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take to the skies

Coronavirus: Which African airlines are taking off and when?

While the reopening of air borders is looming, many uncertainties remain about when air traffic will return to normal to and from Africa. Jeune ... Afrique and The Africa Report takes a look at the situation.

power up

Energy can power Africa’s recovery from pandemic and recession

Too often in human history, access to reliable and affordable energy has been a privilege for the few when it should be a basic right for all. ... This has been especially true in Africa where – despite remarkable progress in recent years – hundreds of millions of people still have no electricity.

cash drip

Buhari’s COVID-19 economic plan: old wine in new wineskins

COVID-19 is increasingly wreaking havoc on the health of Nigerians, but its economic impact may well be more devastating. Before the pandemic, ... the Nigerian economy was growing at an anaemic rate of 2%. The country has also been suffering from high poverty and unemployment rates. This is paradoxical for a country endowed with humongous natural resources.

ON EDGE            

South Africa: Mboweni budget raises more questions than answers

Finance minister Tito Mboweni has conceded that a fiscal reckoning looms for South Africa, where public finances are “dangerously ... overstretched”.

streaming recovery

Coronavirus: Now is the time to invest in Africa’s creative industries

Despite the effects of COVID-19, Africa’s young creative industries remain ripe for investment opportunities. African music, film, and fashion ... continue to gain global popularity, with companies like Netflix and Universal Music Group expanding their presence on the continent.

mighty friends

Nigeria’s VP Osinbajo: Does he have friends in the political elite?

Professor Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo, fondly referred to as Pastor-Prof in prominent Yoruba circles, is the current Vice President of Nigeria, ... serving his second term. A pastor, professor, and lawyer, he is not a typical cunning and seasoned politician. So how has he managed to rise to such prominence? Who are his supporters, and who are those that are against him?

ghost town days

Anglophone Cameroon: Buea near normal, while Bamenda a ghost town

The capital of the South West region of Cameroon is gradually losing the ghost town feel it has taken on every Monday for almost four years now, ... an indication of a decline in the intensity of violence in the region, in stark contrast with the tension that continues to grip the neighbouring North West region.

Race against Time

Coronavirus: Africa leads vaccine quest with trials in Johannesburg

The launch of Africa’s first COVID-19 vaccine trial is a crucial step in evaluating efficacy in different settings, Shabir Madhi, the professor ... of vaccinology who is leading the trial at the University of the Witwatersrand, tells The Africa Report.

Who Pays?

South Africa VS Coronavirus: Insurers face crisis of confidence

In this fifth part of our series on the impact of COVID-19 on South Africa, we look at how insurers are facing a moment of truth that will shape ... the future of the industry.

Article 4/6 of "Can South Africa stay one step ahead of the pandemic?"

tumbling white gold

Egypt VS Coronavirus : Cotton’s never-ending roller coaster

There is no question on how important cotton is to Egypt’s textile industry: it contributes to around 3% of the country’s GDP, employs 2.25 ... million- one third of its industrial labour force - to meet its demand of 180 000 tons. But after years of trade wars between US and China, and now a global pandemic, the cotton industry in Egypt will need time to recover from its losses. In this fourth part of our series on the impact of COVID-19 on Egypt, we see how its prized 'white gold' will fare.

Article 4/4 of "Will Egypt finds its way out of the pandemic?"

golden opportunity

Sudan: International financial backing is key to boosting its transition

Sudan’s transitional government is being buffeted by dangerous economic headwinds. When Sudan’s international partners meet at a conference ... on Thursday 25 June, they should offer further financial support to Khartoum’s civilian cabinet, or risk reigniting economic frustrations and stoking new instability.

UNDER PRESSURE              

South Africa VS Coronavirus: Billions already lost in tourism

In the fourth part of our series on the impact of COVID-19 on South Africa, we look at its tourism and hospitality sectors. They have lost an ... estimated R68bn in revenue amid the coronavirus outbreak, which has necessitated national lockdowns and enforced restrictions on global travel.

Article 5/6 of "Can South Africa stay one step ahead of the pandemic?"

cabinet reshuffling

Algeria: President Tebboune (already) reshuffles the government

Six months after coming to power, the Algerian president made adjustments to his government. The most notable change is in the energy ... sector.

20 years in prison

DRC: Vital Kamerhe slapped with 20-year prison sentence

Vital Kamerhe has been sentenced to 20 years in prison and is disqualified from holding public office for a 10-year period on charges of “embezzlement” ... and “corruption”. The verdict marks the end of an unprecedented trial and has officially sidelined a key player in the country’s power structure.

BUDGET BLUES            

South Africa VS Coronavirus: Public finances looking prickly

In the third part of our series on the impact of COVID-19 on South Africa, we focus on its budget. South African tax revenue is expected to collapse, ... with under-collections projected in the range of R150bn-R250bn.

Article 3/6 of "Can South Africa stay one step ahead of the pandemic?"

terrorism in the south

South Africa’s interest in extremist violence in northern Mozambique

A growing insurgency in the northern parts of Mozambique has caught the attention of conflict analysts and observers worldwide. ...

A RECKONING

To confront its past, Europe needs Truth & Reconciliation Commissions

Calls by African ambassadors at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva last week for a top–level investigation into racism and police brutality ... in the United States – as corporate apologias for links to the Transatlantic slave trade and demands for reparations multiply – show how the horrific police murder of George Floyd has resounded across the world.

in response to your letter

Dear Ethiopia…

Dear Ethiopia,

Thank you for your letter. ...

Snail's Pace Justice

Nigeria’s Ogoniland: UK Supreme Court Tests Royal Dutch Shell Liability

Niger Delta communities take their fight against Royal Dutch Shell Plc over oil pollution in Ogoniland to the UK Supreme Court today.
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letter from Harare

Zimbabwe: Covid-19 drugs scandal lays bare the rot in the system

A picture that went viral on social media in Zimbabwe at the end of last week reminded many of an equally famous picture from 2007 of a young ... boy smiling as he carried wads of notes at the height of the country’s hyperinflation.