A new year is a great time to sharpen your knowledge of the latest and greatest happenings on Africa. Here’s our pick of 10 of the best places to find fresh and incisive stories on science, tech and development on the continent. Happy reading!
A completely digital news outlet for ‘business people in the new global economy’, Quartz Africa is a must-visit site. It features insightful journalism on a range of subjects including tech and development in Africa. Notable recent stories include a report on Africa’s first solar-powered football pitch, and a photographic piece on the Nairobi slum skating-club born from a failed UN aid project. Always a pleasure!
Part of the Financial Times’ stable, FT This is Africa seeks to examine African business and politics in a global context, and make sense of the relationships that the continent is building with the world. Recent interesting pieces include a thoughtful feature on what Africa can learn from the Middle East in filling its power gap, and a report on the continent’s nascent sharing economy. Up-to-the-minute and perceptive!
The World Economic Forum is not only an International Institution committed to improving the state of the world through public-private cooperation. It’s also a source of analysis on the most important issues shaping the global agenda including science and technology and agriculture and food security. Great recent pieces include a blog post on how digital is solving three problems in agriculture and solutions to poverty and inequality. A must visit!
4) SciDev.Net
No list about news on STI in Africa would be complete without SciDev.Net. SciDev.Net is, of course, a locus for great reporting on science, tech and development in Sub-Saharan Africa and other emerging regions including Latin America, South East Asia and the Pacific, but it also features helpful how-to guides for scientists and other researchers including one on reaching a wider audience for your research. In addition, SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan African edition has an impressive presence on Facebook. Let us know what you think!
5) BBC
The BBC does not require any introduction. With a mission to enrich people’s lives with programmes and services that inform, educate and entertain, the BBC reaches over 200 million people around the world. As part of its remit, it publishes and broadcasts illuminating stories on Africa including a report on a new drug that could help couples living with HIV in Kenya and a story on challenges in education on the continent. Always incisive and, most importantly, accessible!
6) New African
With a proud history of publishing news and perceptive analysis on Africa since 1966, it’s not surprising that the New African features on our list. Describing itself as the ‘number one pan-African magazine on current affairs’, the New African reports on a dizzying range of issues from China’s economic slowdown and its impact on Africa to UN peacekeepers on the continent. New notable stories include an opinion piece on who will pay for Africa’s development from former Nigerian finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and a report on bitcoin in Africa.
7) CNN Africa
With an average of approximately 500,000 viewers per day, CNN is well-known across the world. However, it’s also a treasure trove of unique and informative stories from the continent and a place for leading figures in development and politics to share their views on topical African issues. Our favourite recent posts include a profile piece on five innovators who want to make your life easier, and an opinion piece from Akinwumi Adesina, the newly appointed President of the African Development Bank.
How We Made it in Africa is a great source of news and information for anyone with an interest in business on the continent. It features insightful stories on a range of subjects including tech, entrepreneurship, as well as coverage of all the different sectors. What’s more, How We Made it in Africa also publishes opinion pieces from leading business figures such as our chairman, Dr. Álvaro Sobrinho, who has written on African investment hotspots, and Razia Khan, Chief Economist, Africa, Standard Chartered. Great stuff!
9) Guardian Development Professionals Network
The Guardian is not only a bastion for progressive reporting in the UK and beyond, but it also provides a hub for international development professionals. With a commendable Africa focus, the Guardian Development Professionals Network publishes opinion pieces from leaders such as Mauritian President HE Dr. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, convenes live Q&As on topics such as energy access on the continent, and more. Definitely worth a visit!
10) Brookings Institution: Africa in Focus
The Brookings Institution is a leading non-profit organisation dedicated to independent research and policy solutions. Its Africa in Focus blog offers authoritative views on African politics, economics, etc., and, as such, is a great place for research. Helpful pieces include Foresight Africa 2016: Top Priorities for the continent, and a weekly report on the key news from the continent. Very useful!
This piece was compiled by the Planet Earth Institute (PEI)’s executive team. The PEI is an international NGO and charity working for Africa’s scientific independence. To learn more, please visit the organisation’s website.