As I step into 2026, my task is to continue building the layers that will create a future where African states can turn their climate commitments into real achievements, and I look forward to that with excitement. When I reflect on the year, I do not see isolated trips or separate assignments, but a long…
“It was a nice and hot day, there was this breeze. But for me, it was a cold front. That’s how bad it was. And already I was now experiencing AIDS symptoms,” Nombuyiselo Mapongwana (58) recalls from the living room of her Soweto home. In 2002, five years after she was diagnosed with HIV Nombuyiselo…
DOHA, Qatar – During the Second World Summit for Social Development, Spotlight Initiative hosted a Solutions Studio conversation to highlight strategies for addressing gender-based violence and to share best practices for driving collaboration on protecting the rights of women and girls. Spotlight Initiative Global Coordinator Erin Kenny introduced the session, which explored how to bring…
Debating Ideas reflects the values and editorial ethos of the African Arguments book series, publishing engaged, often radical, scholarship, original and activist writing from within the African continent and beyond. It offers debates and engagements, contexts and controversies, and reviews and responses flowing from the African Arguments books. It is edited and managed by the…
As Malawi prepares for national elections this September, women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health has taken center stage in political dialogue. In a two-day engagement organized by Amref Health Africa in Malawi under the Collaborative Advocacy Action Plan (CAAP), more than 20 civil society organizations met with the country’s four major political parties—MCP, UTM, UDF, and…
When the final whistle blew in Nairobi, the noise was deafening — not just from the crowd at the Moi International Sports Centre, but from the disbelief echoing across African football. Kenya, making their debut at the African Nations Championship (CHAN), had just taken down two-time champions Morocco 1-0, playing half the match a man…
IT security breaches are on the rise in South Africa and worldwide and, with AI tools at their disposal, criminals are scaling up their attacks. With the risk of attack so high, organisations are forced to look beyond beefing up security – they must prepare for the unfortunate event where their systems are, in fact,…
Imagine living in a place where a single drought, hurricane, or mudslide can wipe out your food supply. Across Africa, many communities do exactly that – navigate climate shocks like floods, heatwaves, and failed harvests. What’s often overlooked in the development policies to tackle these threats is a powerful sources of insight: Africa’s own history….
“Networking is more than meeting people – it’s about showing up, standing out, and seizing the moment.” These words set the tone for the Women Creating Wealth session held on 25 April 2025, themed Mastering Self-Advocacy and Closing a Sale. The session unpacked how confidence, preparation, and community can turn potential into prosperity. What unfolded…
As the G20 Technical Meetings continue in South Africa, a powerful voice is emerging from within the country’s leadership, calling for bolder and more targeted investments in women, youth, and persons with disabilities. Advocate Joyce Mikateko Maluleke, the Chairperson of the G20 Empowerment Women Working Group (EWWG) and Director-General of the Department of Women, Youth…
