I am a blogger, journalist, lawyer, digital activist and new media consultant. I am interested in the relationship between social media and development in the developing world, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa.
I am the Sub-Saharan Africa Editor here at Global Voices. Follow me on Twitter: @ndesanjo
Latest posts by Ndesanjo Macha from February, 2013
Ghana: Vote for African Women's Development Fund Blog
Vote for African Women's Development Fund blog which has been nominated in the first ever Blogging Ghana awards: “I’m really pleased that AWDF’s blog has been nominated in the category of ‘best organisational blog’. Many thanks to all of the AWDF staff that have contributed to this blog. I plan...
Monitoring Dangerous Speech in Kenya
Umati is a project that seeks to monitor and report the role of new media on an election: “Our Kenya-based project has citizens at its core and uses relevant technologies to collect,organize, analyze, and disseminate the information collected.”
The Land Problem in Kenya
Chrenyan discusses the land problem, which has become an election issue in Kenya: “It is a historical injustice for the Kenyatta family to own (it is said) half a million acres of land, all over this country (including thousands of acres in Coast Province). The defence that this land was...
Musicians Aim Fighting Words at the Gambia's Hardliner President
A popular music video featuring a group of artists taking aim at the president of the Gambia's tightening grip on the West African country has gone viral among Gambians home and abroad.
10 Best African Food Blogs
MyWeku compiles a list of 10 best African food blogs for 2013: “There are seemingly a million food blogs out there, but only a handful showcase African food. Even so it has still been a struggle to pick 10 of our favourites for this year (2013).”
Creating Art to Kuti’s Legendary Beats
Mr. Jaeger has worked on several of Knitting Factory’s Fela efforts including Fela: Live In Detroit 1986, and the Ginger Baker compiled Fela: Vinyl Box Set 2. Wes Flexner speaks with the person behind the artwork for “Best of Black President Pt 2″, an extensive collection of legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti’s music...
Her Zimbabwe: A Platform for Women to Share Views
Her Zimbabwe is an online platform for women to share their views, discuss issues and carry out open debate about the things that affect them.
Impact of Factory Jobs on Workers’ Wealth
Work for Chris Blattman in Ethiopia to assess the impact of low-skill, low-wage factory jobs on the worker’s wealth, health and politics (among other things).
When Bob Marley Went to Africa
The film opens on the Ghanaian coast at the remnants of a slave post, the camera then pans over the Atlantic, finally settling on the green hills of rural Jamaica (Marley’s birthplace Nine Mile) from where it picks up Bob Marley’s story, thus cementing a link between the continent and...
US Congressman Vows to Help Gambians
Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison and his Staff had a fruitful discussion on Gambia’s ailing democracy with the civil society group based in Minneapolis last Monday. Congressman Keith Ellison in the United States House of Representative has promised to help Gambians in their fight for democracy.
Every Weekend is a Long Weekend in Gambia
“Unlike in the rest of the world, employees in a tiny nation on Africa’s west coast can now enjoy an extended weekend of three days, beginning Friday. The reform introduced in the public-sector by Gambian President Yahya Jammeh came into force on February 1 ignoring Opposition protest” Blog SeyiSanchez reports.
Missing Colonial Map, Charged Border Dispute
Debate has flared up about maps allegedly taken by the British after Sudan became independent in 1956. While some believe the historic documents could ease ongoing border disputes, researchers doubt they exist at all. Joseph Edward discusses the issue of missing colonial-era maps of the South Sudan border.
“Christian” Zambia: Blessing or Curse?
Mr. Ndhlovu explains the purpose of his book in the last pages. He states that he was motivated to write this book because pastors and politicians who had been abusing the Christian faith to advance their personal agendas had disillusioned him. Munshya wa Munshya reviews Gershom Ndhlovu's new book titled...
African Union Panel of the “Not-So-Wise”
Collins Mbalo wonders whether the African Union Panel of the Wise and the COMESA/IGAD committee of elders was unwise in their assessment of whether Kenya is ready for peaceful elections #choice2013.
Digital Monitoring of Kenya Elections 2013
Uchaguzi is a Kenya’s citizen digital crowdsourcing monitoring/mapping effort:”The Kenyan 2013 Elections are just over a month away. If this past weekend’s political nominations are any indication, there will be a rise of people’s voices and stories to share. You may be asking: how can I contribute?”
Ghana: Alternative Medicine Practitioners Invest in New Technologies
Alternative medicine practitioners in Ghana have decided to invest in new technologies, Kofi Domfeh reports:”M.Y. Ventures, a natural healthcare center, has introduced a swap card technology that helps protect the privacy and data confidentiality of patients.”
The Future of E-Commerce and Mobile Payments in Africa
Mbawana Alliy says that e-commerce & mobile payments in Africa will not scale without business process integration:”As I tell the startups in our accelerator who are exploring integrating payments, its not just about accepting payments its about a business process and even business model rethink and in turn convince both...
