English – Page 82 – MIL Africa Engine

March 23, 2026

African cities are diverse and thriving, but face many challenges. How to make them healthier

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Elaine Nsoesie, Assistant Professor, Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston University

A new book called Urban Health in Africa explores how rapid urbanisation across the continent shapes public health and wellbeing. Drawing on diverse research and case studies, the book reframes African cities not just as sites of challenge, but as places of innovation, resilience and opportunity.

We spoke to global health researcher Elaine Nsoesie and urbanisation and wellbeing sociologist Blessing Mberu, co-editors of the book, to explore why the stories of African cities matter, and what it will take to build inclusive, healthy urban futures.

What’s one thing about urban life in Africa that you think more people should appreciate?

African cities work, but not always like cities in other regions. In the book, we quote the following text by AbdouMaliq Simone, who works on issues of spatial composition in urban regions:

In city after city, one can witness an incessant throbbing produced by the intense proximity of hundreds of activities: cooking, reciting, selling, loading and unloading, fighting, praying, relaxing, pounding, and buying, all side by side on stages too cramped, too deteriorated, too clogged with waste, history, and disparate energy, and sweat to sustain all of them. And yet they persist.

That persistence matters. Too often, discussions about African cities focus only on their problems. These include inadequate infrastructure, rapid urbanisation and informal settlements. What gets lost is their remarkable functionality and their diversity. No single city can represent the entire continent. Lagos is not Nairobi; Accra is not Dakar. Each has its own history, governance structures and contemporary challenges. Treating them all the same flattens this complexity.

Yes, these cities face serious challenges. But they’re also home to innovative urban experts, effective policy solutions and technological breakthroughs designed for their specific contexts. The question isn’t whether African cities work. It is whether we’re paying attention to how they work, documenting how they are addressing challenges related to health and learning from their solutions.

Was there a story or example that really stayed with you?

When we set out to write this book, we knew we had to start with history. You can’t understand health in African cities today without understanding how colonialism shaped the built environment and urban citizenship. We wanted readers to see how historical forces combined with rural-urban migration, population growth and policies created the urban landscapes affecting millions of lives today.

Our second goal was to map the social determinants of health – the conditions of the environments in which people are born, live, play, work and learn – shaping African cities. We focused on informal settlements and slums because they’ve become defining features of urban Africa. We examined how residents navigate daily struggles: inadequate housing, water and sanitation; air pollution; transportation; food insecurity. We didn’t want to present these as isolated problems. We wanted to show how they’re interconnected challenges that affect many communities.

One of our favourite chapters is in this section. The chapter explores how transport affects health in African cities – both the risks and the benefits. For example, the availability of transportation increases access to hospitals and schools, while vehicles also cause traffic injuries and air pollution. The authors also discuss distinctive forms of public transport that African cities share that you won’t find in most other parts of the world.

Motorcycle taxis, for example, have different names. They are called boda bodas in Kampala, okadas in Lagos. Commuter minibuses are referred to as poda-poda in Freetown, trotro in Accra, daladala in Dar es Salaam, matatu in Kenya, car rapides in Dakar, kamuny in Kampala, gbaka in Abidjan, esprit de mort in Kinshasa, candongueiros in Luanda, sotrama in Bamako, songa kidogo in Kigali.

Freetown, Sierra Leone. Getty Images

The chapter captures a major theme in the book; while these cities are different, policies that have been effective in one city can be adopted to address the needs of residents in another city.

In addition to the social determinants of health, we had another section that addressed Africa’s unique demographic reality: these cities are young. We dedicated sections to how urban environments shape young lives, particularly around sexual and reproductive health. We also highlighted the growing epidemic of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes and hypertension. Studies have shown an association between the rate of urbanisation in Africa and an increase in chronic diseases because of issues such as adoption of unhealthy western diets, lack of spaces to exercise, and sedentary behaviours.

To showcase how some cities are addressing the challenges related to the social determinants of health, we included case studies on air quality in Kampala, new mental health initiatives in Yaoundé, an approach to reducing school dropouts in Arusha, integrated planning transforming informal settlements in Nairobi, and digital health innovations. The case studies demonstrate that effective solutions incorporate community voices and the local context.

Your book outlines a future for urban health in Africa. What do you see?

Our final chapters make explicit what we believe must happen next. We need public health professionals, urban planners, physicians, nurses, community health workers, policy advocates and water and waste managers working together. We need educational programmes focused specifically on urban health. Most critically, we need strong local, national and regional governance to turn plans into reality.

But we also need to elevate youth voices, ideas and innovations across the continent. According to United Nations estimates, about 40% of Africans were under 15 in 2020, and nearly 60% were under 25 – the largest proportion of young people of any region worldwide.

Young people are shaping African cities and they will live with the consequences of whatever decisions are made today.

What motivated the publication of this book, and why now?

When we started this project there weren’t any books on urban health in Africa written by Africans working to address the various challenges faced by urban residents. An estimated 46% of Africa’s 1.3 billion people live in urban areas. Africa is also the continent with the fastest urbanisation rate, with 50% to 65% of the population projected to live in urban areas by 2050. Despite having urban challenges similar to those in other regions, some of the issues that cities in Africa face are unique.

We wanted to bring together researchers and practitioners with diverse expertise and deep knowledge of the challenges people face in cities. We wanted to look at these challenges, the policies that have been effective and recommendations about what must be done to improve the health of residents.

– African cities are diverse and thriving, but face many challenges. How to make them healthier
– https://theconversation.com/african-cities-are-diverse-and-thriving-but-face-many-challenges-how-to-make-them-healthier-274647

March 23, 2026

Bad rural roads in South Africa aren’t just a technical problem – they block people’s rights: report

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Siyabulela Christopher Fobosi, Senior Researcher, UNESCO ‘Oliver Tambo’ Chair of Human Rights, University of Fort Hare, University of Fort Hare

In many rural parts of South Africa, getting to a hospital, school or workplace depends on the condition of a gravel road. When that road collapses during rain or potholes make it impassable, the consequences are immediate: ambulances cannot reach patients, children miss school, workers lose income.

This is the reality for many communities in the Eastern Cape, one of South Africa’s poorest provinces. Here, four out of every five children live in households whose monthly income isn’t enough to meet their basic needs. In 2024, nearly 50% of children in the Eastern Cape lived in households without a single employed adult – the highest rate in the country.

A recent study in one Eastern Cape community documents that the roads are so degraded – from poorly maintained gravel to crumbling asphalt – that they actively cut residents off from healthcare, education and markets.

The problem is often described simply as a failure of service delivery. But this explanation is incomplete. My research as a sociologist with a particular interest in the transport sector suggests that the decay of rural roads reflects something deeper. It is not a breakdown, but a continuation. A regime of inequality continues to shape infrastructure development long after the end of apartheid.

The poor infrastructure is a direct legacy of apartheid’s spatial planning, which from 1948 to 1994 systematically underdeveloped rural “homelands” like the former Transkei (now in the Eastern Cape) to confine and control the Black majority.

Today’s neglected roads still physically isolate communities, restrict their access to markets and services, and demonstrate how the state, through inaction and underfunding, maintains the barriers established by its predecessor.

In my study, I drew on the 2023 inquiry conducted by the South African Human Rights Commission into the state of rural roads in the province. The inquiry was convened in response to a pattern of complaints received by the Commission from rural communities over several years. I served on the panel for this inquiry, which heard oral testimonies from affected community members and farmers, and received detailed written submissions from key stakeholders.

A key finding was that only 9% of the province’s roads are paved, compared to a national average of 25%. The inquiry found that poor road infrastructure limits people’s ability to access essential services enshrined as constitutional rights, such as healthcare, education and social support.

Roads as a system of power

Infrastructure is often seen as neutral – roads, bridges and railways that simply allow people and goods to move. But infrastructure also reflects political choices about who receives investment and who is left behind.

A snapshot of this is evident in the provincial budget for roads in the Eastern Cape. The human rights inquiry report reveals that the Eastern Cape Department of Transport receives an annual allocation of about R2.5 billion (almost US$150 million) for its road network. But the department itself estimates a capital backlog of R30.5 billion just to bring roads up to an acceptable standard.

While the annual budget allows for upgrading only about 42km of road per year (at an average cost per kilometre of R18 million, or over US$1 million), the province has over 36,000km of unpaved roads – a legacy of apartheid-era neglect.

This is not a technical failure. It is a political choice to perpetuate a system where the most vulnerable communities remain isolated.

Three decades after democracy, many of these patterns remain visible. And the effects continue to ripple through everyday life.

The everyday harm of infrastructure decay

For rural residents, road deterioration is not just an inconvenience. It produces what scholars call slow, everyday harm.

Ambulances struggle to reach remote villages, delaying medical care. School transport is disrupted when buses cannot travel on damaged roads. Farmers face difficulties transporting goods to markets. Public transport services often avoid areas where roads are impassable.

Eastern Cape road. S.C. Fobosi, Author provided (no reuse)

These impacts accumulate over time, affecting livelihoods, health and dignity.

In some cases, residents must walk long distances because vehicles cannot reach their communities. During heavy rains, entire villages can become temporarily isolated.

This situation highlights how infrastructure shapes social inequality. When roads deteriorate, the burden falls disproportionately on people who already face economic and geographic marginalisation.

Why the problem persists

Several factors contribute to the continued deterioration of rural roads.

The first is the massive historical backlog.

Second, the funding model is fundamentally inadequate. The inquiry report details that the Eastern Cape relies almost entirely on the Provincial Roads Maintenance Grant. Provincial Treasury itself argued that the national funding formula, based on population, fails to account for the province’s vast geography and historical infrastructure deficit.

Third, governance and capacity issues are rife. Submissions from the Auditor General highlighted repeated financial mismanagement within the Department of Transport, including fruitless and wasteful expenditure on contracts. Municipalities, tasked with maintaining local roads, often lack the resources and the technical capacity to effectively use management systems.

Fourth, the impact of climate change is accelerating decay. The inquiry heard from multiple municipalities about how increasingly severe weather events overwhelm their ability to respond.

Finally, a lack of coordination and accountability. The report notes that despite clear legal mandates, there is often poor planning between the provincial department, the national roads agency and municipalities, leading to misaligned priorities and slow project implementation.

Urban areas and major highways receive priority funding because they are economically strategic. This is not a uniquely South African phenomenon – it is a global pattern. The World Bank estimates that 80% of the world’s poorest people reside in rural areas.

Rural roads tend to receive less consistent maintenance. When maintenance is consistently deferred, costs climb.

Meanwhile, funds that could be used for this upkeep are often tied up elsewhere. A recent Auditor-General’s report found that municipal infrastructure projects nationally face average delays of 17 to 26 months, and all South African municipalities combined spend only 4% of the total value of their assets on maintenance.

These numbers show that the deterioration of rural roads is not an accident, but the predictable outcome of political choices not to invest in marginalised communities.

Communities stepping in

Despite these challenges, rural residents are not passive victims of infrastructure neglect.

Across parts of the Eastern Cape, communities have organised to repair roads themselves. Residents fill potholes, clear drainage channels and use local materials to stabilise damaged sections of road.

Rural road, Eastern Cape. S.C. Fobosi

These efforts are often informal and rely on collective labour rather than state support. They reflect what scholars sometimes call “insurgent infrastructure” – grassroots initiatives that emerge when the state fails to maintain essential services.

While such actions demonstrate community resilience, they also highlight the scale of the problem. Road infrastructure is expensive and technically complex to maintain. Community efforts cannot substitute for sustained public investment.

Rethinking infrastructure policy

Addressing rural road deterioration requires more than occasional repairs. It demands a broader rethinking of infrastructure governance.

First, rural infrastructure should be treated as a development priority, not a secondary concern. Reliable roads are essential for economic participation, access to services and social inclusion.

Second, government agencies need stronger coordination to ensure that road maintenance responsibilities are clearly defined and effectively implemented.

Finally, policymakers should recognise the knowledge and experience of rural communities themselves. Residents often understand the local terrain and infrastructure challenges better than distant administrators.

Beyond service delivery

If rural roads continue to deteriorate, the consequences will extend far beyond transport. They will reinforce social and economic exclusion for already marginalised communities.

Recognising infrastructure as part of a broader regime of inequality is an important step towards addressing these challenges.

– Bad rural roads in South Africa aren’t just a technical problem – they block people’s rights: report
– https://theconversation.com/bad-rural-roads-in-south-africa-arent-just-a-technical-problem-they-block-peoples-rights-report-278337

March 23, 2026

Quality healthcare must be accessible to all South Africans – President

Source: Government of South Africa

Quality healthcare must be accessible to all South Africans – President

President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed government’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to quality healthcare, saying excellence in medical care must be available to all South Africans, regardless of their income or location.

In his weekly newsletter to the nation on Monday, the President pointed to the successful separation of the conjoined twins at Mankweng Hospital as a powerful example of the capabilities within the country’s public health system.

READ | Mankweng twins doing well

President Ramaphosa described the complex operation as a remarkable achievement that reflects the skill, dedication and resilience of healthcare professionals in South Africa.

“This achievement is more than a medical milestone. It is proof of what our public health system is capable of. It is a reminder that South Africa possesses world-class medical expertise, not only in the private hospitals in our cities, but also in public facilities serving communities that have historically been neglected and underserved,” he said.

The President noted that the success at Mankweng underscores the impact of sustained investment in medical training and development, including subsidised education, bursaries and practical training programmes for healthcare workers.

However, he cautioned that many South Africans still face challenges in accessing quality healthcare, despite the constitutional guarantee of this right.

“Our Constitution guarantees every person the right of access to healthcare services. That right cannot depend on where you were born, how much you earn or where you live,” President Ramaphosa said.

He said bridging the gap between the constitutional promise and the lived reality of many citizens is the driving force behind the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI).

According to the President, the NHI is not merely a funding mechanism, but a transformative instrument aimed at ensuring that all South Africans can access quality healthcare services without financial hardship.

President Ramaphosa also highlighted the stark inequality between the public and private healthcare sectors, noting that while only about 16% of the population relies on private healthcare, significantly more resources are spent per patient in that system compared to the public sector, which serves the majority.

“These two parts of our healthcare system cannot continue to operate in parallel, as if serving two separate nations. They must work together in service of one nation,” he said.

The President called for stronger collaboration between public and private healthcare providers, academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies and communities to improve service delivery and share expertise.

He further outlined ongoing efforts to strengthen the public health system in preparation for the NHI, including upgrading facilities, expanding the community health worker programme, improving access to medicines and introducing digital systems.

President Ramaphosa said healthcare workers remain central to these efforts, emphasising the need to support and retain skilled professionals within the public sector.

“The great achievement at Mankweng Hospital has shown us what is possible. It has also reminded us of what is necessary: a health system that serves every South African with excellence, compassion and dedication. Equal access to quality health care must be the standard we set and the constitutional promise that we keep,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

DikelediM
Mon, 03/23/2026 – 15:07

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March 23, 2026

Reburial of Khoi San ancestral remains opens path for healing

Source: Government of South Africa

Reburial of Khoi San ancestral remains opens path for healing

In the vast, arid land of the Namaqua in the Northern Cape – curtained only by rugged hills and rocky mountains – the ancestral remains of 63 Khoi and San peoples have finally come home to rest.

During a timespan lasting nearly 60 years between 1868 and 1924, the remains were removed from their homeland without consent for race-based scientific research by colonial Europeans – stripping them of the right to rest with dignity.

The remains were finally repatriated last year from the University of Glasgow in Scotland, where they had been housed at the Hunterian Museum.

Delivering remarks at the solemn reburial ceremony held just outside Steinkopf in the Northern Cape, President Cyril Ramaphosa assured that the “greatest tragedy of the erasure of the indigenous peoples of southern Africa is that much of it went unacknowledged”.

He assured that the South African government, however, will not shy away from restoring the dignity of those who were discriminated against and marginalised.

“Even amidst the emergence of serious critiques on the part of these European powers in the late 1970’s, many have avoided a deeper reckoning. Some of these countries have apologised for specific atrocities, but in the main, they have fallen short of full, unqualified apologies for colonialism as a whole.

“As democratic South Africa, we do not linger in the shadow of unspoken apologies or deferred reckonings. We will restore dignity – on our own terms.

“The return of our ancestors to their descendant communities is a vital act of restoration and restitution that goes beyond acknowledging the colonial legacy; it is also a manifestation of ubuntu – a recognition of our common humanity,” the President said on Monday.

WATCH | Reburial ceremony

Healing wounds
Following their repatriation from Scotland, the remains were received in a welcoming ceremony and subsequently placed under the care of the Iziko Museums of South Africa in Cape Town.

The remains then made their way home, up, over and through the twists and turns of N7 the national road, to be received by the Northern Cape government in an official handover ceremony from the Western Cape.

In true South African style, traditional spiritual rites were performed and a night vigil was held the day before the formal reburial ceremony at the Kinderlê-monument just outside Steinkopf in the province.

At the ceremony – where the past, present and future of the Khoi and San peoples gathered – Chairman of the National Griqua Council Barend van Wyk described to SAnews.gov.za the pain associated with the “exploitative and humiliating” illegal removals all those years ago.

“Emotionally, it’s hard. The fact that they dug up our ancestors’ remains…why did they do that to human beings? Were our people not worthy of being human that they had to be dug up?

“But we are glad today, although there is pain and hardship, that we can finally reinter them in the land of their birth,” van Wyk said.

Dionne Barley, a direct descendant of the people whose remains were taken, said the day was a moment for reflection.

“I feel very happy as somebody that is closely related to some of these people that are buried here. I feel good that they are now being buried in dignity [and] that they are not sitting in museums and that the President actually ensured that they could come back to South Africa and back to their rightful place,” Barley told SAnews.

The modern story of the indigenous people of South Africa cannot be told without the mention of Ouma Katrina Esau.

The nonagenarian is a legend not only among her people but also in South Africa – taking her place as the last remaining fluent speaker of the critically endangered N|uu language.

“I did not think I would make it here as I have been so sick. But it was my dream to be here and to be with these people, so that I can also say that I was there, even if it’s to bury their bones. I am so very thankful because God protected us. I am very glad to be here,” she said.

An act of justice
The process of repatriation and reburial was jointly facilitated by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) and its entities in the South African Heritage Resources Agency and Iziko Museums.

Chairperson of SA Heritage Resources Agency, Elodie Seotseng, Tlhoaele told SAnews that the process was about the restoration of respect and human dignity.

“Today, we are seeing the culmination of a process that sought to restore the human dignity of ancestors that were taken away from this land…exhumed from their graves and taken to foreign lands for scientific…academic research and for display to be consumed as objects. So, we are here to re-instil and restore that respect and human dignity to those ancestral remains in their homeland.

“This is a land and a space that is already hallowed ground. This space is a burial ground for children who were victims of clan wars, and it is already a heritage site. Just over the hill is also a burial site of casualties of war. So, it’s significant, this is hallowed ground,” she explained.

The remains are buried in individual graves – a grace not previously afforded to the peoples of this land by colonial masters.

“Each grave has been demarcated. So, it’s not a mass grave; it’s individual graves in one area. That goes back to our insistence on instilling human dignity and respect in whichever state the human being is in,” she added.

As the sun set on the Kinderlê monument where the remains now rest, President Ramaphosa emphasised that government’s work to implement the National Policy on Repatriation and Restitution of Human Remains and Heritage Objects and to restore dignity for all continues.

“Through the National Policy…we will continue to forge partnerships with institutions and individuals across the world to recover ancestral human remains that were illegally taken from South Africa,” President Ramaphosa said.

READ | President Ramaphosa to officiate reburial ceremony of Khoi-San ancestral human remains
– SAnews.gov.za

NeoB
Mon, 03/23/2026 – 14:57

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March 23, 2026

Support to strengthen role of Ingonyama Trust

Source: Government of South Africa

Support to strengthen role of Ingonyama Trust

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to collaborate with stakeholders to safeguard and strengthen the role of the Ingonyama Trust.

This is particularly in land management, infrastructure development, and unlocking economic opportunities in rural areas.

Ntuli was responding to the recent announcement by the Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Mzwanele Nyhontso, on the dissolution of the Ingonyama Trust Board.

The Minister said the decision followed consultations with His Majesty the King, as the sole trustee of the Trust, as well as with Premier Ntuli.

Ntuli confirmed that he had been consulted and used the engagements to underscore the strategic importance of the Trust as a cornerstone of the province’s rural economy and a critical instrument in advancing inclusive development.

“The Ingonyama Trust remains central to the socio-economic development of our rural communities. It is intrinsically linked to the 7th Administration’s commitment to inclusive economic growth, poverty reduction, and the building of sustainable livelihoods,” Ntuli said.

He reiterated the provincial government’s readiness to collaborate with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the Trust’s objectives are preserved and strengthened, particularly in relation to effective land management, infrastructure development, and the unlocking of economic opportunities within Trust-held land.

“We remain committed, as a government, to supporting initiatives that empower rural communities, improve land administration systems, and accelerate development in areas under the jurisdiction of the Trust,” the Premier said.

Ntuli also called for calm and constructive engagement during the transition period, stressing the importance of cooperative governance in addressing land, development, and traditional leadership matters with the sensitivity and respect they deserve.

“KwaZulu-Natal remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding the interests of its people, particularly those in rural areas, while working in partnership with national government and traditional institutions,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

GabiK
Mon, 03/23/2026 – 14:44

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March 23, 2026

Department to probe Ekapa Mine mud rush incident

Source: Government of South Africa

Department to probe Ekapa Mine mud rush incident

A formal investigation into the circumstances around the Ekapa Minerals Joint Shaft Mine in Kimberley, which resulted in the loss of the lives of five miners, is to get underway.

“The department will initiate a formal investigation in line with the Mine Health and Safety Act into the circumstances surrounding the accident,” the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources said on Monday.

This, as Minister Gwede Mantashe paid a visit to the mine in the Northern Cape following the retrieval of the last of the bodies that were trapped in a mud rush incident.

The mud rush accident occurred on 17 February.

“The first body was recovered on 9 March 2026, while the remaining bodies were recovered on 22 and 23 March 2026. During the visit, Minister Mantashe, accompanied by the Chief Inspector of Mines, David Msiza, and other senior officials from the department, received a comprehensive briefing from mine management and rescue personnel on the efforts that led to the successful retrieval of the bodies,” the department said.

Mantashe extended his sincere condolences to the families of the deceased.

“Minister Mantashe commended the rescue operation, including support received from the mining sector and Minerals Council South Africa for their due diligence during the rescue operation, as well as for deploying its senior team to support the rescue mission,” said the department.

READ | N Cape government aids mine families as body of trapped Ekapa miner recovered
–SAnews.gov.za

Neo
Mon, 03/23/2026 – 14:35

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March 23, 2026

President Ramaphosa urges unity as SADC marks Liberation Day

Source: Government of South Africa

President Ramaphosa urges unity as SADC marks Liberation Day

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on Southern African nations to remain united and vigilant in safeguarding their hard-won freedom, as the region commemorates Southern Africa Liberation Day.

In a statement on Monday, President Ramaphosa – in his capacity as Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) – paid tribute to the men and women who sacrificed their lives in the struggle against colonialism and apartheid.

“Through their unwavering commitment and resilience, many freedom fighters and ordinary citizens made immense sacrifices in the fight against colonial rule and apartheid, laying the foundation for the peace, dignity, and sovereignty we uphold today,” the President said.

President Ramaphosa also reflected on the historic Battle of Cuito Cuanavale in Angola, describing it as a turning point in the liberation of Southern Africa. He acknowledged the role played by Cuba in supporting regional liberation movements against apartheid forces.
The President said the battle contributed significantly to Namibia’s independence in 1990 and paved the way for South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994.

While describing Liberation Day as a key milestone, President Ramaphosa stressed that it should not be treated as a symbolic ritual, but rather as an opportunity for reflection on the region’s progress in achieving self-determination, economic control and dignity.

He reiterated the importance of preserving liberation history, highlighting a 2018 SADC resolution to integrate the history of Southern Africa’s liberation into school curricula across member states.

President Ramaphosa further encouraged the naming of heritage sites, monuments and institutions after fallen heroes and heroines, saying this would preserve their legacy and inspire future generations.
Amid an increasingly uncertain global environment, the President urged SADC member states to remain focused and united in advancing regional integration and development.

“The liberation we commemorate will remain incomplete as long as some of our fellow Africans continue to yearn for self-determination,” he said, expressing solidarity with the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
President Ramaphosa emphasised that peace and dialogue must remain central to sustaining freedom and building a more just and equitable world.

“As with the SADC Founders and many who fought tirelessly for our liberation, we reaffirm that it is neither the colour of our skin, nor the size of our military arsenals, nor the magnitude of our national budgets that should determine our humanity or the sustainability of the human race as a whole.

“May dialogue and peace be our most righteous armour to safeguard the freedom we continue to enjoy and work collectively toward a more just and equitable world,” he said.

He concluded by wishing the SADC region a peaceful and reflective Liberation Day. – SAnews.gov.za

DikelediM
Mon, 03/23/2026 – 14:27

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March 23, 2026

The Perception Tax: Africa’s Most Expensive Misconception (By João Gaspar Marques)

Source: APO – Report:

By João Gaspar Marques — Executive Director, Strategic Advisory, APO Group (https://APO-opa.com).

There is a cost that does not appear on any balance sheet and yet is one of the most consequential expenses a company operating in Africa will incur. I call it the Perception Tax: the financial and strategic penalty paid by organisations that price African markets on the basis of assumption rather than intelligence.

It is, in every meaningful sense, a tax on ignorance. And unlike most taxes, it is entirely avoidable.

The Mechanism

The perception tax operates through a simple but destructive logic. In the absence of credible, granular market intelligence, decision-makers default to the available narrative – and the available narrative on Africa is often wrong in its generalisations. It is a painfully outdated tragedy that the continent continues to be treated as a unified landscape of risk, rather than 54 distinct nations with their own regulatory frameworks, political cultures, growth trajectories, and investment dynamics. The macro obscures the micro, and the micro is where the opportunity lives.

Consider the geography of it. Investing in France is different from investing in Finland. The US is not Mexico. So why would Benin and Botswana, as far apart physically, politically, economically, and culturally as Belgium is from Belarus, be perceived under the same optics? Yet, again and again, that is precisely what we see in investment discussions from London to New York.

The consequences of this tax are very real. The cost of access to capital rises for projects that do not warrant a premium. Decisions are delayed while companies wait for clarity that a generalistic analysis cannot provide. First-mover advantage, objectively the most sought-after edge in developing economies, is being blindly surrendered to competitors with better intelligence and market understanding. For companies with significant African exposure or ambitions, the perception tax is a structural drag on performance and profit.

Reading the Numbers

In February 2025, the African Development Bank commissioned Moody’s Analytics to assess fourteen years of infrastructure investment performance across regions. Africa’s rate of loss stood at 1.7%, the lowest in the world. Latin America registered approximately 13%. Eastern Europe, 10%. By any objective measure, Africa is among the most reliable destinations for infrastructure investment on the planet.

Yet the cost of capital across African markets remains three to four times higher than in comparable regions. Investors are demanding a premium that the facts on the ground do not justify, and the assets they pass on are being acquired by those who read about the numbers rather than the headlines.

Tony Elumelu, whose investment portfolio spans power, financial services, and healthcare across four continents, puts it plainly: “There’s nowhere else we get the kind of returns on investments as what we make in Africa.” The competitive advantage belongs to those who see opportunity where others see risk.

What It Looks Like in Practice

A developer assessing a project in East Africa sees currency volatility, a complex political transition, and a regulatory environment difficult to understand at first. The standard response is to demand a higher return, shorten financing tenors, or cancel the decision entirely. Less competitive, slower, potentially deal-killing. A competitor with on-the-ground intelligence reads the same market differently. That country has maintained institutional continuity across successive governments. The local partner has a strong operational track record. Local financing partners are prepared to co-invest. The project proceeds on better terms, ahead of the market. The perception tax has been paid, by the first company, to the second.

This is not hypothetical. Helios Investment Partners, one of Africa’s most successful private equity funds, built a portfolio exceeding $3 billion by entering markets the global consensus had written off as too risky, reading them instead for what they actually were. Kenya illustrates what happens when this information gap closes. Five years of regulatory reform moved the country 52 positions up the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index. Foreign investment followed, consistently and at scale. The risk did not disappear. It was understood.

This pattern repeats across the continent. Markets once characterised as high-risk by international capital are, on closer inspection, simply markets that had not yet been properly read. The investors who looked carefully enough to see the difference captured returns that reflected the advantage of having done so. Those who were hesitant arrived later, at higher valuations, paying the perception tax in full.

The Broader Implication

The perception tax compounds. Delayed investment means delayed market development, which reinforces the perception of unreadiness, which delays further investment. The gap between Africa’s perceived risk profile and its actual commercial fundamentals does not close on its own. It closes when enough informed capital enters a market to shift the consensus, which is precisely when the opportunity for asymmetric returns begins to narrow.

The African Continental Free Trade Area represents a $3.4 trillion market with a population approaching 1.5 billion people. The continent holds the critical minerals on which the global energy transition depends. The question is not whether capital will eventually flow toward these opportunities. It will. The question is who will have established a position before generalised knowledge eclipses profit opportunity.

A Different Approach

The companies that consistently outperform in Africa share a common characteristic: they treat market intelligence as a primary investment, not a nice-to-have. They distinguish between structural risk, which must be priced, and noise, which must be filtered. They understand that the information gap between perception and reality is not a permanent feature of African markets. It is a temporary condition which will reward those who close it first. Closing that gap is precisely why we designed APO Group’s advisory practice.

The perception tax is also the perception premium. The same asymmetry that penalises the ill-informed rewards the well-informed. For the investor or corporate decision-maker prepared to engage with local markets at the level of detail that strategic decisions require, Africa offers something increasingly rare in global markets: a genuine informational edge.

The opportunity was always there. The edge belongs to those who are bothered to look.

– on behalf of APO Group Insights.

Media Contact:
marie@apo-opa.com

About APO Group:
Founded in 2007 by Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, APO Group is the communications consultancy built for performance – combining strategic advisory, on-the-ground execution, and guaranteed visibility across every African market.

Recognised with multiple international awards, including SABRE, Davos Communications, and World Business Outlook distinctions, APO Group partners with global and African organisations to deliver communications that perform – through strategy, execution, and measurable visibility.

Our founder’s advisory roles with international institutions strengthen APO Group’s access to decision-makers and reinforce our role as the continent’s most connected communications consultancy. Clients include Canon, Emirates, Nestlé, NFL, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Afreximbank, the African Development Bank Group, GITEX Global, Royal African Society, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Media files

March 23, 2026

Captured with Precision, Felt in Every Frame: EVI in Cinemas March 27

Source: APO – Report:

The video below is copyright free and can be used at will, without asking for authorization

Watch the video

The wait is over.

Step into the world of EVI, where music meets storytelling, and every frame captures emotion in its purest form.

Captured on the Canon EOS C400, the story is brought into focus with depth, clarity, and intent, exactly as it’s meant to be experienced.

In Cinemas: March 27th

– on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA).

Media files

March 23, 2026

SASSA announces 2026/27 social grant payment dates

Source: Government of South Africa

SASSA announces 2026/27 social grant payment dates

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has released the official payment schedule for social grants for the 2026/2027 financial year, providing beneficiaries with clarity on when to expect their monthly payments.

In a statement on Monday, the agency said the release of the payment schedule comes after the approval by the National Treasury on Friday, 20 March.

For April, older persons will be paid on 2 April, followed by disability grant beneficiaries on 7 April, and children’s grant recipients on 8 April.

In May, older persons will receive their grants on 5 May, disability grants will be paid on 6 May, and children’s grants on 7 May 2026.

“The general principle for determining the grant payment dates for social grants is to ensure they are paid as early in the month as possible, staggered over three days. in most months the old age grant will be paid on the 2nd of each month, disability grant on the 3rd of the month and children grants on the 4th of the month,” the agency said.

However, the agency said that to ensure the optimal functioning, the National Payment System and access to funds by grant beneficiaries, the following are also considered:
•    Payments should not be made a day after a holiday.
•    Payments should not be made on the 1st of the month or a Monday; and
•    Payment dates should not fall over a weekend.

In addition, should any of the payment dates fall on a weekend or public holiday, the payment will take effect the following working day.

Meanwhile, as announced by the Minister of Finance during his Budget Speech last month, social grants from April will increase as follows:
•    Older Persons Grant, Disability Grant and Care Dependency Grant will increase by R80 to R2 400.
•    War Veterans Grant will increase by R80 to R2 420.
•    Foster Child Grant will increase by R40 to R1 290.
•    Child Support Grant and Grant-In-Aid will increase by R20 to R580

“SASSA reiterates its commitment to paying social grants to eligible beneficiaries at the right time and appeals to all beneficiaries who may have not received their grants on these specified dates to visit their nearest SASSA local office for assistance,” the agency said.

Beneficiaries can follow this link for the full social grant payment dates: https://www.sassa.gov.za/payment-dates-for-2025-2026-financial-year. – SAnews.gov.za

DikelediM
Mon, 03/23/2026 – 13:37

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