Illegal mining a profitable but harmful way to address unemployment
Out of poverty people have turned to illegal mining, destroying not only the forests but also farmlands and waterways
GHANA
Democracy tested: What the 2024 African election scorecard reveals about progress and problems
Some elections show signs of progress — youth-driven political transitions and active citizen involvement — others reveal systemic problems, including political manipulation and disenfranchisement
Ghanaians go to the polls hoping for change
The country is beset with problems of high inflation and a debt of 70.6% of GDP
Big Agriculture is watching critics, pesticides and GMO food
A new investigation details a covert campaign that companies such as Monsanto, now Bayer, and Syngenta waged against critics who threatened its profit
Pieter Hugo’s tragic beauty pushes the button of mortality
The photographer’s ambitious new exhibition What the Light Falls On is a free-ranging meditation on life
US ‘anti-rights’ groups boost spending in Africa to over $16 million
Christian rights groups have spent millions over four years in efforts to push anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQIA+ agendas
Kobby Ben Ben on breaking the queer ceiling
Novel writes queerness into a space where it’s forbidden and meanders through the unforgiving politics of Ghana, past and present
UK loans stolen Asante treasures to Ghana in six-year deal
The ceremonial return comes amid mounting pressure on European and US museums and institutions to address the restitution of African artefacts plundered during the colonial era
Easter chocs may leave bitter taste
Chocolate products have become more expensive on the back of soaring cocoa prices, but there is not likely to be a shortage
Ghanaian finance ministry warns against fallout from anti-LGBTQ law
The new legislation stipulates jail terms of six months to three years for sex
Ghana’s opioid crisis brings pain and death
The highly addictive pain medication Tramadol is being sold as a street drug
Afcon is set to be a ball
The African showpiece never fails to entertain and this year’s tournament should be no different
Ghana’s Akufo-Addo lies in thorny bed he may or may not have made
Bad luck, corruption or incompetence – the jury is out on what derailed Ghana’s economy under its current president
Ghana’s president under pressure
Nearly 1.8-million Ghanaian workers were unemployed by the third quarter of 2022
How to unlock the untapped potential of SA’s women entrepreneurs
The journey to empowering women’s entrepreneurship will not be achieved by any one isolated approach
Fast fashion costs the Earth
It’s affordable and in style, but cheap can be nasty; it uses vast quantities of water, pollutes and contributes to climate change
Pesticides: Deadly for Europeans, but okay for Africans to use
European state banks are happy to finance projects using pesticides deemed too dangerous for people in their own countries. One of these is in Ghana
As US vice-president Harris arrives in Zambia, here is what lies ahead
How does Zambia see its relationship with the US amid shifting global dynamics?
Plastic is choking Ghana’s sea
In Accra, as in much of urban Africa, waste management falls far short of what it needs to be. Plastic waste is killing marine life and fishers’ incomes
An African extravaganza
Ghana’s Afrochella, one of the continent’s biggest music festivals, is getting a new name but it remains a joyous showcase of sound
Political and economic volatility will continue in Africa in 2023
Although direct trade and financial links between Africa, Russia and Ukraine may be small, the main effect of the war will be civil strife in Africa driven by food and energy inflation
The M&G’s favourite World Cup moments
Our reporters choose their favourite memories from a frenetic few days in Qatar
Ghana: A life’s work washed into the ocean
The country’s coastline is being eroded by rising sea levels. Homes are being washed away, and livelihoods ruined
To achieve poetic justice, Ghana must emulate Uruguay’s nasty edge
With redemption or revenge on the menu, the Black Stars must go for broke — but they will need a dash of Suarez-level cunning, too
Why Africa is standing still at the World Cup
With Mané and Salah absent, the semifinals seem as remote as ever, thanks to a glaring imbalance in development systems
2022 World Cup: What’s the deal in group H?
Portugal enter with their most exciting side since 2006 and Ghana have a shot at revenge against Uruguay
One Book, Two Takes: It’s a Continent
Astrid Madimba and Chinny Ukata’s impressive African history book by non-historians
Improving cross-border trade policy is vital in solving the African food security crisis
Governments need to invest in agricultural and trade infrastructure, better farming methods and in intra-African trade
Africa’s chief executives focus on Francophone markets
Leaders at some African firms are looking at Francophone markets as a way to expand sales hit by Covid-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Language of learning at odds with learning of language
Children learn to read and write more easily if they are first taught in their mother tongue. In Ghana, as in many African countries, that’s easier said than done
Why Ghana allows US military base on its soil
The current government is adhering to an old policy of appeasement of Western interests
Africa Month: A taste of the cuisine the continent has to offer
Celebrate the African ‘year of nutrition’ by getting stuck into some of the tastiest food the continent can dish up.