· November, 2007

Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from November, 2007

Mozambique: Congratulations to Tas – BOBs2007

  16 November 2007

A runner up for the the same category, Diário de um Sociólogo congratulates [pt] Marcelo Tas for winning the Best Weblog Portuguese prize and invites other blogs from Mozambique to make themselves known: “Finally, I would like to make again this invitation: sign up for BOBs2008, I make an special...

The other side of the coin: English blogs in Burkina Faso

  16 November 2007

As Burkinabé journalist Rasmata Some pointed out last month: “In Burkina Faso, blogging is more than a pastime. It is the eyes and ears of thousands of net users.” She was writing about French-language blogs of this former French colony. For Burkinabé journalists and citizens, she says, the blogsphere is a place to freely report and discuss topics the government would rather have left unsaid. For the growing list of English-language bloggers in Burkina Faso, blogging is also more than a pastime.

Uganda: Existentialist reading of conflict in Northern Uganda

  15 November 2007

Okello Lucima's existentialist reading of the conflict in Northern Uganda: “Read in broad existentialist terms, the Ugandan State and regime are absurd worlds, from which its citizens in the north have been alienated from themselves and estranged from the popular view of national normalcy.”

Big Brother Africa II: Did Immorality Triumph?

  15 November 2007

Tanzania's Richard Bezuidenhout was recently declared the winner of $100 000 prize for the second edition of Big Brother Africa. Richard, the 24 year-old film student, survived five nominations, fell in love with a fellow housemate from Angola, Tatiana, and was involved in an alleged sexual assault in the house. Richard was newly married when he entered the house. Bloggers have been writing extensively about the outcome of the show.

South Africa: The launching of iCommons Innovation Series

  15 November 2007

Nic blogs about the launching of the iCommons Innovation Series in South Africa: “Without many of us knowing, yesterdays event was actually the launch of the ICommons Innovation Series. This series will be a regular occurence that brings together like-minded innovators and features some of the greatest minds around today.”

South Africa: Print is not dead – at least in Africa

  15 November 2007

Looking at the circulation record of the South African Mail & Guardian, Vincent Maher is optmistic about the future of print in Africa: “In September and October this year the Mail & Guardian newspaper hit the highest circulation in its history, so clearly print is not dead – at least...

Environment: Bloggers on Energy, and The Zero Africa Rally

  15 November 2007

Several bloggers deftly tackled energy issues, from nuclear energy, ideas of ‘plug and play power’, China's ‘Clean Ambitions’ and Green data centers. Be it South Africa, China or America, the energy question has got bloggers thinking of solutions. Ian Gilfillan asks “Why is anybody still considering nuclear?”. He looks at...

Environment: Biowatch in SA ordered to pay monsanto's legal fees

  15 November 2007

Dax feels embarrassed by the country South Africa, following a court ruling involving Biowatch, Monsanto and the Dept. of Agriculture. “…We need organisations like Biowatch to take issues to court when necessary. We don’t want them to be afraid to do that in case they end up having to pay...

Environment: ‘Africa will burn’

  15 November 2007

Traysee writes about the effects of climate change on Africa. On South Africa, she says:”South Africa, being the powerhouse of Africa, has done little to address its own global warming problems. This has, therefore, set a poor example for the rest of the African continent.”

Environment: ‘Endangered Planet

  14 November 2007

Omar Basawad is encouraged by the news media's coverage of climate change, citing the programs from CNN, BBC and Al-Jazeera. In watching the CNN special ‘Planet in Peril’ Omar is pertubed and shocked in part because…”Most saddening of all, is that – the poorest part of the World: Africa, which...

Nigeria: The rise and fall of Festac Town

  14 November 2007

Adeola writes about the rise and fall of Festac town in Nigeria: “This year 2007 marks the 30th Anniversary of Festac Town as a residential area. Festac is still one of the largest residential estates south of Saharan Africa. When I started living in Festac Town in 1977 with the...

Kenya: The political advertisement TV stations will not air

  14 November 2007

Kumekucha posts a video of an advertisement that, according to him, Kenyan TV stations have been warned against airing it: “The following advert was reportedly intercepted by government agents who warned media houses in Kenya, especially TV stations, of dire consequences should it find its way onto the airwaves.”

Kenya: Mobile phones give new relevance to rural folks

  14 November 2007

Rebecca Wanjiku shows how mobile phones give relevance to rural folks: “…woman had received an SMS indicating that she has been entered into a draw and she could win shs 6,000. But the sight of the figures spured new excitement as they thought they had hit a minor jackpot.”

Uganda: Are you ready for CHOGM?

  14 November 2007

Ugandan bloggers (popularly known as the Blogren) gear up for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, worry about the latest developments in the north and keep tabs on their favorite reality television star, Maureen Namatovu.

Acoustic Debit Card for Africa

  13 November 2007

Olivier Gabirault writes [Fr] about Maâtcard, an acoustic, prepayed debit card for developing countries which will debut in Cameroon next April. The Maâtcard functions like a normal credit card, but also emits a unique, unfalsifiable sound, enabling users to securely make payments, buy air time, or transfer funds by telephone.

Burkina Faso: No famine, but farmers still in peril

  13 November 2007

In Burkina, the government's announced there is no danger of famine, but peasants say [Fr] this season's rainfall and agricultural production have been particularly bad, and many have had a difficult time harvesting enough to feed their families these last two weeks, writes Ramata Sore.

Kenya: CFC-Stanbic merger

  13 November 2007

Bankelele updating his readers about the CFC-Stanbik merger in Kenya: “An extraordinary general meeting to approve the CFC – Stanbic merger was held on November 12 at the Intercontinental Hotel.”

Nigeria: Nigerian football back in the days

  13 November 2007

Ababoy remembers Nigerian football in the 1980s: “1980 kicked off a glorious period in Nigerian football. Nigeria had just narrowly failed to qualify for the 1978 World Cup, losing 0-1 to Algeria in Lagos, courtesy of a Godwin Odiye own goal. I just about remember Ernest Okonkwo (Commentator extraordinaire) screaming...

About our Sub-Saharan Africa coverage

Zita Zage
Zita Zage is the Anglophone Africa Editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.

Jean Sovon
Jean Sovon is the Francophone Africa. Editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.

Dércio Tsandzana
Dércio Tsandzana is the Lusophone (Portuguese) editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.