Sisi Afrika Magazine

he Conversation Africa is an independent source of news and views from the academic and research community, delivered direct to the public.

Our team of professional editors work with university and research institute experts to unlock their knowledge for use by the wider public.

Access to independent, high quality, authenticated, explanatory journalism underpins a functioning democracy. Our aim is to promote better understanding of current affairs and complex issues. And hopefully allow for a better quality of public discourse and conversation.

African Cultural Knowledge

Death and mourning in Ghana: how gender shapes the rituals of the Akan people

Mourning rituals are another area of life that’s shaped by gender in Ghana – as in many other cultures of the world.

Science & Health

Libya dam collapse: engineering expert raises questions about management

More than 11,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands are missing following the catastrophic collapse of two dams in the eastern Libyan city of Derna.

Geopolitics

Africa is being courted by China, Russia and the US. Why the continent shouldn’t pick sides

I am a scholar of geopolitics and have conducted research on the continent’s trade ties to the major powers. My findings have led me to the conclusion that Africa can gain more by being neutral than by picking sides.

Book Reviews & Literary Criticism

Winnie and Mandela biography: a masterful tale of South Africa’s troubled, iconic power couple

Four days from death in December 2013, Nelson is in an advanced state of dementia and refuses to eat. Graça Machel, his third wife, invites his estranged second wife, Winnie, to be with him, noting that she was “Nelson’s great love”, and it’s Winnie who feeds him.

Politics & Economy

What caused the coup in Niger? An expert outlines three driving factors

The current coup plotters have blamed rising insecurity and a lack of economic growth. They stated that the intervention was necessary to avoid “the gradual and inevitable demise” of the country. I believe, however, there are other issues that precipitated the latest coup d’etat.

Politics & Economy

Egypt and Ethiopia are finally working on a water deal – what that means for other Nile River states

Ethiopia, whose highlands provide more than 85% of the water that flows into the Nile, has long argued that it has the right under international law to manage resources within its own borders for its national development. It sees the “Nile as a gift of God” given to Ethiopians to use for their development.

Politics & Economy

Russia summit is an opportunity for Africa to unite on Ukraine and get Wagner out of the continent

African participants at the St Petersburg summit must make their collective voice heard on Wagner Group mercenaries in African conflicts.

Politics & Economy

Food Crisis in Africa: The High Cost of Imported Fertilisers is Adding to the Problem

Global fertiliser suppliers have made incredibly high profits in 2022/23 on the back of price spikes attributed to the Russia-Ukraine war. The profits of the world’s top nine producers trebled in 2022 from two years previously. The margins and impacts have been even greater on fertiliser supplies to African farmers.

Markets & Investments

Nigeria: The Dark Side of the Mobile Money System

Mobile money systems have effectively replaced cash and traditional bank accounts, enabling financial inclusion and improving the financial well-being of customers. The financial inclusion rate increased from 56.8% in 2016 to 63.2% in 2018. But it is important to recognise that these systems are not without challenges.

Science & Health

Illegal Organ Trade: Who is Behind it and How Can it be Controlled?

The organ trade is a complex crime and is fuelled by the high demand for organ transplants and rising global inequalities. The root causes of the trade need to be addressed, and stronger responses (not necessarily laws) are needed to tackle the more organised and exploitative forms of the trade.