African News
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced plans to review FIFA’s proposal to open the commercial operations of the FIFA World Cup and other major tournaments to private investment. In a statement issued on Wednesday, CAF said its president, Patrice Motsepe, will meet with the Confederation’s Executive Committee next week to examine the proposal…
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — “What is the plan before we get back to a stage where we are burying people?” When Belinda Tewela, a South African healthcare worker, took the microphone at the International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, she did not speak about billion-dollar funding gaps or international policy. She spoke about…
A scheme tested in Uzbekistan could let African cotton farmers earn twice over, once for the fibre and once for the carbon stored in the soil beneath their fields. Cotton has always paid farmers for what they harvest. Its next payout may come from what stays in the soil, as carbon held on African farms…
South Africa foiled Ghana’s bid at the AU to put xenophobic attacks in South Africa on the October mid-year agenda, pushing instead for a continent-wide migration summit. South Africa has thwarted a bid by Ghana to place xenophobic violence in the country on the agenda for the African Union’s Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in October. Ghana…
Africa can significantly increase its share of the estimated $85 billion global seed market by investing in agricultural research, strengthening seed systems, embracing innovation and creating a predictable business environment that attracts private investment, experts have said. Despite its vast agricultural resources, rich biodiversity and growing pool of scientists, Africa accounts for only about 2.2…
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — The greatest barrier to ending AIDS among transgender people in Africa is not a lack of medicine, but laws, stigma and exclusion. Across sub-Saharan Africa, laws that criminalise homosexuality continue to collide with public health goals, leaving gay and bisexual men, and transgender people more broadly, dangerously underserved in the…
As the onslaught against the International Criminal Court continues, champions of justice must back global accountability through action. On 17 July 1998 in Rome, the world made its support for international justice clear by adopting the statute establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC). Since 2010, 17 July has been commemorated as International Justice Day. The…
Africa’s private capital market posted a mixed first half in 2026. Deal volume fell 16% year on year to 211 transactions, the first H1 drop since 2023. Investment value rose 65% to $3.7 billion, the second highest first-half total in five years. The gap between average deal size, $32 million, and median deal size, $5…
Many cross-border transactions still rely on the US dollar as an intermediary currency. At the same time, African currencies are often difficult to exchange directly, and few mechanisms exist for countries to settle payments with one another in local currencies. Cross-border payments in Africa remain among the most expensive in the world, despite the rapid…
The Promise is a public statement of solidarity, bringing together prominent figures from across society to reaffirm support for refugees and the right to seek safety. Launched on 28 July, as the Refugee Convention marks its 75th anniversary, it aims to build a diverse coalition for refugee protection through to the Global Refugee Forum in…
