As progress on malaria stalls, the case for local research in Africa is stronger than ever, write Edwine Barasa of KEMRI-Wellcome Research Programme and David Mukanga at the Gates Foundation. [SciDev.Net] As we mark World Malaria Day (25 April), Africa finds itself at an uncomfortable crossroads. After two decades of measurable progress in public health,…
Africa’s medical education leaders have declared a decisive shift from “training for certification to training for competence”, as the continent confronts a projected shortfall of 6.1 million health workers by 2030. The declaration came at the 2026 Medical Education Conference of the Association of Medical Schools in Africa (AMASA), held recently in Lagos, in partnership…
NIGERIA’S healthcare sector is undergoing rapid transformation, with forecasts predicting a 7.1 per cent expansion and an anticipated market value of $161.7 million by 2027. This growth is fuelled by a $1.2 billion Federal Ministry investment in infrastructure and workforce, major oncology and diagnostic expansions by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, and increased imports under…
The West African Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) has warned that lack of cable resilience is putting the region’s $150billion digital economy at serious risk. WATRA’s Executive Secretary, Aliyu Aboki, who disclosed this in a report made available to our reporter on Monday, added that the West African cable network “rests on a fragile foundation.” “In…
Under the auspices of H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, the AU Permanent Mission to China, led by H.E. Amb. Alhaji Sarjoh Bah, AU Permanent Representative to the People’s Republic of China, is convening the Annual Retreat of the Group of African Ambassadors in China on the theme “Leveraging China’s…
A stark warning from the World Bank has laid bare a growing crisis across Africa: economies are simply not expanding fast enough to create jobs for millions of young people entering the workforce each year. Speaking at the Spring Meetings held alongside the International Monetary Fund, World Bank Vice President Ndiamé Diop said the continent…
Sentech returns as the headline (Platinum) sponsor of Africa Tech Week 2026, taking place from 12–13 May 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC 2). The sponsorship reinforces Sentech’s role as a key enabler of Africa’s digital infrastructure, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration. Aligned to the theme “Propelling Africa’s Digital Future,” the event marks…
A new interactive report by residential solar energy specialist Wetility shows clear disparities in the reliable supply of electricity across South Africa’s municipalities, with outages lasting about two hours in some areas and more than 18 hours in others. The data demonstrates that South Africa’s energy infrastructure has issues at multiple levels, meaning solving the…
For millions of South Africans, access to healthcare does not begin in a clinic or hospital. It begins online. The internet has quietly become one of the most powerful tools for narrowing the gap between those who can easily access healthcare and health-related information and those who cannot. From researching symptoms and exploring treatment options…
The author, Stafford Masie Dear minister Malatsi, I write not as a representative of any company or institution but in my personal capacity as someone who has spent the last decade writing cheques into South Africa’s AI economy – and living with the consequences. Over this period, I have mentored many AI-focused entrepreneurs and angel-invested…
