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The Conversation Africa
@africa.theconversation.com
1.9K followers 10 following 1.1K posts
An independent source of news and views on Africa from the academic and research community.

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africa.theconversation.com
Pineapple leaves, often discarded as waste in South Africa, could be transformed into valuable nanoparticles for environmental and security solutions. 🍍

theconversation.com/amazing-pine...

#EnvironmmentAndEnergy
Amazing pineapple leaf powder that fights crime and pollution: new research
In South Africa, discarded pineapple leaves can now be turned into a low-cost, eco-friendly solution for both cleaning polluted water and forensics.
theconversation.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:39 PM
africa.theconversation.com
Labour migration separated husbands and wives for long periods.

theconversation.com/marriage-and...

#ArtsCultureAndSociety
Marriage and migration: what happens when men return to the family home in Botswana
Labour migration separated husbands and wives for long periods.
theconversation.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:35 PM
africa.theconversation.com
A taxman’s 1825 poem in Cape Colony records reveals daily frustrations—reminding us how bureaucracy preserves glimpses of ordinary lives. 📜

theconversation.com/colonial-tax...

#BusinessAndEconomy
Colonial tax records hold 3 lessons for South Africa today – economic historian
Tax records of the past can inform about governance, markets and inequality today.
theconversation.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:29 PM
africa.theconversation.com
Eleven more mammal species in southern Africa are now closer to extinction, with 70 threatened overall. What’s driving these declines? 🦇

theconversation.com/bats-bushbab...

#EnvironmentAndEnergy
Bats, bushbabies and aardvark edge closer to extinction in southern Africa
A new red list of southern African mammals at risk shows that 42% are now threatened with extinction.
theconversation.com
January 22, 2026 at 3:59 AM
africa.theconversation.com
Young people are shaping the future of education by co-creating learning. How can we move beyond “chalk and talk”? ✏️

theconversation.com/what-should-...

#Education
What should education look like today? 6 essential reads on learning together
Challenges old and new confront young people in their efforts to get a useful education.
theconversation.com
January 22, 2026 at 3:51 AM
africa.theconversation.com
Concerns grow over safe drinking water in South Africa’s cities, with protests highlighting ongoing shortages and contamination risks. 💧

theconversation.com/how-to-make-...

#EnvironmentAndEnergy
How to make sure water is safe to drink: four practical tips
In a disaster or emergency, households can take steps to purify drinking water.
theconversation.com
January 21, 2026 at 4:59 AM
africa.theconversation.com
Climate change mitigation in the Sahel is intensifying tensions, as state fragility and resource scarcity fuel ongoing conflict and insecurity.

theconversation.com/fighting-cli...

#Politics
Fighting climate change in the Sahel is worsening conflicts - new research shows how
Climate action can ease or add to crises in the Sahel region.
theconversation.com
January 21, 2026 at 3:54 AM
africa.theconversation.com
Three African warbler species skip their morning songs on chilly days, new research in South Africa’s Golden Gate Highlands reveals. 🎶

theconversation.com/what-makes-m...

#EnvironmentAndfEnergy
What makes mountain birds sing at dawn – and why are they sometimes quiet? Ecologists explain
Warblers in high mountain wetlands change their dawn singing with temperature, rain, wind, humidity and moonlight, showing how weather shapes wildlife behaviour.
theconversation.com
January 21, 2026 at 3:49 AM
africa.theconversation.com
The Senate’s confirmation of the former INEC chairman as ambassador has revived debate about electoral integrity and public trust in Nigeria.

theconversation.com/nigerias-for...

#Politics
Nigeria’s former election umpire has been appointed an ambassador: why this is a red flag
The appointment raises questions about institutional neutrality and public trust.
theconversation.com
January 19, 2026 at 4:33 PM
africa.theconversation.com
For many Ethiopian women, landing a first formal job can reshape not just their income, but even how they describe themselves. 👩‍💼

theconversation.com/ethiopian-wo...

#Politics
Ethiopian women and safety: why some switch their ethnic identity when they start working
Ethnicity can be consciously adjusted in response to the risks women face in public spaces.
theconversation.com
January 19, 2026 at 4:30 PM
africa.theconversation.com
Thousands of rural South Africans hope for a university place, but fierce competition and financial barriers remain.

theconversation.com/getting-into...

#Education
Getting into university is only the first hurdle for students from rural South Africa. Here’s what comes next
Rural students face extra challenges.
theconversation.com
January 19, 2026 at 4:28 PM
africa.theconversation.com
In this world, career counselling focuses on navigating repeated transitions and developing resilience.

theconversation.com/choosing-a-c...

#Education
Choosing a career? In a fast-changing job market, listen to your inner self – counsellor
Career decisions are not just about skills or interests, but about how we make sense of our lives.
theconversation.com
January 18, 2026 at 3:41 PM
africa.theconversation.com
Ransomware is a growing threat on the continent. There are a number of steps companies can take to combat it.

theconversation.com/ransomware-w...

#BusinessAndEconomy
Ransomware: what it is and why it’s your problem
Ransomware is a growing threat on the continent. There are a number of steps companies can take to combat it.
theconversation.com
January 18, 2026 at 3:38 PM
africa.theconversation.com
AU member states prepare for a pivotal 2026 vote, shaping Africa’s human rights institutions and the dignity of millions. 🌍

theconversation.com/africas-huma...

#Politics
Africa’s human rights institutions are electing leaders. Why this matters
Africans everywhere should show interest in the outcome of the African Union’s elections for its human rights institutions.
theconversation.com
January 18, 2026 at 3:36 PM
africa.theconversation.com
From ancient Fayum portraits to holograms, humanity has always sought ways to keep the departed present among the living. 🖼️

theconversation.com/ai-can-make-...

#ArtsCultureAndSociety
AI can make the dead talk – why this doesn’t comfort us
AI does not simply revive, but rewrites, repurposes and redistributes the dead. And this is marked by a lingering sadness.
theconversation.com
January 18, 2026 at 3:31 PM
africa.theconversation.com
In Ghana, finding blood in emergencies is often about networks and trust, not just medicine. Lives depend on it. 🩸

theconversation.com/ghana-collec...

#Politics
Ghana collects half the blood it needs – digital approaches can improve that
Survey data shows Ghanaians trust hospitals and want to help – but poor coordination means blood doesn’t reach patients fast enough.
theconversation.com
January 16, 2026 at 5:01 AM
africa.theconversation.com
Student teachers in South Africa face starkly different realities, shaped by unequal school resources and the lingering legacy of apartheid.

theconversation.com/student-teac...

#Education
Student teachers in South Africa choose comfort over challenge in practical placements: but there’s a hidden cost
Teachers should be able to work well in different contexts.
theconversation.com
January 15, 2026 at 8:12 PM
africa.theconversation.com
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland marks a historic shift. The challenge now: can this open doors to wider international acceptance? 🌍

theconversation.com/israels-reco...

#Politics
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland is about political alliances, not legal principles
While Israel’s recognition of Somaliland alters the board, it doesn’t end the game.
theconversation.com
January 15, 2026 at 8:09 PM
africa.theconversation.com
Early humans shaped stone tools with purpose, marking a major leap in evolution and the origins of technology.

theconversation.com/early-humans...

#ScienceAndTech
Early humans relied on simple stone tools for 300,000 years in a changing east African landscape
The age of the oldest known Oldowan stone tools from east Turkana has been pushed back by 700,000 years.
theconversation.com
January 14, 2026 at 5:32 PM
africa.theconversation.com
There is a desperate need to balance wildlife conservation with the wellbeing of people living in these shared spaces.

theconversation.com/human-wildli...

#EnvironmentAndEnergy
Human-wildlife conflict in Zimbabwe is a crisis: who is in danger, where and why?
There is a desperate need to balance wildlife conservation with the wellbeing of people living in these shared spaces.
theconversation.com
January 14, 2026 at 5:26 PM
africa.theconversation.com
Uganda’s promised democratic renewal has faded. Museveni’s long rule now faces rising repression, especially against the young. 🕊️

theconversation.com/ugandas-auto...

#Politics
Uganda’s autocratic political system is failing its people – and threatens the region
The youth-led struggle for democracy in Uganda reflects a broader continental reality: young Africans want better leadership.
theconversation.com
January 14, 2026 at 5:20 PM
africa.theconversation.com
Mahmood Mamdani’s new book explores how Idi Amin and Yoweri Museveni shaped Uganda after independence, highlighting key contrasts.

theconversation.com/the-making-a...

#Politics
The making and breaking of Uganda: an interview with scholar Mahmood Mamdani
Museveni came to power with the sense that violence is critical to politics, and especially critical to liberation politics.
theconversation.com
January 14, 2026 at 5:00 AM
africa.theconversation.com
Young adults in Limpopo are facing rising rates of diabetes and obesity—conditions once rare at their age. 🩺

theconversation.com/high-cholest...

#HealthAndMedicine
High cholesterol and insulin resistance are rising among young South Africans – what that means for public health
The modernisation of small towns, while positive economically, brings hidden health costs.
theconversation.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:14 PM
africa.theconversation.com
Two Kenyan women revive Nairobi’s libraries, challenging old systems and inspiring hope for public spaces. 📚

theconversation.com/two-kenyan-w...

#ArtsCultureAndSociety
Two Kenyan women rebuild libraries in a quietly powerful new documentary
The film suggests that building a library is not merely about a building or books; it is about dialogue and citizenship.
theconversation.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:12 PM
africa.theconversation.com
As stablecoins gain ground in Africa, could financial inclusion come at the cost of monetary sovereignty? 🤔

theconversation.com/stablecoins-...

#BusinessAndEconomy
Stablecoins are gaining ground as digital currency in Africa: how to avoid risks
The rise in the use of stablecoins poses a risk of dollarisation across Africa.
theconversation.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:09 PM