s Internet economy has the potential to reach 5.2 percent of the continent’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2025, contributing nearly $180 billion to its economy. This will depend greatly on the usage level […]
Balancing Culture and the Law in Africa
African customary law is controversial. This is due to the dissonance between the past and present. The social settings in which Africans interact have changed over time. These changes have been characterised by a tense relationship between indigenous customs and statutory laws with colonial origins. Indigenous customs have communal, welfarist features, while statutory laws have […]
Algerian Migrant Couple Reunited with their Rings
The owners of the two rings, which were found in a backpack in the Mediterranean, survived the capsizing of their vessel as they crossed from Libya to Europe. The red backpack had been floating for two weeks in the central Mediterranean between Libya and Italy when a rescue boat came across it. Inside, along with […]
Ivorian and Ghanaian Cocoa Farmers Will have to Wait a Little Longer for Promised Bonuses
The long standing battle between cocoa producers in both Ghana, Ivory Coast and the U.S.-based Hershey is taking another drastic twist following the cancelation of all sustainability schemes. This is after two American chocolate makers reneged on a pledge to pay premiums of $400 per ton of Cocoa. In a letter written by both the […]
Popular Ugandan Opposition Halts Street Campaigning
Ugandan presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, has suspended his campaigns, following the injuring of members of his campaign team and damage to his car. The opposition candidate says bullets were fired at his car, puncturing the tyres and rendering it immobile. Videos shared by his campaign team on social media showed a […]
The Nation with the World’s Heaviest Burden of HIV Continues to Innovate
Thabani Raymond Kalala, or “coach,” as he prefers to be called, was diagnosed with HIV six years ago. He lives in a small town in rural South Africa, but this year, as societies across the globe went into viral lockdowns, his world expanded. The 33-year-old community development worker was part of a pilot project called […]
Wet Paint: A Social Experiment In Social Distancing
How do you get people to happily follow social distancing guidelines, without them even knowing it? Two top South African artists, Baba Tjeko, and Lauren Colin Mitchell (aka Curious Lauren), have partnered with Stella Artois to create an art installation that’s as mischievous as it is masterful. Titled “Wet Paint”, the artists’ ambition is to […]
