AFRICA

From Johannesburg to Kampala, Africa’s digital ambitions are now inseparable from the strength of its power grids Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Africa’s digital economy is beginning to recast the continent’s electricity landscape, with data centres emerging alongside households, factories and mines as a significant new source of power demand. …

Access to European markets increasingly depends on surrendering precise farm data under EUDR rules   Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | In the lush highlands of eastern and western Uganda, coffee farmers have long relied on fertile soils, predictable rains, and generations of agricultural knowledge to sustain their livelihoods. Today, however, …

NAIROBI | Xinhua |  Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi on Friday launched the REDMI Note 15 Series, comprising three smartphone models, in the Kenyan market. The launch event, held in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, attracted senior executives from the telecommunications sector. Matt Huang, country manager of Xiaomi International, said the …

  As demand for organic chicken rises in Morocco, researchers in the country are launching a study to examine the potential use of cannabis as a healthier alternative to antibiotics in poultry farming. Earlier studies have suggested that cannabis by-products could reduce mortality, improve the meat quality and gut health …

GOMA, DRC | Xinhua | One year after Goma, a regional urban hub in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), fell to the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group, the conflict continues to shape daily life in the region. In the early hours of Jan. 27, 2025, M23 …

This form of social control is a growing trend in the continent according to a new open access source book. One of the authors explains why they are happening COMMENT | TONY ROBERTS | How do you define an internet shutdown, and why do they happen?  Put simply, an internet shutdown is …

Africa’s mobile phone market is experiencing a surge as consumers in the continent’s biggest cities increasingly opting for higher-spec devices previously considered out of reach. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Africa is witnessing a mobile phone upgrade cycle moment. The obvious trend has been that of feature phones losing …

IShowSpeed’s livestreamed Africa tour adds to the work that African digital influencers have been doing in recent years to capture the continent beyond clichéd images of poverty and conflict. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY |  Under the bronze gaze of the African Renaissance Monument in Dakar, the American content creator …

The UN expects East Africa to lead Africa’s growth in 2026, powered by Ethiopia’s reform push and Kenya’s diversified economy. Big infrastructure bets are lifting the outlook, but high debt costs and tight global finance remain key constraints.   SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | East Africa is expected to …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda has jumped into the 3rd position in the Absa Africa Financial Markets Index (AFMI), a leap from the 4th position in 2024. The index evaluates 28 countries, looking at factors such as market depth, access to foreign exchange, and macroeconomic stability. According to …