East Africa posts the sharpest decline in maternal deaths in Africa as fatalities dropped 40% on the continent between 2000 and 2023, thanks to skilled delivery care and improved reproductive health — even as some major economies on the continent struggle with gaps in reproductive healthcare. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD …
Read More »African women are living longer and healthier lives – here is why
African women are forging a healthier future, blending innovation, agency, and tradition to reshape healthcare and reclaim their well-being. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | When Seliyian Lokerra, 28, went into sudden labour late in her third pregnancy last year, she braced for the worst. In her rural Kenyan …
Read More »Trump’s jibe at Lesotho sparks travel interest in the southern Africa state
US President Donald Trump’s recent quip about Lesotho as a nation “nobody has ever heard of” has inadvertently catapulted the small African kingdom into the global limelight. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | An offhand remark by US President Donald Trump about Lesotho has unwittingly ignited a surge of curiosity …
Read More »More women taking charge of Africa’s apex courts
By promoting equitable and representative legal systems, gender-balanced judiciaries are not only improving women’s lives, they are also playing a role in ensuring fair trade practices, boosting investor confidence, and empowering women entrepreneurs. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Female-led apex courts are now driving reforms that analysts say could …
Read More »A woman is likely to be your boss in Burkina Faso and Nigeria than almost anywhere else
Four African nations are leading the global surge in gender-inclusive corporate hiring, with Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Botswana, and Zambia ranking among the top countries where women are most likely to be bosses. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | As global economies grapple with gender gaps in leadership, four African nations …
Read More »Tyme caps off a tough year for African startups with a unicorn crown
Tyme’s unicorn status throws down the gauntlet for African startups in 2025 SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Tyme’s US$1.5 billion valuation after a US$150 million investment in the digital bank by Nubank has pushed it into the elite unicorn club and helped lift the gloom that had descended on …
Read More »Africa airlines set to double fleet size on travel demand, says Boeing
Stronger air travel demand in Africa will drive a massive surge in aircraft orders, with Boeing forecasting that 82% of new purchases will be for expansion, not replacement. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Africa’s aviation industry is set for takeoff, with rising demand for travel on the continent pushing …
Read More »Kenyan-built fintech breaks traditional banks’ stronghold in Eswatini
A Nairobi-designed digital wallet service is nipping at the heels of Eswatini’s mainstream banks and telcos, proving that African expansion can be a gainful strategy for Fintech startups. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Instacash, a mobile money platform, has begun to break the decades-long hold of traditional banks …
Read More »Africa muscles in on the semiconductor value chain
Prospects for high-tech manufacturing beckon for Africa as the United States moves to secure critical supply chains and cultivate a robust new frontier in the global semiconductor market. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Africa could finally insert itself into the chip-making value chain as the U.S. taps Kenya for …
Read More »South African scientists fight back against poachers with radioactive chips
Researchers in Johannesburg turn rhino horns radioactive in a groundbreaking bid to thwart poachers and dismantle illegal wildlife trade networks. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Scientists at South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand are implanting radioactive chips into rhino horns in what promises to disrupt the poaching trade. Embedding …
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