SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS - The African Mirror

Jun

11

2025

Togo’s citizens want to leave ECOWAS– new survey suggests why

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

A survey of Togolese citizens recently looked into perceptions of their government’s handling of the terrorist threat in the northern region and of the Alliance of Sahel States – Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. The survey was carried out by Afrobarometer, an independent, pan-African research network, in partnership with the Centre for Research and Opinion Polls. The Savanes region in northern Togo, bordering Burkina Faso, has become an area of insecurity since a jihadist attack in 2021. This security crisis is part of a broader context of growing destabilisation in West African countries, centred on the Sahel region. It led…

Jun

10

2025

By ANDREW KWEKU CONDUAH

Ghana’s older people feel left behind and ignored: how to care for them better

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

GHANA’S national agenda often focuses on the country’s large number of young people. In fact, a less noticed demographic transformation is reshaping society: the country’s older population is growing rapidly. According to Ghana Statistical Service estimates, people aged 60 and above are projected to make up over 12% of the total population by 2050, more than doubling the 2021 estimate of 6.8%. And more of these older adults are ageing alone. That’s because of Ghana’s transition from extended to nuclear family systems, coupled with rural–urban and international migration. Traditionally, older Ghanaians aged within multi-generational households, with care provided by children…

Jun

06

2025

By JULIE REID

Airbnb scams: new book explores thriving criminal activity on big tech platforms

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

BIG tech sharing economy platforms like Airbnb and Uber are marketed as trustworthy, but a new book by a South African media scholar argues that they are highly vulnerable to scammers who spread delusive speech (a form of disinformation, designed to deceive by criminal intent). Julie Reid draws from first-hand accounts and over 600 cases from around the world of victims lured into scams or physical danger by fake Airbnb reviews and listings, providing a detailed case study. We asked her five questions about her book. How do the scams work? Airbnb is the world’s largest accommodation-sharing platform. It connects…

Jun

05

2025

By VELMA PAMELA, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Coconut trees fuel livelihoods and foster community in coastal Kenya

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

AS nightfall descends over Tezo, a town on the Kenyan coast, villagers convene in a coconut grove on the sandy shoreline, swapping news, telling stories and and debating vigorously to the clinking of calabashes, laughter and the earthy-sweet smell of freshly tapped palm wine, mnazi. These nightly socials are an integral part of Kenya's coastal culture. This deep-rooted connection between people and the coconut palm isn’t unique to Tezo or even to Kenya. The coconut tree is an important part of daily life throughout Africa. Its fruits, sap and fibres power economies, nourish families and preserve traditions. According to the…

May

31

2025

By JAN POSPISIL

Is Sudan’s war the reason for South Sudan’s economic crisis? What’s really going on with oil revenue

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

THE civil war in Sudan between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which began in April 2023, has had an impact on its neighbours. One of the most keenly affected countries is South Sudan, which became an independent state in 2011 and went on to endure its own civil war. This ended in 2018 with a tenuous peace agreement. The impact of the Sudanese war on South Sudan, however, isn’t a straightforward spillover catastrophe. The picture is more nuanced, and this is most clearly seen in South Sudan’s oil economy. Jan Pospisil, who has studied the dynamics in…

May

30

2025

By The African Mirror

Zambia’s refugee policy encourages farmers to be self-reliant

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

WHEN Mwaka Sangwa, 63, first arrived in Meheba refugee settlement in North-Western Zambia in 1993, she never imagined that she would end up spending more than half of her life there. Despite losing her husband and son to conflict in her country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), she hoped she would be able to one day return there. Over three decades on, she, along with her children and her grandchildren, have known no other home. The eastern DRC continues to face escalating violence, with little sign of peace in sight. In the last five months alone, more than…

May

27

2025

By TOLU OLAREWAJU and JAGANNADHA PAWAN TAMVADA

Why Meta is in trouble in Nigeria and what this means for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp users

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

META, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, was recently hit with three fines totalling more than US$290 million in Nigeria. The fines were imposed by Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Nigerian Data Protection Commission and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria. Meta was accused of invasive practices against data subjects and consumers in Nigeria. The company denied the allegations and has challenged the fines in court. Entrepreneurship and international business researcher Tolu Olarewaju and professor of entrepreneurship Jagannadha Pawan Tamvada explain the implications of the fines. What are the violations for which Meta got fined? The…

May

24

2025

By IFESINACHI OKAFOR-YARWOOD

Colonial-era borders create conflict in Africa’s oceans – how to resolve them

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

AFRICA has 38 coastal and island nations. Their maritime industries – including energy, tourism, maritime transport, shipping and fishing – play a crucial role in developing these nations. Key to harnessing these resources are Africa’s maritime boundaries – lines on a map showing the legal divisions of the ocean between neighbouring coastal states. Some of these boundaries were created by colonial powers and were kept after independence. Their purpose was to achieve territorial security and ensure the exclusive exploitation of resources and to maintain navigational freedom. But Africa’s maritime boundaries sometimes lead to conflict, prevent cooperation on resource management and…

May

20

2025

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

A conversation on turning South Africa’s ambitious renewable energy goals into reality

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

SOUTH Africa’s renewable energy ambitions are evolving beyond clean electricity generation into a full-scale industrial strategy aimed at economic renewal. With the launch of the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM), the country has set its sights not only on expanding its green energy footprint but also on building a domestic manufacturing ecosystem for solar panels, wind turbines, and battery technologies. Earlier this month, bird story agency explored how the SAREM framework marks a pivotal shift — from merely installing renewables to anchoring a new era of industrial growth. SAREM targets R15 billion (more than US$800 million) in investment and…

May

19

2025

By The African Mirror

Congolese escaping the M23 conflict face new hardships in Burundi

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian. NEWLY arrived Congolese refugees in Burundi are struggling with harsh living conditions in camps and border areas, amid growing tensions with local authorities and aid groups over where they should be allowed to live and be supported in the country. More than 70,000 have braved dangerous border crossings in recent weeks, driven by intensifying conflict between the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel movement and the national army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Despite the violence, interviews by The New Humanitarian show some refugees are already returning home because they are unable…