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Mail & Guardian
africalatest news & developments
Missed opportunity: African countries rich in minerals, agricultural land, energy resources and human capital have struggled to convert the assets into prosperity. Photo: Dominik Vanyi

Africa's great untapped wealth

South Africa's debate on undocumented migration often focuses on border control and job competition. This article argues that migration is a symptom of deeper issues,…

Botswana signed the Artemis Accords – so why hasn't South Africa?

Botswana recently became the sixth African nation to sign the Artemis Accords, a US-led initiative for peaceful space exploration. However, South Africa, despite its advanced…

When sewage floods your home, it floods your mind too

In Nairobi's Mukuru kwa Reuben, residents face a grim reality: homes repeatedly flooded by sewage due to dysfunctional drainage. This article explores the profound psychological…

Epson bets on connected innovation, sustainability and African growth

Epson is redefining success in the digital economy by creating seamless technology ecosystems that integrate printers, projectors, and digital platforms, all while prioritizing…

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Rwanda’s bold bet on Aston Villa - global branding for tourism and economic growth

Rwanda has done it again, only bigger. The landlocked African country has secured a multi-year partnership with Aston Villa Football Club, becoming the club’s Principal Partner,…

Dr Mpopi Lenake says collaboration, research and investment are key to improving access to specialist eye care across Africa.

The Fight to Save Africa's Sight

As South Africa hosts the African Ophthalmology Council Congress, ophthalmologist Dr. Mpopi Lenake highlights the critical need for stronger partnerships, research, and…

The transatlantic rift and South Africa’s new matrix of economic diplomacy

Amidst a fractured global landscape and a deep transatlantic rift, South Africa is charting new pathways of autonomous engagement. By fostering a resilient partnership with the…

Using risk for lasting impact

Africa's ultra-high-net-worth families, largely self-made entrepreneurs, approach wealth management differently from their global peers. Their strategies are shaped by a deep…

The DRC may have lost against England but they achieved something arguably more significant

The Democratic Republic of Congo's return to the FIFA World Cup after 52 years transcended football, becoming a powerful platform to challenge enduring stereotypes about Africa…

Mapping Africa’s changing coastline

A new interactive platform, developed by Harvard University and partners, is mapping sea-level change across Africa's coastline from 1900 to 2100. It provides crucial local data…

Malawi bets again on digital taxes after first system faltered

Malawi is implementing a new digital tax system, the Electronic Invoicing System, for the second time in a decade, aiming for improved compliance and higher revenue. While…

Behind the March and March hype

In the current hype surrounding 'mabahambe' (they must go) in South Africa, we risk losing an important opportunity for serious intellectual and analytical engagement. This piece…

Tanzania is paying its own way and investors are taking note

Tanzania unveils its most ambitious budget yet, a record $23.8 billion spending plan for 2026-27, largely financed by domestic sources. This move signals a strategic shift…

Inequality: The skewed economic system in the country dictates who works, who owns and who thrives. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy

Unite, from Soweto to the Sahara

South Africans are protesting unemployment, poor services, and crime, but their anger is misdirected. This article argues that African immigrants are not the enemy; the real…

As demand for copper, cobalt and other minerals needed for electric vehicles and renewable energy surges, a new report warns that allegations of human rights abuses linked to mining in Africa are rising even faster

Africa bears growing human cost of the world's rush for critical minerals

A new report by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre reveals that allegations of human rights abuses linked to transition mineral mining in Africa more than doubled in…

South Africa has rolled out lenacapavir — a twice-yearly injectable that offers near-complete protection against HIV. Photo: Mufid Majnun/Unsplash

What the HLM must deliver for Africa

South Africa, a leader in HIV response with the world's largest antiretroviral treatment programme, advocates for sustained and predictable global resourcing at the High-Level…

Why the High-Level Meeting on HIV matters

Diagnosed with HIV in 2000 when it was a death sentence for many Africans, the author reflects on 25 years of the fight against the epidemic. Ahead of the UN High-Level Meeting…

DEVAC Infrastructure Summit 2026: Pictured are H.E. Ben Ainsley, His Majesty’s Acting Trade Commissioner for Africa, UK Department for Business and Trade; Hon. David Mahlobo, Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, South Africa; Nangamso Matebese, Special Advisor to the Deputy President of South Africa; Hon. July Moyo, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Energy and Power Development; and Mohammed Abdool, Chief Executive of Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), during the DEVAC Infrastructure Summit 2026.

Projects to Progress: Infrastructure takes centre stage at DEVAC 2026

The DEVAC Infrastructure Summit highlighted the urgent need to move infrastructure projects from planning to implementation, with speakers emphasising financing, execution…

Pope Leo is calling upon our African youth to be more vigilant about AI’s risks to humanity, to use it responsibly and institute AI governance tenets to avoid getting lost in agendas of transhumanism and post-humanism.

‘Magnifica Humanitas’: What Pope Leo XIV’s theological document about AI means to Africa’s Gen Z

Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas," released in May 2025, is sparking global debate. This theological document, a new social doctrine of the Catholic Church,…

Ebola is back. So are the double standards

Just four years after COVID-19, the US is demanding an Ebola quarantine camp in Kenya, while Western countries impose travel bans on African nations. This article explores the…