The central bank does not see cash being removed from the economy. (Graphic made with GenAI) The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has shifted from viewing South Africa’s reliance on cash as an obstacle to building a modern, digitally-enabled economy, to treating cash as critical public infrastructure that must be actively protected and modernised. The…
South Africa faces a housing backlog of at least 2.6 million units, for more than 12 million people. The state supply of new, subsidised housing has declined over the past decade and the government’s housing policy is shifting. It sees the private sector as becoming the main provider of “affordable housing”. The market, according to…
Emphasizing a collaborative approach and adherence to the principles of prudent and reasonable use of transboundary resources, Water and Energy Minister’s Special Advisor, Motuma Mekassa, said Ethiopia will continue to advocate for Africa to lead a collaborative and win-win approach in water development. Speaking at the Conference themed “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation…
Disaster risk reduction experts have emphasised that interagency collaboration and coordination are critical to advancing an all-of-society approach to disaster resilience. The experts convened at the 24th session of the Africa Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction (AWGDRR), held in Bujumbura from 25 to 26 March 2026. The event was hosted by the Government of…
As African cities experience some of the fastest urban growth rates in the world, China has become a major bilateral financier for urban infrastructure. From Nairobi’s elevated expressways to Lagos’s airport upgrades and Addis Ababa’s new riverside developments, Chinese-backed projects are transforming skylines and daily life across the continent. I study China’s economic engagements in…
Lucas Ledwaba, CEO, Phakamo Tech. Leadership at cyber risk advisory and solutions provider Phakamo Tech believes building cyber resilience requires collaboration between all stakeholders in Africa’s cyber security ecosystem, including industry, government and technology partners. The company works with public and private sector organisations to design and implement secure, compliant and scalable digital environments. Its value…
Vienna — As the global community gathers for the 69th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna, Kenya has issued a rallying cry for African nations to place human dignity at the heart of continental efforts to combat drug abuse. Speaking at a high-level side event organized by the African Union, Ms….
A data product is an active, value-generating asset. Would you feel comfortable driving a car that did not go through proper product-related quality checks, safety features and usability? For years, organisations have invested heavily in collecting and storing data. Yet many still struggle to translate that data into meaningful, actionable insight. An effective transition from…
Donald Trump’s national security strategy mentions Africa in passing as a source of critical minerals and a counter to China’s dominance. In November 2025, the United States (US) released its new National Security Strategy describing how the country intends to protect its ‘core national interests.’ These interests not only include ensuring the US ‘remains the…
COP30 will be remembered less for what it achieved and more for what it avoided. The summit closed without a single new commitment to phase out fossil fuels, the very issue driving global heating. The BBC called it “one of the most divisive COPs in three decades,” and rightly so. Yet beneath the diplomatic failures…
