southern africalatest news & developments
“Extreme heat is not only a physical hazard; it affects mental health, air quality and the spread of infectious diseases, compounding the burden on vulnerable communities”. (Envato Elements)

Extreme heat is becoming Southern Africa’s defining climate and health threat, report warns

Extreme heat is no longer a future problem. A major new report warns it is intensifying inequality, illness and climate vulnerability across Southern Africa and the worst-hit are often those least able to escape it

Lobito Corridor: A new line for trade and investment

The corridor is strategically significant given that Zambia, Angola and the DRC are home to some of the world’s most significant deposits of critical minerals

In Mpumalanga and Limpopo, the floods killed at least 38 people. The Kruger National Park was forced to close. (SANParks)

Climate change and La Niña drove deadly southern Africa floods, analysis finds

The intensity of heavy downpours has increased by 40% since pre-industrial times, with some areas receiving more than a year’s rain in just days

Southern and East Africa plug into shared power future

Zambia and Zimbabwe have each committed US$220 million to restarting the long-delayed $4.2 billion Batoka Gorge Hydropower Station near Victoria Falls

Spies among the liberators

Part political thriller, part historical reckoning, the controversial book probes espionage claims that complicate the heroic narratives of Southern Africa’s liberation struggle

Invest: Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote met Zimbabwean President
Emmerson Mnangagwa to discuss business prospects.

Nigeria’s Dangote offers Zimbabwe hope

But ordinary Zimbabweans driven to cynicism after years of state corruption under the ruling Zanu-PF party are pessimistic

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s wealthiest entrepreneur and founder of the Dangote Group  met with Zimbabwe President Emmerson D. Mnangagwa at the State House to discuss significant investment prospects in cement production, coal mining, and power generation.  (ZanuPFOfficial/X)

Dangote plans transnational pipeline across Southern Africa

The project could change the production structure of Zimbabwe, with fuel landing at a lesser cost

the country’s climate future is fast becoming hotter, drier and more dangerous. (Delwyn Verasamy, M&G)

South Africa’s major climate threats — from drought to deadly heatwaves

From collapsing maize yields to a possible cyclone hitting Richards Bay, a Wits expert warns that South Africa’s climate future is fast becoming hotter, drier and more dangerous

Gift: Vus’umuzi Phakathi, winner of this year’s Toastmasters’ Southern African Champion of Public Speaking award. Picture: Supplied

The architecture of speech: How to be heard

Southern Africa’s top speaker, Vus’umuzi Phakathi, unpacks the architecture of a powerful speech, mental illness, transformation and becoming visible in white spaces in an interview with Dshamilja Roshani

Sign outside the offices of an organisation in Mozambique that was defunded by USAid. Photos: Jesse Copelyn

Mozambican children die after US funding cuts: Who bears responsibility?

The least the Trump administration could have done was provide ample warning that it was going to cut aid

A griffon vulture flies over the sky after released into nature after taken care of Celal Acar Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center at Uludag National Park in Bursa, Turkiye on January 04, 2024. The griffon vulture, which was in danger of extinction and was found injured and exhausted, was released into its natural habitat after treatment. (Photo by Semih Sahin/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Red alert for South Africa’s birds: 147 bird species threatened in South Africa, Lesotho & Eswatin

BirdLife South Africa publishes revised Red Data Book highlighting urgent bird conservation crisis in Southern Africa

Crops are likely to improve in the Southern Africa region after the 2024 drought broke.

Zambia maize production bounces back

The country could return to being a net exporter of maize and the domestic prices to moderate, easing the general food price inflation

King Mswati III. (File photo)

The despot next door: King Mswati’s greed and repression are a growing threat to southern Africa

As Swaziland descends deeper into dictatorship, the monarch’s influence is spreading, and his alliance with Jacob Zuma threatens the region’s democratic future

Funding cuts will reverse the progress made and weaken health systems.

Africa wins when women’s health is a priority. Here’s why

It is women and girls who will suffer the most from the funding crisis caused by cuts to development aid.

Misleading narratives are inflaming tensions between Southern African Development Community and East African Community nations.

The era of misinformation and disinformation is a global crisis

The battle against this manipulation is collective, requiring unified action from all who seek to preserve democracy and human rights

There is a good argument for Southern Africa to be positioned as a hub for beneficiation and manufacturing in the renewable energy and electric vehicle sectors, generating additional revenue, building local expertise and creating higher-value jobs.

Critical minerals a potential catalyst for sustainable growth in Southern Africa

Policies that attract investment while safeguarding long-term national interests can foster a conducive environment for cross-border investments

South Africa exported $13,2 billion of agricultural products in 2023. About 40% of this is to the African continent, but these exports are concentrated in Southern Africa.

A thriving agricultural sector requires stability in Southern Africa

The unrest in Mozambique plus restrictions on trade need to be resolved for South Africa and other countries in the region to boost agricultural production

Activists holding placards chant slogans as they demonstrate against the rising cases of gender based violence in Kenya marking the beginning of this year’s 16 Days of Activism. Kenya is actively participating in the 16 Days of Activism against GBV. (Photo by James Wakibia/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Heroes help turn the tide on gender-based violence in East and Southern Africa

Although these regions still have the highest figures for HIV, violence against women and girls and adolescent pregnancy, progress is being made

The South African agricultural sector is on solid ground for now and we shouldn’t be worried — but we should be vigilant.

La Niña may bring favourable weather, boosting optimism about food security in Southern Africa

The weather event is predicted to bring above-normal rainfall in January before easing up, but the northeast may remain dry

Graphic: John McCann

South Africa needs to embrace AI, says communications minister Solly Malatsi

Recent data shows that 60% of South African workers regularly use generative AI tools, ahead of those in several Western countries This content is restricted to registered users and subscribers. Get Your Free Account The Mail & Guardian is committed to providing all our readers with the best possible experience. Please register your free account now. Your registration is your first step to becoming an M&G community member. Register Registration enables: – M&G newsletters access – notifications – the best possible experience Already registered? Login here Want to subscribe and get even more benefits? Explore our subscription offers