The IMF’s April 2025 Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa presents a clear warning: regional growth is slowing, debt pressures are mounting, and donor assistance is declining. Yet the report outlines critical opportunities particularly in domestic revenue mobilization, structural reform, and private sector activation that can shape a more resilient …
Joanna Moorhead Ten years ago, the conservationist Lawrence Anthony adopted seven wild elephants in South Africa. He says humans could learn much from them about family life. Lawrence Anthony
Nineteen leading agricultural exporting nations, including Australia, Brazil and South Africa, began talks in Bali, Indonesia, on Sunday aimed at pushing forward troubled world trade negotiations. As well as seeking to move forward the stalled Doha talks on a world trade deal, the Cairns Group of nations
The World Health Organization says a vaccine which can prevent a diarrhoea and vomiting virus should be given to all children as a routine vaccination. Rotavirus causes more than 500,000 diarrheal deaths and two million hospitalisations a year among children. Over 85% of deaths occur in developing countries in Africa …
Areva SA, the world's biggest maker of atomic reactors, has offered India stakes in African uranium mines to ensure supplies for fuel-starved plants, the head of the nation's monopoly nuclear generator said. State-run Nuclear Power Corp of India is considering investing in as many as four mines, including projects in …
The death toll from a fire at an abandoned South African gold mine rose to at least 61 on Tuesday, making it the country's worst such disaster in recent memory at an illicit mine. The fire has raged for days at the mine, owned by Harmony Gold Mining Co., in …
Africa is taking the lead in creating its own biotechnology agenda, according to researchers based at South Africa's Durban University of Technology and the University of Kwazulu-Natal. They say that sugar-farming countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa and Zimbabwe are exploring large-scale production of bioethanol, while the use …
An underground fire in an abandoned shaft has apparently killed 36 people who were illegally mining, the Harmony Gold Mining Company said Monday. The company said the bodies were brought to the surface by other illegal miners over the weekend at the Eland shaft in central South Africa. In a …
International cooperation is a cornerstone of efforts to combat climate change. The achievement of global climate change mitigation goals will require significant investment in emissions reduction in developing countries. International cooperation will be essential in providing the needed finance, capacity building, and technology transfer and development. To help advance international …
At least 55 whales stranded on a beach near Cape Town were put down or died after rescue teams failed to return them to the ocean, a sea rescue institute said on Sunday. Scientists shot 42 of the false killer whales on Saturday and 13 others perished, possibly from internal …
Phosphorus has been used extensively for over 100 years as a fertiliser in modern industrial agriculture. This underappreciated resource is still decades from running out. This paper published in Scientific American advises us to act now to conserve it, or the future agriculture could collapse. As complex as the chemistry …
Life evolved when the ocean nickel levels dropped evolution of life was preceded by a great rise in the atmospheric oxygen levels. There are a couple of theories as to what triggered that rise. While both talk about a decrease in the number of bacteria that produce methane (methanogens) and …
Many governments are ignoring alien invasive species such as weeds or rats that may be causing $1.4 trillion damage a year to the world economy, the head of the U.N. Environment Program (UNEP) said on Friday. "Time to get tough on alien species," UNEP head Achim Steiner wrote of insects, …
Politicians warring for votes in South African elections had an unanticipated problem. Posters were defaced by people wielding thick black markers, stencils, duct tape and spray-paint. African National Congress president Jacob Zuma suffered the worst, at least in Johannesburg. His detractors added horns to his visage, a forked tongue, a …
This book of case studies represents a collaborative effort to explore the potential of biofuels to provide sustainable livelihoods and local sources of energy for people in rural areas of developing countries, with a special emphasis on women. Although there are many forms of bio-energy that can be useful in …
Paints in general are differentiated into decorative or architectural paints and industrial paints. Lead is used in paints mainly as colouring agents. Lead is also used to make paints more durable and corrosion resistant. Lead based paint in older houses has long been associated with elevated blood lead in children …
It is a move that may draw flak or resistance, but when you look at the bigger picture, a ban on plastic bags and levying a tax on their use will do our surroundings a world of good.
This presentation by South Africa at the Major Economies Forum held in Washington in March 2009 focuses on national actions of countries and how they can address long-term objectives to combat climate change.
