Featured stories about South Africa
Stories about South Africa
State capture in South Africa by the Gupta family: A lesson on political influence
Growing inequality and uncapped wealth have created a mega-wealthy segment of society. With this money comes influence that may pose a danger to the integrity of domestic policy and sovereignty.
Why has Swahili not become Africa’s unifying language?
Despite all of these countries' strong intentions to make Kiswahili their motherland's lingua franca, geo-political differences and foreign influence remain as some of the obstacles that jeopardize its success.
Africans are changing how they consume music and even taking on international streaming giants
Following global trends, compact disc (CDs) sales on the continent have been on a steady decline as music lovers ditch the discs for digital downloads.
Africa's music scene rebounds after a devastating pandemic
Live performances and music festivals, key revenue sources for African musicians, were annihilated during the COVID-19 pandemic. But things seem to be gradually returning to normal.
Powerful protest songs from Kenya and South Africa
Over the years, artists around the African continent have used music to challenge governmental and military oppression. In Kenya and South Africa, protest songs were a key tool for liberation.
Feminist music icons from around Africa to celebrate this International Women's Day
Whether it is speaking out against sexual abuse, female genital mutilation (FGM), celebrating sexual identity, or promoting gender equality, to these African feminist singers, music is the ultimate weapon.
Seven African comics and graphic novels that center Black experiences are being adapted to film
While locally produced superhero comics written by Africans for Africans have been gaining fandom since the late 1980s, the popularity of African comics skyrocketed in 2016.
These podcasters are carrying African Languages into the new audio world
When it comes to podcasting language, English is the dominant choice for many African podcasters due to its broad appeal at both a continental and global level
Colonial prejudices and vaccine nationalism drive COVID-19 African travel bans
Omicron has spread to many countries, but most Western countries red-listed only southern African countries. This is reflective of the colonial stereotyping of Africans as savages from a diseased continent.
How ‘Squid Game’ hijacked Halloween and a traditional Kenyan wedding ceremony
Despite the criticism that the series has received for its violence and gore, it has unquestionably become a global cultural phenomenon, exporting Korean pop culture to the world.
Athletes’ mental health is neglected in post-Olympic phase, new study finds
With the Olympic Games and the Paralympics both over, there have been concerns about what the fame and spotlight does to athletes post-Games.
Khaby Lame exposes Italy’s citizenship flaws and the plight of Black content creators on TikTok
Lame’s rise to stardom comes at a time when, for every Black TikTok sensation like him, there are several white influencers on the app that are making far more money.
Namibian female sprinters are victorious at World Under-20 Athletics Championship amidst bans over discriminatory tests
In April 2021, the World Athletics introduced new rules for female classification which banned four athletes — all from Africa — from participating in the 800m race.
These African animators are saving their native languages using cartoons
Animation is an effective way of teaching young Africans life skills and languages that are often not taught in schools, as most African governments adopt official languages while discouraging native ones.
These female African content creators are using TikTok for more than just dance videos
These women are showing that TikTok has the potential to become the Twitter of its generation -- a medium for discussion about pertinent issues, in ways that prompt real-life action and change.
A Namibian couple's battle to bring home twin daughters born via surrogacy
Lühl and Delgado's case has been widely debated on social media and, for many Namibians, it is a symbol of the country's LGBTQ+ community's struggle for equal rights.
South African shack settlement activist wins the 2021 Per Anger Prize
“A shack without water, electricity, and sanitation is not worth calling a home. It means life-threatening circumstances that are harsh towards women, children and minority groups,” says rights activist, Zikode.
Billionaire Patrice Motsepe, the favoured FIFA candidate, becomes Africa football boss
The candidates from Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Mauritania give up their bids in favour of South Africa’s Motsepe, and accepted supporting roles in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) hierarchy.
African media perpetuating harmful stereotypes about the continent, report finds
The report released in February 2021 offers a deeper understanding of why poverty, war, disease and failed elections continue to dominate media coverage of Africa.
Freedom of expression in a downward spiral in Southern Africa, says new study
Outdated laws, exorbitant fees, and stifling of dissent have ramped up violations to the right of free expression in Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
COVID-19 vaccine in Africa: Caught between China’s soft-power diplomacy and the West’s vaccine nationalism, Part I
The storage of Chinese Sinovac’s CoronaVac and Sinopharm are more suited for Africa’s hot temperatures, unlike those produced in the West, which require deep-freezer temps.
