The 1961 Indemnity Act was passed by the apartheid government in the wake of the massacre and protected the police and government from having criminal charges or even civil claims brought against them in relation to what happened at Sharpeville. Despite more than 30 years of democratic rule, that law remains on the statute books….
In his latest book, Institute for Security Studies founder Jakkie Cilliers challenges assumptions on whether democracy and the demographic dividend will lead to development in Africa. Jakkie Cilliers is not afraid to court controversy. In his latest book, Africa’s Road to Prosperity: 10 Things to Know, just published, Cilliers, founder of the Institute for Security…
Kigali — As climate disasters frequent across the African continent, governments have been promoting climate-smart innovations, including the development of drought-resistant crops. Drought-resistant and nutritious staples such as millet and sorghum and drought-tolerant maize varieties are some crops helping farmers survive dry seasons. But there has been a decline in the adoption of these drought-tolerant…
In July 2003, African leaders gathered in Maputo and made an important collective commitment. Agriculture would no longer be treated as a neglected sector of African development. Under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, commonly known as CAADP, governments pledged to allocate at least 10 per cent of national budgetary resources to agriculture and rural…
Across Africa, assisted reproductive technology (ART) is expanding at an unprecedented pace. Fertility clinics are opening in countries where, until recently, couples had little choice but to travel abroad, often to Europe, India, or within the continent South Africa–to access in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and related treatments. The costs of travel alone made this a…
Cocoa prices are rising as disease, weak pod development and the return of El Niño threaten the next harvest in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, which together account for more than half of global supply. New York cocoa reached an 11-month high as traders focused on risks to the 2026/27 crop. Ghana’s Cocoa Board estimates production…
Tanzania — AFRICA’S next financial inclusion challenge is not access to banking; it is access to expertise. Over the past two decades, the continent has rapidly expanded access to financial services. Millions more individuals now operate bank accounts, execute digital transactions, and participate in formal banking channels than ever before. Yet financial access alone has…
The summit arrives against a paradox that has long defined African agriculture: a continent rich in arable land, labour and appetite, yet still dependent on imports to feed itself Africa’s drive to transform from a net food importer into a global agricultural powerhouse takes center stage this September as Agriculture Summit Africa (ASA) returns for…
Dar es Salaam — When the rains fail across Tanzania’s northern Maasai Steppe, herders drive their cattle farther in search of pasture and water. Boreholes run low. Cattle lose weight, milk yields fall and families begin selling cows, often their main source of livelihood. If the dry spell persists, herds can die, leaving families facing…
The focus on agricultural development at the Southern African Development Community‘s 46th summit in August 2026 reflected a clear understanding that the sector can still play a key role in the region’s economic development. Agriculture accounts for around 10% of the GDP of many of the regional community’s members. The conversations about agriculture focused on…
