Devil worship, muti and murder: what’s behind the growth of occult gangs in South Africa?: Gang-related crime in South Africa is widespread, but is under-reported outside hotspots such as the Cape Flats in Cape Town or Westbury in Johannesburg. In these areas gangs are deeply rooted and contribute to ongoing violence, drug trafficking and territorial …
Somalia at 65: what’s needed to address its dismal social development indicators: Somalia ranks among the lowest scoring countries in the United Nations Human Development Index. The index of 195 countries is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, years of schooling, and access to …
US funding cuts have crippled our HIV work – what’s being lost: The loss of research capability means losing an understanding of how to prevent or treat HIV. Photo by sergey mikheev on Unsplash The Trump administration’s cuts to funding for scientific research have left many scientists reeling and very worried. At the National Institutes …
Humanitarian aid depends on good data: what’s wrong with the way it’s collected: The defunding of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), along with reductions in aid from the UK and elsewhere, raises questions about the continued collection of data that helps inform humanitarian efforts. Humanitarian response plans rely on accurate, accessible and up-to-date …
Uganda’s electricity distribution is changing hands – what’s at stake: Uganda’s electricity sector is at a turning point, as Umeme Limited’s 20-year concession draws to a close. Umeme was the first private distribution operator in anglophone Africa. For nearly two decades, the listed company was the dominant distributor of electricity to the country’s 2.3 million …
Violence in South Sudan is rising again: what’s different this time, and how to avoid civil war: A rise in political tensions in South Sudan and an escalation of violence in the Upper Nile State have raised fears of a return to civil war in the world’s youngest nation. In early March 2025, neighbouring Uganda …
Middle Eastern monarchies in Sudan’s war: what’s driving their interests: The civil war in Sudan that began in April 2023 involves several external actors. The conflict pits the Sudanese Armed Forces against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in a quest for political and economic power. The situation has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian …
Has finance for green industry had an impact in Africa? What’s happened in 41 countries over 20 years: The African continent finds itself in a predicament. Advanced economies in the rest of the world developed through industrialisation: their economies transformed from mainly agricultural to industrial. This involved burning fossil fuels like coal, generating greenhouse gas …
South African troops are dying in the DRC: why they’re there and what’s going wrong: The death of South African soldiers on a Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has sparked fierce debate about the deployment of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers there. Some, including political …
Somaliland elections: what’s at stake for independence, stability and shifting power dynamics in the Horn of Africa: Somaliland is due to hold a presidential election on 13 November 2024. The results of the election will be important for two main reasons. First, what the leadership outcome will mean for Somaliland’s democratic credentials. Second, it will …
Violence at the Kenya-Ethiopia border: what’s driving insecurity in the region: Communal conflict is endemic in the vast arid region on both sides of the Kenya-Ethiopia border. Fresh alarm has been sparked in both countries following a kidnapping and armed attacks on police and civilians in Kenya’s Marsabit county, in the extreme north of the …
Fela Kuti is more famous today than ever – what’s behind his global power: Almost three decades after his passing in 1997, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the legendary Nigerian musician and activist who created the Afrobeat music movement, remains the subject of global obsession. The self-proclaimed “Black President” is everywhere, like an omnipresent deity. His presence is …
African countries could unlock billions in local and global trade – what’s working and what’s not: Africa’s share of global trade remains disproportionately small, hovering around 2%-3%. Countries on the continent trade more with the rest of the world than they do among themselves. Africa needs to improve its share of trade to boost growth …
What’s the job of a company chair? South Africa’s rules aren’t clear and need fixing: Historically, the chair of the board of directors filled a procedural and ceremonial role. This was a low bar focusing on the chair’s role in meetings. But in recent years their role in companies has evolved to become much more …
Rural schools in South Africa can produce good exam results too: study shows what’s behind one success story: A child walking to school in the rural village of Qunu in South Africa. Jennifer Bruce/AFP via Getty Images Each weekday, hundreds of thousands of children and teenagers in South Africa’s rural areas (which make up just …
DRC-Rwanda crisis: what’s needed to prevent a regional war: In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South African, Burundian and Tanzanian troops are fighting against the Rwandan army, which has deployed in support of the rebellion by the March 23 Movement, or M23. Soldiers from South Africa and Burundi, as well as from …
Matric results: South Africa’s record school pass rates aren’t what they seem – what’s really happening in the education system: South Africa's minister of basic education, Angie Motshekga. Luba Lesolle/Gallo Images via Getty Images South Africa’s matric (grade 12) class of 2023, which wrote final school-leaving exams late last year, has been hailed by the …
What’s the truth behind the ‘shoplifting epidemic’? Six key questions answered: Is it really true that shoplifting is out of control? Shutterstock/Lightspring According to media reports, in 2023 the UK experienced an unprecedented wave of shoplifting. The theory goes that the cost of living crisis and poor police responses are driving a crime wave. Is …