In 2015 South Africa hosted two of the most important global gatherings to discuss and find a way to the future prosperity for the African continent: the World Economic Forum on Africa, in Cape Town from 3 to 5 June, and the African Union Summit, in Johannesburg and Pretoria from 7 to 15 June.
To give context to both events we bring you a collection of our recent coverage of Africa and its place in the world.
Value of investment in Africa surges
3 June 2015 – The value of foreign direct investment into Africa has jumped over the past five years, even though the number of investment projects on the continent has fallen. And while investor perceptions have softened, those with business interests in Africa remain overwhelmingly positive. MORE >
Blueprint for Africa’s infrastructure deficit
2 June 2015 – The World Economic Forum’s three-year blueprint, Africa Strategic Infrastructure Initiative, promotes public-private co-operation and identifies solutions to bottlenecks that lead to failure of large infrastructure projects in Africa. The initiative is being handed over to Nepad. MORE >
Looking towards Agenda 2063 at WEF Africa 2015
2 June 2015 – Brand South Africa will host several interactive dialogue sessions with various stakeholders during the course of the Word Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town, South Africa from Wednesday 3 to Friday 5 June 2015. MORE >
Leaders gather in Cape Town for WEF on Africa
1 June 2015 – Then and Now: Reimagining Africa’s Future is the theme of the 25th World Economic Forum on Africa. It will be the biggest of the gatherings so far, with more than 1 250 people attending, representing more than 75 countries and 83 international companies. MORE >
Infographic: African alliances help boost regional prosperity
1 June 2015 – Regional alliances of African countries have one goal in common: to increase economic cohesion and so improve the lives of citizens, as sovereign nations align their priorities to achieve a wider prosperity. MORE >
Nine major trends set to shape the future of Africa
1 June 2015 – As South Africa prepares to host the World Economic Forum on Africa in June, KPMG Africa chairman Seyi Bickersteth examines the nine major trends set to influence the continent’s development: demographics, the rise of the individual, technology, interconnectedness, public debt, economic power shifts, climate change, resource stress and urbanisation. MORE >
All about the African Union
1 June 2015 – In 1963 the Organisation of African Unity rose from the ashes of colonial rule. Today, as the African Union, it has expanded its membership and embraced its ever-growing role across the continent. MORE >
Documentary focuses on plight of albinos
28 May 2015 – In many African societies, people with albinism are shunned, suffer sever discrimination and are regularly killed in witchcraft rituals. The documentary In the Shadow of the Sun and activists using #StopAlbinoKillings are raising awareness of their plight and calling for end to discrimination.
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Mobile phones bring the internet’s power to Africa’s poor
27 May 2015 – Poor people across Africa are increasingly aware of the power of the internet to improve their lives, such as find a job, and use sophisticated online tools to do just that. In under-resourced environments, mobile phones are the most efficient way for them to access these benefits. MORE >
Africa urged to invest in artists as visionaries
27 May 2015 – Artists and the economy was discussed on the second day of the fourth African Union Pan-African Cultural Congress, with speakers calling on governments and private sector leaders to invest in the arts and heritage as a means of uniting Africa through its diversity. MORE >
Done right, urbanisation can boost living standards in Africa
25 May 2015 – Africa is urbanising later and at a lower income level than other developing regions, which means policy makers can learn from the successes and failures of other countries. Done right, urbanisation could significantly raise both productivity and living standards across the continent. MORE >
The NBA comes to Africa
25 May 2015 – In a leap forward for basketball in South Africa and the continent, the NBA’s first game in Africa will be played in August. The captains have been announced for the Team Africa versus Team World play off, with the African side led by Luol Deng. MORE >
A tribute to South Africa’s neighbours
20 May 2015 – A photographic exhibition, On the Frontline, at the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s Centre of Memory reflects on the contribution – and the price they paid – from countries in Africa to helping the liberation struggle overcome apartheid. MORE >
African products sold online to fight against malaria
18 May 2015 – Buying a pair of shwe shwe pyjama pants – they come in five Afro-centric colours – will help to keep families in Mozambique safe from malaria. The idea is that making a difference is as easy as sleeping, says Goodbye Malaria. Cash raised is used for spraying homes to kill Anopheles mosquitoes. MORE >
Women combat lack of electricity with solar power
14 May 2015 – Solar Sister empowers women in Africa to be entrepreneurs. They earn an income through selling solar power products, bringing light to homes across the continent and ending the terrible fires caused by candles and paraffin lamps that can devastate whole communities. MORE >
Remembering Africa’s role in ending World War 2
14 May 2015 – Many Africans enlisted – or were conscripted by their colonial ruler, Britain – to fight the Axis countries in World War 2. They were instrumental in bringing an end to the war, which was fought across Africa, Europe and the East. Yet not much is known about their contribution. MORE >
Africa and space: the continent looks skyward
11 May 2015 – Many African countries have active space agencies, whose earth-observation satellites help find natural resources, monitor elections, track weather, plan agriculture, deliver services, and support disaster relief and military security. Space tech may soon also connect hundreds of millions of Africans to the internet. MORE >
Africa’s youth population can lift the continent
7 May 2015 – The youth population is big and is growing; urbanisation is growing even faster. These factors present possibilities and pitfalls: a young population may be dynamic and bring economic advantages but at the same time, too many young people raises the potential for conflict. MORE >
Pint-sized Zuriel Oduwole sets her cap for success
7 May 2015 – From making documentaries about Africa to touring the world and interviewing global leaders, encouraging education for girls and starting on writing a book, Zuriel Oduwole has done a lot. But here’s the catch she is only 12 years old. MORE >
Kumoodi: from Lagos to the world
6 May 2015 – The first African digital lifestyle store is just 18 months old, but it is growing fast. Already a repository for music and videos, next on its agenda is live streaming events globally. It is also the platform US President Obama used to engage with young Nigerians. MORE >
Watch: Salif Keita and Black Mambazo call for harmony in Africa
6 May 2015 – Singing in English, isiZulu and French, globally renowned African musicians Salif Keita of Mali and South Africa’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo have released a new single calling for peace on the continent, an end to xenophobia and a united Africa. MORE >
Powerful women shape Africa
5 May 2015 – Women have left their mark in various fields across the continent of Africa. From medicine to fashion design and politics, they have tackled huge challenges and have emerged victorious. Their stories serve to inspire future generations. MORE >
African entrepreneur sold his belongings to start Kisua
23 April 2015 – Sam Mensah found out that it is better to give than receive: in giving gifts he received success in return, after he saw the potential market for African garments and designs around the world. A significant element of the business is to present a more truthful picture of the continent. MORE >
Garissa: African lives do matter
8 April 2015 – Western media reports on the Garissa University College attacks in Kenya, where 148 students were killed by al-Shabaab militants, have been sparse. Social media users have been vocal about their outrage at the “complicit silence” regarding what the Pope called “senseless brutality”. MORE >
Football in Africa: a visual quiz
8 April 2015 – After Cote d’Ivoire’s dramatic 9-8 win on penalties over Ghana in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final in Equatorial Guinea earlier this year, we bring you a visual quiz to test your knowledge – and maybe teach you something – about Africa’s rich tradition of football. MORE >
