Sunbeth Global Concepts Limited (www.Sunbeth.net), a leading agro-commodities sourcing and trading company, has announced the successful and timely redemption of its ₦25.1 billion Series 1 Commercial Paper (CP) issued under its ₦200 billion Commercial Paper Programme.
The redemption, completed on the notes’ maturity date of 4 September 2026, underscores the Company’s financial discipline, liquidity position and commitment to meeting its obligations to investors.
Sunbeth, one of Nigeria’s leading cocoa exporters and a significant contributor to the country’s non-oil export sector, secured regulatory approval in March 2026 to establish a ₦200 billion Commercial Paper Programme to support the continued growth of its agricultural export operations. Under the programme, the Company completed its Series 1, Series 2 and Series 3 issuances in March 2026, attracting total subscriptions of ₦165.73 billion against an initial target of ₦100 billion. Of this amount, Sunbeth accepted ₦150.4 billion across the three series, reflecting strong investor demand for the issuance Commenting on the redemption, Olasunkanmi Owoyemi, Chief Executive Officer, Sunbeth Global Concepts Limited, said:
“Meeting our Series 1 obligation in full and on schedule reflects the strength of our business fundamentals, prudent financial management and the confidence investors have placed in Sunbeth.
“Credibility is earned through consistent performance, transparency and honouring our commitments. As we continue to scale our participation across the agricultural value chain, maintaining that discipline remains central to how we grow.”
Adeyemi Aduwo, Chief Financial Officer of Sunbeth Global Concepts Limited, added:
“The successful redemption of the Series 1 notes reflects the disciplined approach we take to capital and liquidity management. Our focus remains on deploying capital efficiently, maintaining strong financial controls and ensuring that our growth is supported by a funding structure that enables us to meet our obligations as they fall due.”
In under ten years of operations, Sunbeth has grown into a significant player in Nigeria’s agricultural export ecosystem. The Company has exported more than 200,000 metric tonnes of cocoa beans and 60,000 metric tonnes of cashew nuts to international markets, positioning it among the country’s leading commodity exporters.
The Company works directly with more than 30,000 farmers and collaborates with over 250 local buying agents nationwide. Its global strategic partners include multinational commodity and financial institutions such as Cargill, GCB Group, JB Cocoa, Touton, Macquarie and StoneX.
Sunbeth currently holds investment-grade ratings across both short- and long-term categories from DataPro, GCR, Agusto & Co. and Intelligence Africa. The Company is rated A2 on the short-term scale by all four agencies, with long-term ratings of A by DataPro, BBB+ by GCR, BBB by Agusto & Co. and BBB+ by Intelligence Africa, the latter with a stable outlook.
Its Commercial Paper Programme is also subject to FMDQ Securities Exchange’s disclosure and reporting requirements, providing noteholders and the broader market with ongoing visibility into the Company’s financial position and performance.
The Company continues to deepen its procurement capacity, strengthen international partnerships and expand its participation across higher-value segments of the agricultural value chain in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa, where it continues to build a growing operational footprint.
– on behalf of Sunbeth Global Concepts.
About Sunbeth Global Concepts Limited:
Sunbeth Global Concepts is a global agro-commodities sourcing and trading company committed to empowering farmers and driving socio-economic impact through strategic partnerships, innovation and industry expertise.
Since its establishment in 2017, the Company has built strong roots in the cocoa industry and continues to expand its presence across the broader agricultural value chain, delivering sustainable growth and trusted solutions to partners worldwide.
His Excellency, President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Wednesday met with leaders of various political parties as South Sudan prepares to convene an Inter-Party Dialogue on September 17, 2026, to discuss the country’s electoral pathway and transitional political settlement ahead of the December 2026 elections.
The dialogue is intended to provide a broad-based platform for political parties and other stakeholders to discuss, negotiate and agree on key electoral issues that need to be settled before the elections while also identifying important post-election issues requiring national consensus to preserve peace, political legitimacy and continuity of state-building.
The dialogue is expected to bring together political parties and groups from across the political spectrum, including those outside the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement, to strengthen political understanding and create a conducive environment for peaceful, inclusive and credible elections.
Among the issues expected to be discussed are constituency boundaries and representation, independent candidacy, whether elections will be conducted at all levels at once or in phases, election financing and campaign funding, and security arrangements for candidates, rallies, polling centers, election materials and the transmission of results.
Political parties are also expected to discuss the political space available for campaigning, including freedom of assembly, movement and speech; the use of digital or manual systems for voter registration, voting, counting and results transmission; campaign modalities; and access for domestic, regional, continental and international election observers.
The dialogue will further consider mechanisms for preventing and resolving electoral disputes, including timely procedures for addressing complaints, as well as a political code of conduct committing participating parties to non-violence, lawful political engagement and peaceful competition.
Presidential Adviser on National Security Tut Gatluak Manime said the dialogue would go beyond electoral preparations and provide an opportunity for political leaders to address peace, security and national stability ahead of the polls.
The Inter-Party Dialogue is part of ongoing efforts to build political consensus, strengthen confidence among competing political forces and ensure that outstanding electoral and political questions are addressed through dialogue rather than confrontation.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Government of the Republic of South Sudan.
FSC (https://FSC.org) is pleased to announce the publication of the Interim Forest Stewardship Standard (IFSS) for Liberia which provides clear and practical guidance for responsible forest management in the country, supporting alignment with both national requirements and international expectations.
Liberia is the most forested country in West Africa, representing over half of the remaining rainforests in the region. Its forests account for approximately 42% of the Upper Guinean Forest of West Africa and are the largest remaining portion of this globally important forest area. The Upper Guinean Forest is recognized for its rich biodiversity and high number of endemic species.
According to Global Nature Watch (GNW) (https://apo-opa.co/4ypysaR), Liberia had 8.8 million hectares of natural forest in 2020, covering over 91% of its land area. GNW further indicates that the country lost 420,000 hectares of humid primary forest between 2002 and 2025 – a 10% decrease over the same period. The forestry sector contributes approximately 10% to Liberia’s annual GDP and directly employs around 10,400 people.
Recognizing the importance of responsible forestry in supporting both environmental and economic objectives, Gertrude Nyaley, Deputy Managing Director of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), stated:
Responsible forest management and FSC certification can play a critical role in achieving Liberia’s sustainable development goals.
Gertrude Nyaley further emphasized the importance of partnerships in advancing sustainable forest management:
Collaboration between the government and FSC is crucial for the successful implementation of sustainable practices and the protection of biodiversity.
Supporting responsible management and legal compliance
FSC developed this new standard between July 2022 and July 2024 in line with its procedure for the development of interim national standards (https://apo-opa.co/3SzRRqz) (FSC-PRO-60-007 V1-2). The process included two stakeholder consultation workshops held in Monrovia, Liberia, on 16 August 2023 and online on 29 April 2024, as well as two 60-day public consultations conducted between February and July 2024.
With rising global requirements such as the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) (https://apo-opa.co/3UMyv20), the IFSS offers a practical tool for demonstrating compliance with both legal obligations and market expectations.
At the national level, it helps forest managers, companies and communities implement responsible forest management in line with Liberia’s legal and institutional framework, including the 1984 Constitution, the National Forestry Reform Law (NFRL) of 2006, and the Ten Core Regulations of the FDA of 2007.
The standard applies to all forest ownership types – state, community and private – and supports the full range of forest rights and licencing systems established under the NFRL, including forest management contracts, timber sales contracts and forest use permits.
At the international level, the IFSS supports Liberia’s commitments under agreements such as:
the Convention on Biological Diversity;
CITES, i.e. the convention on international trade in endangered species;
the Ramsar Convention on the protection of wetlands and the sustainable use of their resources;
the ILO labour conventions;
the International Tropical Timber Agreement.
It also strengthens Liberia’s ongoing efforts under the Voluntary Partnership Agreement with the European Union signed in 2011, including the development of a timber legality assurance system.
Highlighting the broader importance of forest conservation in the context of climate change and sustainable trade, Gertrude Nyaley added:
Protecting Liberia’s forests is critical because they serve many purposes for humankind, especially in the face of global climate change. If we do not protect our forests, we risk so much on this planet. Through the FSC standard and group certification, even smallholders can come together to meet requirements, strengthen traceability, and ensure their products are responsibly sourced for international markets.
In this way, the new IFSS provides a practical framework to safeguard Liberia’s globally significant forests while supporting economic development, community livelihoods, and responsible access to international markets. By strengthening sustainable forest management and promoting responsible sourcing throughout the supply chain, the standard will help ensure that Liberia’s forests continue to deliver environmental, social, cultural, and economic benefits for generations to come.
Reflecting on the long-term responsibility of protecting these resources for future generations, Francis Nwah, representing the Liberian Ministry of Agriculture, concluded:
In Liberia, we say ‘eat some and keep some’. Do not raid the forest for the coming generation. Our people live from the forest. For many in rural areas, it provides food, medicine, and holds cultural and spiritual value as a sacred place.
Effective date and access
Effective date: IFSS for Liberia becomes effective on 15 December 2026.
For any queries on the development of the standard, please contact the FSC Country Requirements Programme at country_requirements@fsc.org.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Forest Stewardship Council.
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The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, the Republic of Türkiye, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Indonesia, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates welcome the decision of the Government of the United Kingdom to ban the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and to introduce restrictions on services linked to such settlements, and express the hope that this decision will help mobilize the international community to take similar actions in line with international law and hold accountable settlement organizations and individuals engaged in illegal settlement activities.
The Ministers also welcome the Joint Statement on the Two-State Solution issued by the Foreign Ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, confirming their intention to introduce national and/or support European restrictions on trade in goods with settlements that are illegal under international law, or to actively consider these and other measures in accordance with their respective national procedures. They encourage the international community to build on these steps and adopt concrete measures to bring an end to activities that support or sustain illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The Ministers consider the announced intentions to be in line with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, including United Nations Security Council resolution 2334 (2016), and the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice of 19 July 2024, including the obligation of all States not to recognize as legal the situation arising from Israel’s unlawful occupation and not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by Israel’s occupation. In this regard, they reiterate their call for Israel to rescind all measures taken in connection with settlement activities and other measures aimed at altering the geographic and demographic character of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The Ministers underscore that Gaza is an integral part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and call for the full and immediate implementation of President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, to ensure security and stability, address the humanitarian situation, facilitate reconstruction and recovery, and lay the foundations for lasting peace. The Ministers underscore that the only viable path to achieving a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace is the implementation of the two-State solution, through the realisation of an independent, sovereign, contiguous, and viable Palestinian State, based on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions.
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Blade Nzimande, will lead a South African delegation to the 19th Pujiang Innovation Forum in Shanghai, China, from 11 to 14 September 2026.
South Africa’s participation is especially significant because the country has been designated Country of Honour by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China and the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality.
The Forum takes place in the context of the upgraded bilateral relationship between South Africa and China, elevated in 2024 to an “All-Round Strategic Partnership in the New Era”. It also coincides with the 28th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.
Founded in 2008 and jointly hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Shanghai Municipal Government, the Pujiang Innovation Forum has become one of the world’s leading platforms for dialogue and cooperation in science, technology and innovation. It brings together policymakers, researchers, innovators, industry leaders and international partners to exchange ideas, deepen collaboration and explore solutions to shared global challenges.
The 2026 Forum will be held under the theme: “Sharing Innovation and Shaping the Future: The Mission of the Global Sci-Tech Community amid a New Round of Sci-Tech Revolution”.
As Country of Honour, South Africa will use the Forum to showcase its scientific excellence, innovation capabilities and the strength of its National System of Innovation. The country will participate in activities including:
the Ministerial Opening Ceremony;
plenary discussions and thematic sub-forums;
technology matchmaking and technology transfer engagements; and
exhibition activities highlighting South African innovations and research achievements.
Minister Nzimande said South Africa’s designation as Country of Honour reflects the growing strength of the bilateral relationship and the central role of science, technology and innovation as a pillar of cooperation between the two countries.
“South Africa’s participation in the 19th Pujiang Innovation Forum carries profound significance, particularly as we have been designated Guest Country of Honour. This prestigious role places South Africa at the centre of one of the world’s premier scientific and technological exchanges. It also provides a unique opportunity to showcase key South African advances in science, technology and innovation, while strengthening STI relations between South Africa, Africa, China and the broader Global South,” said Minister Nzimande.
The South African delegation will include representatives from the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation and institutions across the National System of Innovation, including the South African Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure, the University of the Witwatersrand, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Technology Innovation Agency, the University of Cape Town and the South African Medical Research Council.
Through the South African pavilion, these organisations will showcase cutting-edge research, technological innovations and collaborative programmes that demonstrate the country’s scientific excellence and contribution to addressing global challenges. Exhibits will include the African Medicines Innovation and Technology Development platform of the University of the Free State, technologies developed by South African start-ups supported through the DSTI’s Grassroots Innovation Programme, and advances in space science and technology led by the South African National Space Agency.
South Africa will also host a dedicated national pavilion and cultural showcase to promote people-to-people exchanges and strengthen ties between the two countries.
Given the Forum’s role in connecting regional innovation partners across Asia, South Africa’s participation will support the country’s broader internationalisation objectives, including those set out in the Decadal Plan on Science, Technology and Innovation.
The Forum will help South Africa leverage existing and new partnerships and joint ventures with China and other international partners. These collaborations are intended to advance inclusive economic growth, strengthen industrial competitiveness, build human capabilities and support societal transformation.
Priority areas of cooperation include:
climate change and sustainability;
health innovation and biotechnology;
space science and astronomy;
artificial intelligence and digital innovation;
green hydrogen and the energy transition;
advanced manufacturing and mining innovation;
oceans and polar research;
open science; and
science communication.
The Forum is expected to strengthen institutional partnerships, promote knowledge exchange, support collaborative research and innovation initiatives, and create new opportunities for South African researchers, innovators, science councils, universities and industry partners to engage with counterparts from China and other countries.
– on behalf of Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, Republic of South Africa.
The Chairperson of the Portfolio on Science, Technology and Innovation, Ms Lusizo Makhubela, will give a keynote address on behalf of the committee to the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) Annual Young Scientist Conference, which will take place at the Water Sisulu University from 13 to 15 September 2026.
The conference will take place under the theme “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063”. According to the conference organisers, the theme aligns directly with the African Union’s continental focus on elevating water and sanitation security as critical drivers for public health, economic transformation, and climate resilience across Africa.
ASSAf’s mandate encompasses all fields of scientific enquiry, drawing on the full diversity of South Africa’s distinguished scientists to apply scientific thinking in the service of society. The primary objective of the ASSAf Annual Young Scientists’ Conference is to promote youth participation in science, technology, and innovation by providing a dynamic platform for outstanding early-career researchers across South Africa and the African continent.
Ms Makhubela said the committee has an oversight role over the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation and its entities, and supports the promotion of youth participation in science, technology and innovation fields. She said youth is Sout Africa’s future, but without scientific, technological and innovative knowledge there is no future as the world becomes scientific.
– on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
Employment and Labour intensifies workplace inspections in Mpumalanga
The Department of Employment and Labour in Mpumalanga is intensifying its efforts to promote compliance with labour legislation through a province-wide Blitz Inspection Campaign across the three district municipalities; Nkangala, Gert Sibande and Ehlanzeni.
The campaign is taking place from 07 to 11 September 2026.
The inspections are being conducted by teams of Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) and Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) inspectors, who will visit workplaces across various sectors to assess compliance with employment standards and occupational health and safety requirements.
The blitz inspections form part of the department’s ongoing mandate to protect workers, promote decent working conditions and ensure that employers comply with South Africa’s labour laws.
BCEA inspections are focused, among other matters, on employment conditions such as working hours, remuneration, leave provisions, employment contracts and other statutory requirements. OHSA inspectors will assess workplace health and safety measures, including employers’ compliance with prescribed occupational health and safety standards and the protection of employees from workplace hazards.
The department said it will engage employers and workers during the inspections, provide guidance on areas of non-compliance and take appropriate enforcement action where necessary.
The Provincial Chief Inspector, Boikie Mampuru, emphasised the importance of employers taking responsibility for creating safe and compliant workplaces.
“These blitz inspections are an important part of our enforcement mandate. We want to ensure that workers are protected and that employers understand and comply with the legislation governing the workplace. Where non-compliance is identified, the department will take the necessary steps in line with the law,” Mampuru said.
The department is encouraging employers to cooperate with inspectors and ensure that all required workplace records, policies and health and safety documentation are readily available for inspection.
Workers are also encouraged to understand their rights and responsibilities in the workplace and to report instances of non-compliance through the department’s appropriate channels.
The Department of Employment and Labour said it remains committed to strengthening labour-law compliance and ensuring that all workers in Mpumalanga have access to decent, safe and fair working conditions. – SAnews.gov.za
Disaster management monitors NW storm damage to fast-track relief
The North West Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) continues to monitor the situation across the province to fast-track reconstruction, relief and rehabilitation efforts following severe weather that caused widespread damage over the past weekend.
In an update report issued on Wednesday, the PDMC said it had embarked on a risk and vulnerability assessment to determine the extent and severity of damage caused by strong winds, heavy rainfall and storms between 4 and 6 September 2026.
The severe weather conditions followed an Orange Level 6 warning issued by the South African Weather Service (SAWS), resulting in widespread destruction, structural damage to private and public property, flooded roads and bridges, as well as power outages in some areas.
Following the weather warning, the PDMC activated a Provincial Joint Coordinating Committee (PJCC) – through the heads of the District Management Centres (DMCs) – to ensure a coordinated response to potential disaster incidents.
Head of the PDMC, Tebogo Gaolaolwe, said the North West is among the worst-affected provinces.
“According to our initial reports, critical infrastructure has been affected. This includes healthcare facilities, roads and libraries. We can confirm that 60 schools have also been affected,” Gaolaolwe said.
Gaolaolwe noted that the most damage experienced by the province is to residential property, where 53 houses and 21 informal settlements in Bojanala District were damaged.
In the Ngaka Modiri Molema District, 94 houses were damaged, with two injuries reported in Danville following a house fire and one fatality recorded in Mareetsane village outside Mahikeng,” Gaolaolwe said.
“In the Ngaka Modiri Molema District, 94 houses were damaged, with two injuries [reported] in Danville following a house fire and one fatal incident recorded in Mareetsane village, outside Mahikeng.
“In Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, 32 houses were reportedly damaged, with 11 affected by flooding in the Mamusa, Greater Taung and Kagisano Molopo Local Municipalities. In Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, the Matlosana and Maquassi Hills Local Municipalities are the most affected, with thirteen 13 houses damaged,” Gaolaolwe said.
Gaolaolwe said water level indicators erected on the N14 road between Vryburg and Kuruman showed rising water levels following heavy rainfall, affecting the reopening of the road to heavy motor vehicles.
Preliminary reports are currently being collated to inform requests for assistance through the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC).
“We are already in engagements with the NDMC through our advisory forum. At this point, we have moved beyond the declaration and have reached the level of classification of the disaster, so that funding can be reprioritised and reallocated to assist affected sector departments, including municipalities,” Gaolaolwe said.
Affected families in various local municipalities have received assistance in the form of blankets, mattresses and food parcels, while others have been referred to the Department of Social Development, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and the Red Cross, among other organisations.
The PDMC, as the coordinating authority of the PJCC (Provincial Joint Coordinating Committee), including sector departments, municipalities, traditional authorities and government entities, continues to monitor developments throughout the province.
The ongoing monitoring and assessment will inform further interventions aimed at accelerating relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation in communities affected by the severe weather. – SAnews.gov.za
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Kamaldeen O L Omosanya, Research Fellow, Department of Earth Science, University of the Western Cape, University of the Western Cape
From the Vredefort Dome in South Africa (the world’s oldest and largest known meteorite-impact structure) to the volcanic lakes of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, Africa’s landscapes hold some of Earth’s oldest stories. Morocco’s M’Goun Unesco Global Geopark records more than 200 million years of geological history, while Tanzania’s Ngorongoro-Lengai landscape brings together a vast caldera, an active volcano and the fossil record of Olduvai Gorge.
These places are not simply beautiful. Their rocks, fossils, caves, craters and river valleys preserve evidence of ancient climates, vanished environments, human origins and changes in the Earth’s surface. They are part of Africa’s geoheritage: geological features and processes with scientific, educational and cultural value.
Yet much of this heritage in Africa remains poorly documented and unevenly protected. Many countries lack formal inventories of important geological sites. Legal protection is inconsistent, public awareness is limited and responsibility is often split between geological surveys, universities, conservation agencies and tourism authorities.
When a place is missing from an inventory or map, it is also more likely to disappear online. It may never be photographed systematically, modelled in three dimensions or added to searchable databases. That makes it harder for researchers, teachers, visitors and funders to find. The under-representation of African journals in major academic databases deepens the problem.
I am a research fellow at the University of Western Cape, South Africa, geoscientist and founder of DigGeoNaija, which explores how digital tools can document, interpret and promote Africa’s geological heritage. In a recent study, I examined the visibility of Africa in the international literature on digital geoheritage.
A global digital transformation, with Africa at the margins
Around the world, heritage managers are using geographic information systems (GIS), satellite imagery, drones, photogrammetry, laser scanning, 3D modelling, virtual reality and artificial intelligence to record and explain geological sites. These tools can reveal erosion, quarrying and vandalism. They can also give students and researchers access to places that are distant or fragile, while helping visitors understand a landscape before they arrive.
There are African projects that show what is possible. At M’Goun, researchers created digital records for 13 geological sites, combining photographs, location data and descriptions in an interactive map. The geopark also offers 360-degree virtual visits to selected geosites.
The African Fossils virtual laboratory is another example. Anyone with an internet connection can examine 3D models of fossils, ancient tools and other objects, many from the Lake Turkana region of Kenya. Lake Turkana and its surrounding basin are internationally important to the study of human origins because of the fossils and archaeological material discovered there. Some of the digital models can also be downloaded for 3D printing. This does not replace museums, local guides or field visits. Instead, it broadens access and can encourage deeper engagement with the landscapes and communities behind the material.
What my study found
I analysed publication records in Scopus and Web of Science, two major academic citation databases, searching for research about geoheritage sites. This was not a complete census of every African project, community initiative or unpublished archive. But it measured Africa’s visibility in influential indexed research on geoheritage.
Updated Plot.
The result was striking. The global Scopus search returned 885 publications, but only 31 were Africa-related. Web of Science returned 534 publications, of which 20 concerned Africa. In both datasets, Africa accounted for fewer than 4% of the results from 2001 to 2025. No African country appeared among the ten leading global contributors or case-study locations. Within Africa, publications were concentrated mainly in Morocco, Egypt and South Africa, with Ethiopia also more visible than most countries. Many nations with major fossil, volcanic, desert and impact-crater landscapes had little or no representation.
This does not rank the value of any country’s geological heritage. The pattern probably reflects unequal funding, limited access to equipment, differences in institutional capacity, international partnerships and the greater likelihood that research from some countries reaches indexed journals.
The central point is simple: visibility influences what gets researched, funded, taught and protected. Closing this gap is about providing better evidence for conservation, education, tourism and local decision-making.
Why digital visibility matters
First, documentation supports protection. Decision-makers cannot safeguard what has never been identified or assessed. A geosite may be damaged by mining, road construction, uncontrolled collecting, urban growth or poorly managed tourism before its value is understood. Digital records cannot stop destruction, but they create evidence of a site’s importance and condition.
Second, visibility can create economic opportunity. Geoheritage can expand African tourism beyond wildlife, beaches and major monuments. When carefully managed, places such as Baringo and M’Goun can support local guides, accommodation, museums, transport, crafts and food businesses. The benefits must be shared with communities.
Third, digital resources make Earth science more relevant to African students. A learner should be able to study volcanic landforms in Tanzania, Nigerian inselbergs, Ethiopian fossil sites or Saharan landscapes through maps and models. Africa’s evidence also matters to global science. Without it, our understanding of Earth’s history remains incomplete.
What needs to happen next
The answer is not simply to buy expensive virtual-reality equipment. The first task is to build reliable, searchable inventories of geological sites. Governments, universities, geological surveys, tourism agencies and conservation bodies need shared methods for identifying sites, assessing their significance and recording threats.
There are foundations to build on. Unesco has supported capacity-building and aspiring geoparks such as Baringo. M’Goun has shown how field information can become a useful public map. In Nigeria, DigGeoNaija is developing a university-linked programme for GIS documentation, virtual interpretation and promotion, with Olumo Rock as an early pilot site.
Investment in people matters as much as technology. Young African geoscientists need training in mapping, remote sensing, drone surveying, 3D modelling, database management and public communication. They also need skills in preserving files, managing metadata, securing community consent and maintaining platforms after funding ends.
Regional collaboration could lower costs through shared standards, multilingual platforms, equipment centres, training programmes and repositories. Research searches must also extend beyond Scopus and Web of Science to African Journals Online, institutional repositories and national publications.
Most importantly, local communities must be partners from the beginning. Geological sites are often tied to oral histories, spiritual traditions, livelihoods and identity. Digital documentation should not remove knowledge or authority from the people who live with these landscapes. It should help them tell their own stories and shape decisions about access, tourism and commercial use.
Africa’s geological heritage has always been here. What is missing is consistent documentation, protection and visibility. With sustained investment, African leadership and community participation, these ancient landscapes can become better-protected scientific archives, living classrooms and responsibly managed sources of local pride.
The rocks already hold the stories. The task is to make sure people can find them, understand them and protect them.
– Africa’s rocks hold ancient stories. We need better ways to document and protect them – https://theconversation.com/africas-rocks-hold-ancient-stories-we-need-better-ways-to-document-and-protect-them-286864
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By De Wet Swanepoel, Professor in Audiology in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria
Hearing loss affects more than 1.5 billion people worldwide. Close to 80% live in low – and middle – income countries, where hearing care is out of reach for most. In Africa, an estimated 136 million people live with hearing loss, a figure expected to more than double to 337 million by 2050. Yet fewer than 2% of people on the continent who need a hearing aid have one.
This shortfall is not a minor inconvenience but a major public health crisis. Left unaddressed, hearing loss drives costs across healthcare, education and productivity, falling hardest on children, whose language development and schooling depend on being able to hear. A 2024 Lancet Commission report identified it as one of the largest modifiable risk factors for dementia. The World Health Organization puts the annual global cost of unaddressed hearing loss at close to a trillion US dollars (page 10).
Despite this, access to care remains scarce. There are too few audiologists (fewer than one for every million people in many African countries), hearing aids cost more than a year’s income for many households, services are concentrated in cities and a persistent stigma keeps people from seeking help even where it exists.
Our research team at the University of Pretoria, where I head the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for the Prevention of Deafness and Hearing Loss – the only such centre on the continent – has spent the past decade pioneering ways to close this gap. Our latest study reviews a decade of evidence on whether hearing care can be delivered outside clinics, by people who aren’t specialists.
Our data shows that the pieces are now in place. Affordable devices, automated mobile testing tools and non-specialist training have each been shown to work. Together they form a care pathway that can deliver hearing services to most adults with hearing loss outside clinics – meeting people where they are.
Rethinking who provides frontline community care
The traditional model for fitting a hearing aid has barely changed in decades: a patient visits an audiologist, undergoes testing in a soundproof booth and returns for several follow-up appointments. That works reasonably well where specialists are plentiful. It cannot scale in places where the nearest audiologist is hours away.
What our work shows is that this no longer has to be the only way. Over the past several years, our research group and others have been testing a “high-tech, soft-touch” approach: training community health workers – trusted, non-specialist members of the community – to carry out the essential steps of hearing care themselves, using smartphones and tablets loaded with validated apps. This is already happening in three low-income communities in South Africa: Khayelitsha and Mbekweni in the Western Cape, and Atteridgeville in Gauteng.
The process typically runs through five steps: a tablet or smartphone hearing test; an ear examination using a small camera attached to the phone; a chance to try a hearing aid; fitting of an affordable, rechargeable device; and several weeks of support delivered by text message or WhatsApp. A remote audiologist checks the results without ever needing to be in the room. In several of our South African studies, a single visit was enough for a person to walk away wearing a hearing aid fitted to their own hearing loss.
Much of this evidence comes from work with the hearX Foundation, the non-profit implementation partner of our research centre. Led by audiologist Tersia de Kock, the foundation trains and manages the community health workers.
Does it actually work?
Community health workers have now fitted hearing aids for hundreds of adults across South Africa, and outcomes – hearing aid use, satisfaction, quality of life – are broadly comparable to traditional clinic-based care. In several of our studies, we found that more than 70% of people were still using their devices six months on, a retention rate that compares favourably with many specialist-led programmes in high-income countries.
Two developments have made this possible. The first is the emergence, largely over the past decade, of affordable digital technologies for ear and hearing assessment that rely on automated testing that can be facilitated by community health workers with minimal training. The second is low-cost preset hearing aids that don’t need individual programming by an audiologist and that increasingly use rechargeable batteries. This removes one of the most underestimated barriers to hearing aid use in poorer communities: reliable access to disposable batteries.
None of this means the model is perfect. Most evidence so far comes from small studies run by research teams, not from health systems delivering this care routinely at scale. Brazil and India offer a glimpse of what that could look like: both have built hearing care into their national public health systems at scale. We also don’t yet know enough about long-term outcomes when people select their own hearing aid programme rather than having one fitted to clinical hearing test results, called an audiogram.
And stigma remains a barrier that technology alone won’t solve. Some people see hearing aids as a sign of old age, and sometimes cultural beliefs link hearing loss to misfortune. Our recent review of stigma in low- and middle-income countries found that generic awareness campaigns developed for wealthier countries made little difference. What does work is education delivered by trusted local figures (community leaders, religious institutions, peer networks) and grounded in local beliefs and language.
What needs to happen now
The case for investment is unusually strong, even by public health standards. The World Health Organization estimates that scaling up ear and hearing care globally would cost less than US$1.40 per person per year, yet return nearly $16 for every dollar invested over a decade in health, productivity and broader societal gains.
What’s missing is political will. Governments need to fold hearing care into national health insurance schemes, remove the import tariffs that inflate hearing aid prices in many African countries, and invest in training and supporting community health workers. And the few audiologists there are should be deployed to train, support and oversee these community-based services.
Multiplying the reach of hearing care across the hundreds of millions of people still waiting will take more than good technology. It will take the same ingredient our research keeps pointing back to: someone in the community, equipped and trusted to help.
– Fewer than 2% of Africans who need hearing aids have them, but new solutions offer hope – https://theconversation.com/fewer-than-2-of-africans-who-need-hearing-aids-have-them-but-new-solutions-offer-hope-289668
