Author: King Jaja

The 159-year-old debating chamber of the Cambridge Union Society has played host to some of history’s most consequential leaders. From British Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher to US Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, the wood-panelled theatre has resounded to orators of world renown. A year ago, Botswana’s Vice-President and Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe might not have expected to find himself addressing the famous venue at the annual conference of the African Society of Cambridge University. But since then, there have been major changes in Botswana’s governing structure.Until November, the ruling Botswana Democratic Party had reigned supreme since the…

In SummarySouth Africa and Egypt remain far ahead in total output. Their combined 447,161 GWh accounts for over half of the electricity generated by Africa’s top 10 countries, thanks to large legacy grids and strategic diversification. North African countries tend to reap longer-term gains from large investments. Algeria, Morocco, Libya, and Tunisia have moved from complete dependency on imports to current and expanding domestic production of electricity through gas and solar development. At its core, some economies rely on hydropower. Ghana, Zambia, and Mozambique all rely on their river systems to provide reliability to their electricity grids and are adding…

It all started at a kitchen table. No boardroom. No capital. Just a dial-up connection, an idea with legs, and a very strong cup of coffee. Back then, luxury African safaris weren’t exactly something you booked online between meetings. But that’s where David Ryan found himself in 2004, convinced there was a better way to connect people to Africa. And not the brochure version. The real one. The one with all its complexity, colour, contrast, and soul.They say time flies when you’re having fun, and boy, were they right!21 Years of Storytelling: A Legacy of ConnectionFast-forward 21 years and Rhino…

GOOD art resonates with each generation. Ziad Rahbani might have wished that some of his did not. The plot of “Belnesba Labokra Chou?” (“What About Tomorrow?”), his classic play, is simple: a young man moves from the mountains to the city and finds work in a bar. But life in Beirut is expensive, so his wife turns to prostitution. It is a tale of a strained marriage and a strained society, the latter undergoing rapid urbanisation and an incipient civil war. Every Lebanese can quote its most famous line: “They say tomorrow will be better, but what about today?”

This summer, fashion is going bold—and not just for the look, but for the feeling. Welcome to the radiant world of dopamine dressing, where getting dressed becomes a form of self-care. In this mood-boosting style movement, color is more than a trend; it’s therapy. Think vibrant yellows, juicy corals, electric blues, the kind of hues that don’t whisper, they sing. Yes, these shades don’t just elevate your outfit; they elevate your spirit.Increasingly, this joyful shift is taking over both the runways and the sidewalks. Designers like Christopher John Rogers, Valentino, and Versace have fully embraced the palette of pleasure, sending…

There is no denying the allure of combining safaris in East and Southern Africa. Why not include gorilla trekking, the Okavango Delta, the Serengeti, and the Victoria Falls into one trip? However, the details of the trip must be meticulously arranged when it comes to real planning. Before combining these two famous safari destinations into a single trip, here are some things you should know. It is possible to combine East and Southern Africa into a single itinerary, but it will require more time, effort, and money. For instance, you will probably need to travel via Nairobi and then down…

British holidaymakers planning a trip to a North African holiday hotspot this summer have been urged by the Foreign Office to reconsider their travel plans. Updated guidance warns against ‘all but essential’ travel to part of Tunisia due to serious safety concerns. Tunisia has long been a popular destination for British tourists, known for its golden beaches, turquoise Mediterranean coastline, bustling medinas and affordable luxury.But despite its appeal, the nation continues to battle security challenges that have overshadowed its tourism sector for years.In its latest update, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) highlighted areas of western and southern Tunisia as no-go zones due…

This article is part of a series produced in collaboration with the African Development Bank in light of its sixtieth anniversary. Please visit our dedicated portal to read about the Bank’s history and its activities on the continent.The African Development Bank (AfDB), the continent’s largest multilateral lender, is poised to lead this transformation, enlisting international support from long-standing development partners like Japan. The AfDB will host a series of side events at TICAD 9 aimed at attracting Japanese investment in green hydrogen, Mission 300, transportation, health, agriculture and education. With aligned priorities – including sustainable infrastructure, green growth and private…

AI-generated influencers in African languages are rising fast. They can widen reach or drain pay, identity, and ownership, writes Barbra Uchechi Okafor. A new creative force is sweeping across Africa, and it isn’t human. AI-generated influencers speaking indigenous languages are already fronting campaigns and landing sponsorship deals. This isn’t sci-fi: from South Africa’s Kim Zulu to Egypt’s Laila Khadraa, virtual ambassadors are here, reshaping Africa’s creator economy projected to top £13 billion by 2030. That surge carries real promise and real peril. Yes, AI-generated influencers can scale African stories to global audiences. However, they can also undermine human creators and…

Archaeologists examining a 4,400-year-old ancient Egyptian tomb have made a groundbreaking discovery.The catacomb, which belonged to prince called Userefre (unknown before this find), features a large pink granite ‘false door’ – the largest ever discovered in Egypt.The door, which measures 15 feet high and 4 feet wide resembles a functional door but does not actually open.Instead experts believe it held profound spiritual significance – serving as a symbolic portal through which the soul of the dead could travel to the afterlife.This ‘gateway’ demonstrates how considerable time and resources were dedicated to achieving eternal rest.The discovery, in Egypt’s Saqqara necropolis, was…