AFRICA

In an era of AI and blockchain, the simple text message seems distinctly old-fashioned. But text messaging’s USSD technology remains a key feature for African businesses. Here’s how a crackdown on customer information sharing suddenly makes USSD even more attractive. SPECIAL FEATURE | BIRD AGENCY | African businesses are continuing …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Eastern and Southern African trade promotion organisations are pushing for the rescinding by Kenya of the recent agreement with the European Union to implement the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between them. They say the deal pauses “imminent danger” to the integration of East Africa …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Basketball Africa League (BAL) and the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) today announced a multi-year extension of their existing collaboration that will see the BAL continue to play games at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda each season, including the BAL Playoffs and Finals in 2024, …

Harare, Zimbabwe | Xinhua | Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is also leader of the ruling ZANU PF party, on Saturday launched his party’s election campaign in preparation for the Aug. 23 elections. Mnangagwa, who came to power in 2017, is seeking a second five-year term as president. Addressing thousands of supporters …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & AGENCIES | Ahead of the African Peace Initiative visit to Kyiv and Moscow on June 15-17, the upcoming Russia/Africa meetings in St. Petersburg, and the BRICS Summit in South Africa in August, international research company Ipsos polled African citizens on their attitudes towards Russia, Ukraine …

In both cases, improved connectivity failed to catalyse industrialization and instead encouraged land speculation as it opened up new spaces to real estate investment Kampala, Uganda | AGENCIES | The African Union’s flagship Agenda 2063 initiative prioritises large-scale infrastructure development and promises to “link the continent by rail, road, sea and …

From a history marked by periods of conflict to now sitting on the world’s most powerful Security Council, Sierra Leone has made significant progress SPECIAL FEATURE | BIRD AGENCY | Sierra Leone has made remarkable progress in overcoming a tumultuous past marked by conflict and has emerged as a leading …

Giant tech firms, game studios and other gaming investors have launched an aggressive hunt for young Africans with the talent, skills, passion – and jobs – to sustain long-term investments in the gaming sector SPECIAL FEATURE | BIRD AGENCY | In early June, Maliyo, a game studio in Nigeria began …

Kinshasa, DRC | Xinhua | The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has already initiated the withdrawal of its mission in the country, said MONUSCO chief Bintou Keita late Monday. The withdrawal is made “on the basis of the achievement of the minimum …

­  Nairobi, Kenya | THE INDEPENDENT | Aavishkaar Capital (Aavishkaar), an Aavishkaar Group company and a global pioneer in taking an entrepreneurship-based approach to scaling businesses for impact, in partnership with KfW, a German state-owned investment and development bank, has unveiled a second investment from the ESG First Fund in …