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Semafor africa

Remembering South Africa's sliding doors moment

Justice Malala's new book 'The Plot To Save South Africa: The Week Mandela Averted Civil War and Forged a New Nation' tells the story of how South Africa’s post-Apartheid transition nearly collapsed after the murder of Chris Hani, then head of the African National Congress’s armed wing.

Nigeria's student family ‘Japa’ route to the UK is closing

African postgraduate students will no longer be able to bring family members to Britain under reforms to curb migration, closing a popular route particularly favored by Nigerians looking for a route out of the west African country.

Why OpenAI's Sam Altman was just in Lagos

Sam Altman, the co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, visited Nigeria on May 19 and met with tech entrepreneurs, government representatives, and students in Lagos.

How to manage the legacy of Fela Kuti

London-born Rikki Stein was a friend and then manager of the late Nigerian Afrobeat creator and activist Fela Kuti from 1983 till the artist's death in 1997.

A South African company delivered arms to Russians, government probe suggests

South African authorities are examining evidence a consignment of arms was illegally loaded on a Russian vessel docked at a South African naval base in December by a private company, three sources told Semafor Africa.

Thabo Bester saga reveals the dangers in South Africa's prison privatization

The fugitive saga of South African criminal Thabo Bester is eye-catching for its Bonnie and Clyde-style drama, but is really about the dismal state of the country's prisons.

Virtual dollar card issuers in Africa toughen up in a fight against fraud

Consumers in key African markets who depend on virtual dollar-denominated debit cards to use online services like Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music face increasingly strict measures by providers anxious to fight fraud and preserve crucial access to the world’s largest card networks.

Kenya risks pushing its citizens into "modern slavery" with overseas jobs drive

Kenya's drive for its citizens to find work in Gulf states risks forcing them into a modern slavery system in which physical abuse is common, warn human rights groups.

How Africa's history shaped the modern world

Howard W. French, is an award-winning journalist, author and professor at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. His latest book is “Born in Blackness: Africa, Africans, and the Making of the Modern World, 1471 to the Second World War.”

Eswatini wants legal cannabis but locals say that's bad for business

Plans to legalize the lucrative cannabis trade in the southern African Kingdom of Eswatini by overhauling a 100-year-old colonial drug law are being slammed by activists and farmers.

Ethiopia's plan to go cashless runs into money problems

A government-mandated cashless payment system introduced in Ethiopia frustrates motorists and industry watchers as the push to use state-owned telecom giant Ethio Telecom crowds out smaller rivals.

Zimbabwe's gold-backed digital token runs into political headwinds

Zimbabwe launched gold-backed virtual coins as a central bank digital currency (CBDC) on Monday in its latest bid to fight currency volatility and contain spiraling inflation.

Why African soft power matters

A move is under way to reappraise what African soft power could look like in the world of political science and around pop culture influence.

Botswana wants to disrupt the global diamond business

Botswana's acquisition of a 24% stake in a Belgian diamond company is one of the most ambitious attempts by an African country to move beyond extracting minerals to adding more value.

How Russia's Wagner played both sides in Sudan

The presence of Wagner, which has supported both of Sudan's feuding generals since the overthrow of former dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019, adds to the uncertainty.

The rise of Nigerian owners of European football clubs

Nigerian business leaders are buying stakes in European football clubs, upending existing power dynamics in the sport's global hierarchy.

Ports are key to Africa's global trade promise

The World Bank's Connecting to Compete 2023 report shows many African countries are at the bottom of its Logistics Performance Index -- here's why.

South Africa scrambles to avert Putin arrest headache

South Africa's government is frantically working on a plan to dissuade Russian President Vladimir Putin from visiting Johannesburg to avoid making the decision to arrest him.