Sean Jacobs

Sean Jacobs, founder and editor of Africa is a Country, is on the faculty of The New School and a Shuttleworth Fellow

Chris Hani’s political legacy

Article Sean Jacobs - 13 Apr 2020

Chris Hani should not be made into an ideal type or used to settle political scores in the present

February 11 1990: Mandela’s media conquest

Article Sean Jacobs - 17 Feb 2020

Nelson Mandela’s release from prison was also South Africa’s first ‘media event’. And, despite the NP’s, and the SABC’s, attempt to control the narrative, the force of Madiba’s personality meant that he emerged as a celebrity

What comes after nationalism in Africa? A luta continua

Article Sean Jacobs - 13 Jan 2020

There are a number of cases in the past decade where Africans have managed to push the conversation beyond liberal reforms...

Broadcast takes on social media in the world of politics

Article Sean Jacobs - 11 Sep 2019

Live TV broadcasts of political rallies, funerals and press conferences, may be more decisive than social media in shaping mass debate in South Africa

Why South Africa needs Democratic Socialism

Article Benjamin Fogel & Sean Jacobs - 21 May 2019

South African politics urgently needs an injection of electoral energy from the left, that speaks in a language that resonates with voters

Online site a new model for journalism

Article Sean Jacobs - 17 May 2019

The Africa Is a Country website offers a rich mix of news, comment and analysis about the continent

Battle of ideas in the newsroom

Article Sean Jacobs - 14 Dec 2018

Journalist Sibonelo Radebe’s death has robbed the industry of the kind of thinker it sorely needs

The limits of coloured nationalism

Article Sean Jacobs - 13 Jun 2018

Gatvol Capetonian is a coloured ultra-nationalist organisation but here’s the kicker: their racist culprit is the post-apartheid government

How do we write about Winnie’s life sympathetically?

Article Sean Jacobs - 12 Apr 2018

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s legacy should not be reduced to the uncomplicated heroism that exemplifies today’s personality politics

Why Corbyn’s meteoric rise is good for Africa

Analysis Sean Jacobs - 15 Jun 2017

Britain’s Labour leader represents ‘a new kind of politics’ of the left that holds electoral appeal

Afropunk’s growing gains and pains

Article Sean Jacobs - 19 May 2017

Like any indie movement facing commercial success, the festival needs to hold on to its soul

It’s Malema’s world

Article Sean Jacobs - 19 Jul 2011

Any casual observer would conclude that the country politics mostly revolves around Julius Malema.

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Press Releases

Special Reports

Land reform still a hot potato

special reports - 24 Nov 2020

The land has got to belong to all the people of South Africa, and many believe that there’s no other mechanism for that except expropriation

Special Reports

UP chemical pathology scientists develop ground-breaking nanobodies for Covid-19 detection and therapy

special reports - 24 Nov 2020

Nanobodies are smaller than conventional antibodies and easier to work with so they are ideal for good cheap sensitive rapid tests for Covid-19

Special Reports

Inclusion as learned experience in higher education

special reports - 23 Nov 2020

Understanding the complexity of intersections between oppressions relating to race and gender is key to any commitment to creating a culture of inclusion and social justice

Special Reports

Local government in crisis: how it can be fixed

special reports - 20 Nov 2020

Local governments are supposed to promote non-racial development, in a decentralised manner, but the reality does not match up

Special Reports

Covid-19 accelerates adoption of technology by the African property sector

special reports - 20 Nov 2020

It’s not the technology itself that is valuable, it’s the opportunities that it creates: this may be the perfect time for reinvention

Special Reports

BE 1 OF 8 LUCKY PEOPLE TO DRIVE OFF WITH R80 000

special reports - 19 Nov 2020

From 23 to 30 November 2020, simply purchase any BMW bearing the number “8” and you could be one of eight lucky people to drive off with R80 000

Special Reports

Introducing Sabinet Judgments

special reports - 18 Nov 2020

A well-rounded view of reported and unreported judgments supplemented by an advanced system to enable users to rapidly find the information they require

Special Reports

The Southern Africa Tuberculosis and Health Systems Support Research and Publication Interventions

special reports - 13 Nov 2020

The project places emphasis on rolling out a standardised package of occupational health services and mining safety standards across four countries