Africas

SOUTH AFRICA — South Africa faces what health researchers call a “vaping crisis” among adolescents while a long-promised overhaul of the country’s tobacco laws sits largely dormant. The draft Tobacco Bill published in 2018 — designed to extend smoke-free public spaces, introduce plain packaging and ban point-of-sale displays for both cigarettes and electronic cigarettes — has yet to clear the long road from proposal to law, leaving regulators and public-health advocates alarmed as youth nicotine use climbs. A 2024 study of…

Sovereign debt crisis imperils developing economies as G20 gathers in Johannesburg Global economic experts are raising the alarm: sovereign debt in many developing countries, especially across Africa, has reached a critical stage and risks triggering wider instability if left unaddressed. With G20 leaders preparing to meet in Johannesburg this month, analysts say the summit is an urgent opportunity for coordinated action on debt sustainability and finance for development. The warning follows reporting that many low- and…

Summit on African soil, diplomacy in disarray The G20 meeting in Johannesburg marks the first time the leaders’ summit is held in Africa, a symbolic milestone intended to center the continent’s priorities on the global stage. Instead, the event has been overshadowed by a high-profile boycott from the United States, raising questions about the summit’s ability to produce consensus and meaningful outcomes. The US decision to skip the leaders’ session — announced by President Donald Trump after public accusations against…

South Africa tightens its inflation anchor — a test of credibility for monetary and fiscal policy South Africa’s National Treasury and the South African Reserve Bank have agreed on a new inflation objective: a 3% target with a one percentage point tolerance band. That shifts the nominal anchor to 3% (effectively a 2–4% acceptable range), and — according to reporting — is part of a fragile compromise between the Government of National Unity and the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement after three failed attempts to pass the…

R22 billion pledge in KwaZulu‑Natal shines light on a familiar fault line: money without trust and skills When Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation toured KwaZulu‑Natal last week, it did not find the comforting sight of hoses and concrete being laid across parched riverbeds. Instead, it encountered a recurring national headache: bold budget lines and high‑profile projects undermined by doubts about capacity and governance. The committee welcomed uMngeni‑Uthukela Water’s announcement that it plans to…

South Africa’s top court strips a colonial rule from the registry — and opens a conversation about names, identity and equality In a ruling that reaches beyond bureaucratic formality, South Africa’s Constitutional Court has declared unconstitutional a colonial-era provision that barred husbands from taking their wives’ surnames. The decision — prompted by two couples who challenged the Department of Home Affairs after being denied the right to assume or hyphenate their spouses’ names — requires Parliament to amend the…

South Africa at a Crossroads: Donor Cuts Threaten Hard‑Won Gains Against HIV GAUTENG, South Africa — In a conference hall a short drive from Johannesburg’s busy highways, the blunt arithmetic of global aid collided with the realities faced by clinics and families. Scientists, clinicians, activists and people living with HIV spoke in urgent, sometimes angry tones: the era of steady international support that helped turn a tide against HIV may be ebbing, and the consequences could be catastrophic. Stark projections, stark…

The Hemorrhage: Africa's Battle Against Illicit Financial Flows As the sun rises over the sprawling cities of Africa, it casts a light on an urgent issue plaguing the continent: illicit financial flows. While Africa is rich in resources and potential, it is estimated to lose a staggering U.S.$88 billion each year due to tax evasion, money laundering, and corruption. This figure, a steep jump from U.S.$50 billion just eight years ago, paints a bleak picture of a continent struggling against forces that siphon away its…

The landscape of childhood is undergoing profound transformations, with UNICEF's latest flagship report, ‘The State of the World’s Children 2024: The Future of Childhood in a Changing World,’ shedding light on these crucial shifts just in time for World Children’s Day. This insightful report delves into the repercussions of three impending global trends that are redefining the lives of young people worldwide. It highlights alarming statistics, revealing that children now face a staggering eightfold increase in exposure to…

Reporters from Bush Radio, a community radio station based in South Africa, are currently sharing their insights live from New York as part of an ambitious 14-month initiative. This project, aptly named "Strengthening Democratic Values through Cross-Cultural Journalistic Collaboration," seeks to enhance journalistic ties between South Africa and the United States. At the heart of this initiative is a commitment to nurturing up-and-coming journalists from both countries. Together, they aim to tackle the pervasive issues of…