Apple Called Out for How it Classed Africa
Streaming music platform, Apple Music, recently held its 2021 awards— the third since its creation in 2019. The tech giant gave out several awards to artists across the world, including a trio of Artist of the Year recognitions— a first in the awards’ history. Artist of the Year recipients were Japan’s Official Hige, France’s Aya […]
An App that Rewards Customers for Recycling their Solid Waste
Plstka, a waste management startup active in the delta region of Egypt, has secured a round of seed funding to help it scale. Using the app, people can exchange waste for discounts and coupon vouchers in various life services, including medical services and transportation, while it also provides a new in-game experience called Plstka Profitable […]
The Coronavirus Pandemic has Derailed the Global Campaign against Malaria
Officials cite increasing deaths from the mosquito-borne disease for the first time in three years. The number of malaria cases and deaths in 2020 were at least 40% higher than the World Health Organization’s targets, according to the agency, which said its 2030 goals are now at risk. “While African countries rallied to the challenge and […]
Weather Grinds Cairo to a Standstill
Sandstorms and harsh weather are affecting parts of Egypt, bringing down visibility in Cairo where a grey cloud of dust blocked out the sky. The wind speed over the Mediterranean reached around 50-65 km/h and waves reached a height of 4 to 5 metres. The bad weather forced the closure of schools on Wednesday in […]
Mission-driven Agri-tech Companies in Africa You should Know About
About 60 per cent of the sub-Saharan population are smallholder farmers, and 23 per cent of the sub-Saharan GDP comes from just agriculture. Even with these figures, the sector’s potential has not been maximized. Productivity remains a problem for the sector; many farmers lack access to arable lands, good-quality seedlings, fertilizers, and best farming practices. […]
Providing Quality Distance Learning for All
Sim Shagaya planned to tackle Africa’s education quality gap by taking a road less traveled. Camped in a town nearly 1,000km away from Lagos, his edtech upstart uLesson meticulously produced over 3,000 colorfully-illustrated short video lessons delivered by human tutors, covering math and physical science subjects for senior high students in Nigeria. Instead of making […]
WFP Suspends Food Distribution in Ethiopia’s Kombolcha and Dessie Towns
The decision was taken after looting of supplies that staff were unable to stop due to intimidation, including being held at gunpoint, the United Nations said on Wednesday. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said a large quantity of humanitarian food supplies, including nutritional items for malnourished children, were stolen and looted in Kombolcha in the Amhara […]
Burkina Faso Faces a Political Vacuum in the Face of an Escalating Security Crisis
Prime Minister Christophe Joseph Marie Dabire on Wednesday tendered his resignation to President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, a move that triggered the resignation of the entire government, as stipulated by law. The announcement followed an ultimatum set by the opposition, which has pledged to continue street protests should there be no change in leadership. Opposition […]
Africa’s Strategy Should Look Forward Not East or West
Seventeen African countries are taking part in a two-day Democracy summit hosted by US President Joe Biden, billed as an event to discuss ways to defend against the rise of authoritarianism. Observers say it highlights the contrasting priorities of the US and China on the continent. The summit comes just over a week after the […]
Covid Cases in South Africa Surged by 255% in the Past Seven Days
According to a South African private healthcare provider, the recent rise in infections – which includes the Omicron and Delta variants – has been accompanied by a much smaller increase in admissions to intensive care beds, echoing an earlier report from the country’s National Institute for Communicable Disease (NICD). On Thursday, Marco Cavaleri, the head […]
