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…
Globally, agriculture faces mounting pressures. These are driven by climate change, land degradation, labour shortages, supply chain disruptions and the demand for food from a growing population. At the same time, productivity is uneven. For example, maize yields in the US often exceed 10 tons per hectare. These high yields are driven by mechanisation, improved…
Malabo — “It is always a joy to see places around the world where the Church is growing,” said Pope Leo XIV at a press conference on the flight from Luanda to Malabo in Equatorial Guinea, the last country on his first trip to Africa as Pope, where he was greeted with exuberant joy by…
LONDON — Ye has offered to meet members of the Jewish community in Britain, as he responded for the first time Tuesday to growing backlash over his status as headliner of a London music festival. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. The rapper, formerly known as…
As governments across the Global South move from pilot projects to real-world deployment of artificial intelligence, experience is becoming more valuable than ambition. For Nakul Jain, Managing Director and CEO of Wadhwani AI Global, India’s long engagement with AI in public systems offers practical lessons for countries such as Rwanda. Speaking to The New Times,…
Colonialism has been a central part of history around the world, differing only in form over time and space. After all, whenever people have moved from one place to another, they have colonised spaces and other people or forms of life. In Africa, colonialism has mostly been studied as something imposed from outside, for example…
Africa faces a major rural road access challenge, with nearly 60 per cent of its population unable to reach all-weather roads, a gap that continues to limit economic opportunities and access to essential services. Experts say Rwanda’s experience in expanding rural connectivity offers practical lessons that could help narrow the continent’s rural road deficit. This…
Genebanks and global cooperation deliver versatile, climate-resilient solutions for farmers Lima, Peru (06 November 2025) – The same disease that caused the Irish Potato Famine nearly two centuries ago still devastates potato crops worldwide, inflicting up to USD 10 billion in annual losses. Now, climate change is driving the disease higher into the Andes and…
Kampala — Ramathan Ggoobi, Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, has outlined key Ugandan investment pillars and explained why Uganda offers one of the highest returns on investment on the continent. “Our economy is among the fastest-growing in Africa, with stable inflation, a resilient currency, and a young, skilled population. Uganda offers one of…
Lush, green and brimming with trees and wildlife, forests are the Earth’s lungs and source of livelihoods for many communities. Nearly 500 million hectares (ha) – equivalent to around 750 million football pitches – have been lost since 1990. Deforestation has slowed down in every region of the world in the past decade however, according…
