The case of Zanzibar shows that, given certain political conditions, even low-income countries in Africa can introduce and pay for a universal pension programme.
In Africa a study shows stark differences between perceptions of justice among the rich and poor.
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Opposition parties in sub-Saharan Africa struggle to prove themselves worthy to skeptical voters who, unlike in Western competitive systems, don’t trust them over former liberation movements.
Very few African universities offer postgraduate degrees in astronomy. This gap in knowledge and training can be addressed through international partnerships and collaboration.
Zimbabwean police beat up a man protesting the reintroduction of local banknotes.
REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo
Primary school children who belong to ethnic minorities are especially vulnerable to dropping out of school early. If teachers were better equipped to deal with multiculturalism, this could change.
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame is seen as having promoted economic growth at the expense of human rights.
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To improve, African countries need to find a balance between political and economic matters. This is where leadership becomes particularly important. But this is currently lacking on the continent.
Markets and militarisation as responses to wildlife threats are dangerous because they often fail.
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For a global audience, the movie ‘A United Kingdom’ provides a topical account of race relations. The love story is likely to revitalize the popular viewpoint of Botswana as a national success story.
Hair speaks of the past, and of cultural heritage.
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Hair has long been modified for aesthetic and other ends. But skewed power structures have meant that women, particularly women of colour, have borne the brunt of stereotyping and prejudice.
Testing and treatment is important in tackling HIV. But stigma and access need to be addressed too.
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Taking antiretrovirals is key to reducing HIV infection rates, but the challenge lies in making sure people who know they are infected actually take the drugs.
The strongest resistance to the United Nations resolution to promote LGBTI rights came from Muslim and African states. Many of these countries still criminalise same-sex relationships.
People in Namibia are seeking ways to reduce vulnerability to problems like drought.
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South Sudan is not the only oil-dependent country suffering from the fall in oil prices. Nigeria and Angola are also having difficulties. One solution is for them to diversify their economies.
Many developing countries are highly urbanised but lack large industrial sectors.
Reuters/Akintunde Akinleye
Developing countries, specifically in sub-Saharan Africa, are urbanising without industrialising, a trajectory that leaves them with relatively higher poverty rates and share of slums.
A three-dimensional volume rendering of the Tuli mummy.
SA Journal of Science
Modern techniques such as CT scanning and ancient DNA analysis have allowed scientists to discover a great deal about a mummy found in a shallow grave in Botswana.
More South Africans are taking to the streets to hold government accountable.
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South Africans’ faith in the post-apartheid system of democracy is clearly slipping - and some even suggest that a return to apartheid would be a good thing.
Africa’s flagship universities have a great deal to offer as the continent continues to grow and develop.
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When talking about the role that higher education can play in developing Africa, it’s important not to forget the continuing and crucial role of the continent’s flagship universities.
Champagne being served in a bar on McCarthy Street in Lagos.
Reuters/Akintunde Akinleye
It’s easy to dismiss Africa as a place that is, at best, a provider of commodities, land and labour. A closer look shows that the continent is innovative and offers a lot more opportunities.
Yarik Turianskyi is Manager of the Governance and African Peer Review Mechanism Programme at the South African Institute of International Affairs and guest lecturer in African Governance and Eastern European Politics, University of Pretoria
Professor and Programme Director, SA MRC Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science - PRICELESS SA (Priority Cost Effective Lessons in Systems Strengthening South Africa), University of the Witwatersrand