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African Development

A presenter speaks before a room of conference goers at the AI Everything Kenya x GITEX Kenya Conference in Nairobi, held between 19 and 21 May 2026

Africa’s AI ambitions face structural tests, Nairobi summit concludes

AI Everything Kenya concluded with warnings on patent gaps, declining public trust, and the challenge of scaling African startups
Close-up of a smartphone screen showing a folder labelled "AI" with icons for ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Claude, Copilot, Gemini, Mistral AI, and Poe.
Artificial Intelligence

Nairobi hosts East Africa AI policy gathering as region eyes digital sovereignty

Senior policymakers and global tech leaders convene in Nairobi to shape East Africa's AI strategy and advance digital sovereignty
Anti-immigration demonstrators, wearing traditional Zulu attire, gather to stage a protest in Johannesburg, South Africa on 29 April, 2026. Participants voiced opposition to irregular migration during the demonstration.
African migration

Xenophobic sentiment in South Africa reaches highest level in two decades

Economic frustration and electoral politics are driving a sharp rise in hostility towards migrants in South Africa
Scattered South African rands notes against a white background.
Middle East war

The Middle East war is hurting Africa. Here is how the continent fights back

As the Middle East war pushes African currencies lower and borrowing costs higher, a Pretoria scholar sets out how the continent must respond
A laboratory technician in white protective gear and a face mask holds a rack of test tubes in a bright, modern molecular biology lab in Mozambique. In the background, another technician works at a large diagnostic machine.
Health Systems

US health deals offer Africa money — and take something far more valuable

Eighteen African countries have signed bilateral health deals with the US — but experts flag serious conditions in the fine print
A herd of cows standing side by side in pens in a barn.
Agricultural production

Factory farming’s African expansion threatens pastoral traditions and climate goals

Africa's traditional pastoral livestock farming, a centuries-old lifeline, is being supplanted as development banks pivot funds towards industrial, mass-scale production
A mother, carrying a baby on her back, getting a vaccine from a USAID mobile clinic in South Africa
ONE Campaign

Global Fund: after decades of progress against AIDS, TB and malaria, momentum falters

At a time when the world is on the verge of making incredible progress in reducing AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria-related deaths, some partners have stepped back from the fight
Landscape photograph of a brown mountain
Critical minerals

Critical minerals and technology dependency: key G20 issues for Africa

Thirty percent of the world’s critical minerals come from Africa, and their access is a priority for South Africa’s government during its G20 presidency this year
A river in the city of eThekwini in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province. eThekwini is addressing climate risks in the Greater Durban area by restoring rivers and implementing community-led management programmes. In addition to collecting more than 100 tonnes of waste and clearing 98 hectares of invasive species, the nature-based initiative has created more than 1,000 jobs since its launch in 2022.

Why funding nature-based solutions is crucial to tackling climate change and biodiversity loss

Nature-based investments are already profitable and scalable, and could create 395 million jobs by 2030, but receive only 15% of the investment of traditional climate solutions

More African Development

21 February 2024

African countries need to shift from exporting commodities to tapping domestic demand

Recent internal instability and external shocks have created a vicious cycle of economic and financial distress in Africa, raising questions about the continent's ability to shape its own destiny

A panoramic photo shows the rapidly growing sustainable energy network constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District at Toole Army Depot, Utah, March 22, 2016. When the two turbines, solar array, backup generators, battery storage systems, a micro grid and other planned renewable sources are operational, Tooele expects to become net zero by 2020 – going off grid and producing all of its own energy needs.
13 February 2024

Africa needs a grand revival plan from the West and China

Africa's crises have fuelled a surge in migration to Europe unlikely to abate soon unless rapid population growth is matched by improving economic conditions

An overcrowded refugee boat capsizes in the Mediterranean Sea. The current economic and political situation in Africa has already fuelled a sharp rise in migration. Last September (2023), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reported that more than 2,500 people had died or gone missing while trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe in the first nine months of 2023, with many more perishing before they reached the coast. During that same period, 130,000 migrants, many departing from Tunisia or Libya, landed in Italy. These numbers will increase sharply if Africa’s population growth is not coupled with improving economic conditions. Worryingly, the International Monetary Fund’s current forecasts suggest GDP growth of around 4 per cent in Sub-Saharan Africa for the next two years – well below long-term trends. The current influx of mass migration to European countries such as Italy, Spain, and Greece may be only the beginning.
1 February 2024

Fixes for Africa’s exploding debt and collapsing currencies

Highly indebted African countries face stark trade-offs between servicing expensive debt, supporting growing development needs, and stabilising domestic currencies

Storm clouds gathering over Accra, Ghana. Nineteen African countries, including Ghana and Zambia, are already in debt distress (meaning they are unable to meet financial obligations) or at high risk of debt distress. Ghana’s public debt has more than doubled since 2012 and amounts to 85 per cent of GDP. Zambia’s went up much higher and stood at 98 per cent as of 2022. Both Ghana and Zambia, along with Ethiopia, have defaulted on their foreign debt, sparking fears about a broader sovereign debt crisis on the continent if more countries fall into debt distress.
19 December 2023

Africa needs a surge in entrepreneurship

Limited access to finance has been cited as a binding constraint on African economic development, but what if the chronic shortage of entrepreneurs is equally limiting?

An overhead view of Kikuubo, Kampala's busiest market
8 December 2023

World Bank

Tanzania is a showcase for World Bank funding

The International Development Association is a major source of support for African countries struggling with mounting debt and shrinking fiscal space

Electricity infrastructure in Pemba, Tanzania. In May 2010, a submarine cable brought electricity from Tanga to Pemba (and on to the mainland). The cable was buried in the picturesque surroundings of Mkumbuu; three metres into the ground before rising to a mast about 120 metres from the water's edge. The cable continues to the Wesha substation, where "feeders" distribute the power to the island's grid. Norway paid NOK 475 million (out of a total cost of NOK 575 million). Norway also provided technical assistance to the project. The cable is now operated and maintained by the Zanzibar Electricity Corporation (ZECO).
3 December 2023

Building climate-resilient African cities — experts outline what is needed

Window of opportunity to secure liveable, equitable, and sustainable futures in the face of climate change is closing fast, more so for Africa

Bujumbura, the capital city of Burundi, on a rainy day. Seventy per cent of African cities have high vulnerability to climate shocks. Meanwhile, Africa is the fastest urbanising region in the world, and is already experiencing climate change impacts first-hand. Without drastic changes in the way energy is produced and consumed in African cities, carbon emissions will increase as these cities develop.
1 November 2023

How Africa can leverage diaspora funding for greater impact

More than $53bn in remittances were sent to sub-Saharan Africa in 2022, compared with $30bn in foreign direct investment and only $29bn in official development assistance

Woman using a knitting machine in northern Uganda
27 October 2023

Nurturing African futures: rethinking youth empowerment in a changing world

Africa's large young population requires education and training that fosters competitiveness, necessitating government collaboration with both the private sector and civil society

Eleven teenage students in Ghana, all seated
7 September 2023

Heatwaves, droughts, and neglected diseases – climate change’s toll on Africa

As global warming intensifies in Africa, the region faces mounting risks, from heightened migration pressures to the increased threat of infectious diseases.

Canoes on a parched wetland in Burkina Faso
4 September 2023

How to close Africa’s climate finance gap

Without urgent reforms, African nations won't raise the $2.8 trillion needed by 2030 to meet Paris Agreement emissions targets

Seedlings growing on coins, in soil medium