Cholera cases in Southern Africa region have risen by over seven times in the first six weeks of 2026 compared with the same period the year before due to severe flooding triggered by cyclones, infrastructure damage and inadequate water and sanitation among displaced populations, an analysis by World Health Organization (WHO) shows.
A total of 4320 cases and 56 deaths were reported between 1 January and 15 February 2026 in five Southern African countries, up from 586 cases and 11 deaths in the same period in 2025. The increase contrasts with a general decline in cases across the continent, which reported a drop of 47% and 59% respectively compared with 2025 and 2024.
A total of 13 countries in the African region are currently reporting cholera outbreaks. In Southern Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe are reporting cases. Since 2023, Southern Africa has been the dominant cholera hotspot in the continent, with major outbreaks during the 2023—2024 cyclone season. So far this year, Mozambique accounts for 90% of cholera cases in Southern Africa. The country has experienced intense flooding which has affected more than 700 000 people.
Southern Africa is experiencing an active cyclone season which usually runs from January to April. Above-average rains continue in cyclone-prone areas. Twenty-seven high-risk zones have been identified in five countries, with vulnerabilities including poor water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, as well as recurrent cholera outbreaks.
“The sharp rise in cholera cases in Southern Africa is a clear reminder of how climate-related shocks are intensifying public health risks,” said Dr Marie Roseline Darnycka Belizaire, Emergencies Director at the WHO Regional Office for Africa. “We’re working closely with national authorities to provide emergency health assistance while strengthening preparedness and resilience of our health systems to better protect communities from the growing impact of climate-linked shocks.”
According to the WHO analysis, Southern Africa faces a critical period between March and August, with a projected 12 000 to 22 000 additional cholera cases under the most probable scenarios. Multiple factors are contributing to the cholera outbreaks in Southern Africa: tropical cyclones; flooding that has affected Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia; conflict and population displacement; and inadequate urban water supply systems.
WHO and partners are supporting the ongoing emergency response, including delivering cholera and other essential health supplies, strengthening health response coordination and improving disease surveillance and prevention measures.
A rapid scale-up of public health measures, including cholera vaccination, disease surveillance and improvement of water and sanitation services is crucial to protect the health of populations and avert a deterioration of the situation. Most people with cholera have mild or moderate diarrhoea and can be treated with oral rehydration solution (ORS). However, the disease can progress rapidly, so starting treatment quickly is vital to save lives. Patients with severe disease need intravenous fluids, ORS and antibiotics.
Cholera is a global public health threat and indicates inequity and lack of social and economic development. Access to safe water, basic sanitation and hygiene is essential to prevent cholera and other waterborne diseases.
The Ministry of Health, through the Directorate of Preventive Services and the Environmental Health and Sanitation Section, has successfully strengthened Tanzania’s ability to detect and prevent waterborne health threats at community level and designated Points of Entry (PoEs).
Contaminated water can silently fuel outbreaks, disrupt trade, and put thousands of lives at risk. In Morogoro, 37 frontline Environmental Health Officers are now better equipped to prevent and control those threats.
The training, held at the Edema Conference Centre in Morogoro Municipal Council, the three day training brought together 37 Environmental Health Officers from 6regions and 28 POEs from Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.
The initiative addressed critical gaps identified in Tanzania’s Joint External Evaluation (2024), in practical skills among Environmental Health Officers in water testing and risk assessment. Through hands-on sessions, participants were trained in water sampling, testing, and interpretation using DelAgua water testing kits. The program supports the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) and reinforces Tanzania’s compliance with International Health Regulations (2005) as amended in 2014, 2022 and 2024.
A Ministry of Health representative noted: “Thetraining of Environment Health Officers from both Mainland and Zanzibar in water quality monitoring will enable the country to effectively conduct water quality surveillance at points of entry. This capacity is essential for designated points of entry and newly authorized ports to carry out ship inspections and issue sanitation certificates, thereby strengthening our national public health security.”
A representative from the World Health Organization added:
“Safe water is a cornerstone of health security. By equipping frontline officers with the right tools and skills, Tanzania is investing in prevention and protecting communities, safeguarding travelers, and strengthening national resilience.”
The training combined practical demonstrations, group discussions, and drills simulations, culminating in an evaluation to document lessons learned and next steps. Trained officers will now conduct routine water inspections more effectively in high-risk councils and Points of Entry, reducing the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera and enhancing public health protection.
Communities, travellers, PoE staff, and surrounding areas will benefit from this improved capacity, with reduced risks of waterborne diseases which include cholera and stronger public health protection. Ministry of Health in collaboration with WHO remains committed to strengthening frontline capacity and ensuring safe drinking water for all Tanzanians.
– on behalf of World Health Organization – United Republic of Tanzania.
O Governo de Cabo Verde recebeu, esta quarta-feira, 25 de fevereiro, uma delegação da International Boxing Association (IBA), chefiada pelo seu Secretário-Geral, Chris Roberts, que se encontra no país em visita de trabalho, a convite do Ministro da Juventude e Desporto, Carlos do Canto Monteiro.
A deslocação da IBA teve como principal objetivo conhecer, no terreno, as políticas públicas e as apostas estratégicas do Executivo para o desenvolvimento do boxe em Cabo Verde, bem como acompanhar os projetos em curso da Federação Cabo-verdiana de Boxe e avaliar a realidade atual da modalidade no país.
Recebida pelo Ministro Carlos Monteiro, no Palácio do Governo, a delegação da IBA – composta por quatro membros – esteve igualmente acompanhada pelo Presidente da Federação Cabo-verdiana de Boxe, Manuel Monteiro.
Durante o encontro, foram discutidos dois pontos centrais: a possibilidade de Cabo Verde acolher o Campeonato Africano de Boxe 2026 e a manifestação de interesse do país em sediar a Confederação Africana de Boxe.
Esta primeira visita oficial da IBA ao arquipélago representa um sinal de reconhecimento do trabalho desenvolvido no setor e constitui uma oportunidade estratégica para o reforço da cooperação institucional e para a consolidação e projeção internacional do boxe cabo-verdiano.
Distribuído pelo Grupo APO para Governo de Cabo Verde.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has instituted the probe related to the Exercise MOSI III Will of Peace (“the exercise”) and has appointed an investigative panel to be led by Justice B.M. Ngoepe as the Chairperson of the panel. Justice Ngoepe will be assisted by Justice K. Satchwell, Justice M.M. Leeuw and R. Adm (JG) P.T. Duze. The Panel will report directly to the President.
The instituting of the panel relates to the failure to heed the instruction by the President that the navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran must no longer participate in the Chinese-led Exercise Will of Peace 2026 that took place in South African waters.
The relocation of the inquiry from the Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans to the Presidency is to ensure an independent and timeous probe. The President is, in terms of section 202(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, the Commander-in-Chief of the South African National Defence Force.
The Panel will investigate and make recommendations in relation to the circumstances surrounding the exercise, the factors that may have contributed to the failure to observe the President’s order, person or person’s responsible and the consequences to follow.
The Panel will have the power to summon any member of the defence force and/or public service it needs, and to request for all documents, including classified documents, to fulfil its mandate.
President Ramaphosa has directed that the Panel must finish its work and report to the President within one (1) calendar month of its establishment.
The President may, on compelling cause shown, extend the period of the Panel’s proceedings. Due to national security considerations the work of the Panel will be confidential.
President Ramaphosa may on the recommendation of the Panel and the Minister decide to publicise or not to publicise all or any portion of the outcomes of the Panel’s investigation.
Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President media@presidency.gov.za
The Government of Angola launched a subnational polio vaccination campaign in the municipality of Namacunde, Cunene Province, running from 24 to 27 February 2026, across 13 municipalities of 4 provinces bordering the Republic of Namibia. The initiative is carried out in synchronization with Namibia, aiming to interrupt poliovirus circulation and protect all children at risk.
The campaign targets 230.000 children under 10 years of age, using the nOPV2 vaccine, which protects against type 2 poliovirus variants. The main strategy is door-to-door vaccination, ensuring wide coverage and reducing the risk of unvaccinated children in hard-to-reach areas.
The launch ceremony was attended by senior Angolan authorities and a Namibian delegation, reflecting the shared commitment to eliminate polio in the region. Since 2025, Angola has reported 39 confirmed cases of type 2 poliovirus. While previous campaigns have significantly reduced transmission, the virus continues to circulate. The detection of a genetically linked variant in Kavango East, Namibia, underscored the need for a coordinated, cross-border response.
Speaking at the event, WHO Representative in Angola, Dr. Indrajit Hazarika, emphasized that “as long as polio exists anywhere in the world, no country is truly safe,” calling for collective mobilization to ensure no child is left unvaccinated. He reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to support the Angolan Government in strengthening routine immunization, epidemiological surveillance, and community engagement.
The Minister of Health highlighted that the campaign reinforces Angola’s unwavering commitment to polio eradication and child protection. “Each dose administered is a step towards a polio-free future. Every vaccinated child is a victory,” she said, urging families to cooperate with vaccination teams and ensure adherence to the routine immunization schedule.
The campaign will cover municipalities in Cunene, Cuando, Cubango, and Namibe Provinces, strategically located along the border. A total of 1,709 health workers are involved, including vaccinators, registrars, social mobilizers, logistics personnel, health promotion staff, and data managers. The effort also engages local authorities, security forces, community leaders, churches, and international partners.
WHO, UNICEF, GAVI, the Gates Foundation, and Rotary International continue to provide essential technical and financial support to the national response. However, as authorities stressed, the campaign’s success depends primarily on active community participation.
Polio is a highly contagious disease that can cause permanent paralysis. Vaccination remains the simplest, safest, and most effective means of prevention. With this synchronized campaign, Angola and Namibia are taking a decisive step to protect their children and move closer to the complete elimination of polio in the region.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Angola.
O Grupo Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento (BAD) (www.AfDB.org) e o Instituto Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (IITA) assinaram um acordo de subvenção no valor de 16,61 milhões de dólares para lançar a terceira fase do Programa de Tecnologias para a Transformação Agrícola Africana (TAAT-III), com o objetivo de expandir a produção alimentar resiliente às alterações climáticas em todo o continente.
O acordo, assinado na quarta-feira em Abuja, reforça o compromisso comum de modernizar a agricultura africana através da expansão de tecnologias comprovadas, do fortalecimento dos sistemas de sementes e da expansão das parcerias entre instituições de investigação, governos e atores do setor privado.
Desde o seu lançamento em 2018, o TAAT tornou-se uma das plataformas mais eficazes e transformadoras de África para a inovação agrícola, alcançando quase 25 milhões de agricultores e aumentando a produtividade dos principais produtos básicos.
A iniciativa expandiu práticas agrícolas resilientes às alterações climáticas em mais de 35 milhões de hectares.
Trabalhando em estreita colaboração com o Grupo Consultivo de Centros Internacionais de Investigação Agrícola (CGIAR) e parceiros nacionais e regionais, o TAAT aumentou o rendimento das colheitas em até 69% e gerou mais de 4 mil milhões de dólares em valor adicionado ao setor agrícola. Países como o Sudão, Etiópia, Zâmbia, Zimbabué e Nigéria registaram ganhos notáveis na produtividade dos produtos alimentares básicos e na resiliência aos choques climáticos.
A Nigéria tem sido um dos principais beneficiários das iniciativas do TAAT. No âmbito do seu Compacto do Trigo, os agricultores que adotaram variedades melhoradas resistentes ao calor mais do que duplicaram os rendimentos, passando de 1,7 toneladas por hectare para 3,5 toneladas por hectare. As avaliações do sistema de sementes apoiadas pelo programa também ajudaram a enquadrar as reformas nacionais para expandir o acesso a sementes certificadas e resistentes às alterações climáticas.
Ao discursar na cerimónia de assinatura, Abdul Kamara, diretor-geral do Departamento Nacional da Nigéria do Grupo Banco, disse que a nova fase vai centrar-se na ampliação da inovação mais rapidamente: “O TAAT-III reforça o compromisso do Banco em garantir que tecnologias agrícolas comprovadas e resistentes às alterações climáticas cheguem aos agricultores mais rapidamente e em escala. Esta fase reforça os sistemas que proporcionam inovação, ajudando os países a aumentar a produtividade, melhorar a resiliência e alinhar os esforços de transformação agrícola com as quatro novas áreas de ênfase do Banco, denominadas os Quatro Pontos Cardeais ».
Financiado pelo Fundo Africano de Desenvolvimento, a janela de empréstimos concessionais do Grupo Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento, o TAAT-III consolidará os ganhos anteriores, introduzindo um modelo de funcionamento mais sustentável e impulsionado pelo setor privado. A iniciativa visa reforçar os sistemas de distribuição de sementes e tecnologia, aprofundar as parcerias com governos e empresas agrícolas e expandir as ferramentas digitais, incluindo os seus catá.s eletrónicos de tecnologia e plataformas de monitorização em tempo real, para acelerar a implementação de soluções de alto impacto.
Simeon Ehui, diretor-geral do IITA, observou: “O TAAT-III permite-nos aprofundar a implementação de soluções baseadas na ciência que melhoram o rendimento e os meios de subsistência dos agricultores. Trabalhando com o Banco e os nossos parceiros, estamos a expandir tecnologias que tornam os sistemas alimentares africanos mais resilientes e competitivos”.
O TAAT teve um papel de destaque no apoio ao Mecanismo Africano de Produção Alimentar de Emergência do Grupo Banco, ajudando os países a implementar rapidamente sementes e tecnologias melhoradas para estabilizar o abastecimento alimentar durante as recentes perturbações globais. A terceira fase do programa visa integrar estas inovações nas estratégias nacionais de investimento agrícola a longo prazo.
Espera-se que o TAAT-III alcance mais 14 milhões de agricultores em 37 países de baixo rendimento e vulneráveis servidos pelo Fundo Africano de Desenvolvimento, a janela de financiamento concessional do Grupo Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento.
Distribuído pelo Grupo APO para African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Contacto para os media:
Nkiruka Ugoh
Departamento Nacional do BAD na Nigéria,
media@afdb.org
Sobre o Grupo do Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento:
O Grupo Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento é a principal instituição financeira de desenvolvimento em África. Inclui três entidades distintas: o Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento (AfDB), o Fundo Africano de Desenvolvimento (ADF) e o Fundo Fiduciário da Nigéria (NTF). Presente no terreno em 41 países africanos, com uma representação externa no Japão, o Banco contribui para o desenvolvimento económico e o progresso social dos seus 54 Estados-membros. Mais informações em www.AfDB.org/pt
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ambrose Kolawole Dada, Research Assistant, Media and Communication, Nelson Mandela University
In a widely viewed YouTube sermon called 3 Types of Keys, a preacher, dressed in a sky blue Italian suit, holds a microphone and speaks with great assurance about spiritual matters. Prophet Shepherd Bushiri is telling his audience that their financial struggles are not accidental.
He warns that business, marriage or social standing can easily crumble if believers don’t pay their tithes to the church every month – 10% of their earnings. This message is not presented as advice, but as divine instruction.
Bushiri is one of the most influential and controversial Pentecostal prophets to emerge from southern Africa in the digital age. As journalist Pumza Fihlani writes:
This is a man who says he has cured people of HIV, made the blind see, changed the fortunes of the impoverished and, on at least one occasion, appeared to walk on air.
The growth of African evangelical movements has often been associated with self-styled pastors taking advantage of Africans who are already vulnerable. Their lives are characterised by socioeconomic failures of government, inadequate healthcare systems, beliefs in supernatural forces, and corruption-driven inequalities.
In recent years, Bushiri has been involved in a series of legal battles – including charges of financial crimes and sexual assault – leading to his exit from South Africa to Malawi, where he was born.
His sermons continue to reach masses of worshippers online, with 794,000 subscribers on YouTube alone at the time of writing. He says he has two million registered congregants today.
As media and communication scholars who are interested in religious communication, we analysed what his sermons can tell us about why his online presence is so successful.
We found that, like other rhetoric (persuasive language, for example by politicians or advertisers), his YouTube sermons are carefully framed narratives that promote ideas about faith, authority and prosperity. They strengthen the pastor’s personal influence over his audience and, at the same time, build his brand.
Who is Shepherd Bushiri?
Bushiri – called Major 1 by his followers – is the founder of the Enlightened Christian Gathering Church. He rose to prominence in the 2010s through TV broadcasts and social media (he has 5.8 million followers on Facebook alone), presenting himself as a prophet with supernatural insight.
His ministry expanded rapidly across Africa and among Africans living overseas. Reports claim that Bushiri is one of the richest pastors in Africa. His ministry reflects what has been described as “prophetpreneurship” – the strategic blending of prophecy, charisma and business.
These descriptions raise interesting questions. How are prophetic authority and prosperity communicated to followers? And what role does digital media play in sustaining this influence?
Sermons as communication
To answer these questions, we turned to Bushiri’s YouTube sermons. Video-sharing platforms play a central role in African Christianity today. YouTube has the capacity to boost religious audiences. Sermons are watched on mobile devices, replayed repeatedly and shared across borders, often outside formal church spaces.
Rather than evaluating Bushiri’s teachings as “true” or “false”, our study focused on how his sermons communicate meaning. Sermons function as public communication. Like political speeches or advertising, they’re designed to persuade, inspire and guide behaviour.
We used Critical Discourse Analysis, a research method that examines language to uncover underlying messages about power, authority and values. This was supported by framing theory, which explains how speakers present issues through storylines. A frame is simply the angle through which a message is communicated.
Four dominant themes
The analysis identified four recurring frames in a selection of 10 of Bushiri’s YouTube sermons.
1. Paying to pray
It’s a human aspiration to want to prosper. In Bushiri’s 3 Types of Keys sermon, human prosperity is closely tied to financial giving, emphasising that God requires the “whole tithe”.
South African theologian Mookgo Solomon Kgatle argues this emphasis resembles a money cult. While the Bible has references to tithing, interpretation and context are crucial. When money is a condition for divine favour, faith risks becoming about moneymaking rather than spirituality.
The spirit of God is in your nostrils; if I can breathe on you, you will see the power of God.
This teaching seems rather simplistic, and shifts focus to the self-positioning of Bushiri as a super prophet whose very breath has spiritual power.
Scholars have noted that such practices, common among new prophetic churches, can oversimplify or misrepresent spiritual truths. Despite their emotional appeal, these teachings risk misleading followers by elevating a prophet’s opinion over the scripture and established Christian tradition.
3. Building the brand
Self-branding is common in business, but in religious contexts it can be intensified. Bushiri repeatedly presents himself as a channel of divine blessings, with what he calls his “contract-winning touch”.
He recounts testimonies from international visitors who said, “Papa touched me and the contract came.” He claims that when he touches someone, he leaves a spiritual “substance” on them.
This framing encourages dependency on him. Personal contact is a drawcard for those seeking jobs or “healing” from illness.
4. Media strategy
Digital media has allowed more people to have access to more religious content, but it also raises ethical concerns. Scholars have argued that media-mediated spiritual encounters can blur the line between what’s real and what’s a performance.
In The Perfect Will of God, Bushiri claims that physical distance does not limit spiritual connection. He claims he can anoint people through the screen.
Televised images of new prophet church leaders are often carefully constructed to project success and extraordinary spiritual power, reinforcing their authority. Bushiri, for example, once made headlines for apparently raising a man from the dead.
The role of YouTube
Digital platforms intensify these frames. On YouTube, sermons can be consumed privately, without immediate discussion or challenge from a physical faith community. Emotional moments – prophecies, miracles and dramatic testimonies – are rewarded by likes and comments, and can be enhanced by controversies.
Followers affirm their faith and loyalty in a video’s comments. Over time, this creates a sense of a global spiritual community centred on a single individual.
Digital religion is not only about spreading faith. It is also about expanding influence and, in some cases, monetising belief.
Why this matters
Religion plays a vital role in African societies, offering hope, identity and belonging. But religion, like all forms of communication, is not neutral. It is designed to achieve particular aims. Recognising this does not mean dismissing faith; it means engaging with it critically and responsibly.
For audiences navigating online spaces, learning to recognise persuasive strategies, religious or otherwise, is increasingly important.
Understanding how religious messages are framed can help believers make informed choices and encourage healthier forms of accountability in religious leadership.
– Prophets and profits: the art of the sell in Shepherd Bushiri’s YouTube sermons – https://theconversation.com/prophets-and-profits-the-art-of-the-sell-in-shepherd-bushiris-youtube-sermons-276277
Rock art is widespread across southern Africa and includes a wide range of depictions such as human figures, animals, dots, handprints, and other painted or engraved imagery on rock surfaces. The rock art tradition of paintings was made by San hunter gatherers over thousands of years.
The first dance scenes in southern African rock art were documented 100 years ago. But there’s been some confusion as to whether certain scenes could indeed be interpreted as a dance.
Dance can be simply defined as intentional and organised bodily movement. It also functions as an expression of mood and a form of nonverbal communication. In southern African cultures, dance is also performed during moments of celebration and in ritual contexts. Sometimes dancers go into a trance.
Scholars in the past have interpreted the dances in San rock art as ritual dances, mainly trance dances. But ethnography (the study of living people) points to the fact that San communities also danced for leisure and entertainment. Hence the need to systematically examine and categorise dancing scenes in the rock art.
We are archaeologists with a special interest in sound and music in rock art. In a recent study, we examined selected dancing scenes in rock art from four of South Africa’s provinces: the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape. The aim was to categorise the different types of dances depicted and to explore whether all dancing scenes represent ritual performances or whether some might reflect entertainment or leisure activities.
We concluded that some of the performances depicted were likely undertaken for leisure and enjoyment rather than ritual purposes.
We hope that our study provides a way to categorise dancing scenes in San rock art. This framework can be refined and expanded by future researchers working in music archaeology, the study of sound and its effects, or the iconographic analysis of musical instruments and dance imagery (working out what the images mean). This kind of research also helps people appreciate their music heritage from the past.
Sources and categories
Our article examined selected dancing scenes through a literature review and by consulting the African Rock Art Digital Archive database curated by the Rock Art Research Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand.
We consulted foundational works on rock art by pioneers George Stow and Dorothea Bleek (1930), and by more recent scholars such as Patricia Vinnicombe and David Lewis-Williams. Ethnographic accounts by Lorna Marshall (1969, 1976), Richard Katz (1982) and Megan Biesele (1993) of dance among San communities in the Kalahari (Botswana) and Nyae Nyae (Namibia) regions further informed our analysis.
We identified three broad categories of dances in the ethnographic records: ritual dances, circumstantial dances, and entertainment dances. Some circumstantial dances were performed to celebrate a successful hunt, while entertainment dances included those celebrating a newlywed couple, as well as dances done simply for fun and games by boys and girls.
We therefore argue that dancing scenes in the archaeological record should be examined critically: not all of them depict rituals.
To systematically identify dancing scenes, we applied six analytical attributes:
body postures, including bent figures, outstretched arms and flexed legs
paraphernalia held by dancers, such as sticks, rattles or headgear
interaction between dancers
evidence of synchrony (moving in unison)
direction of movement
the gender of the figures represented.
In the following section, we provide examples of different kinds of dances in rock art and suggest how they may be interpreted on the basis of ethnographic information.
Ritual dances
Attakwas Kloof dance, Western Cape province. Notice the dancing figures holding rattles (shakers), and the figure playing a flute.Picture courtesy of Renee Rust, Author provided (no reuse)
Our study identified several ritual dances depicted in the rock art, including the trance or medicine dance. (An example is the Attakwas Kloof dance image above, from a site in the Klein Karoo in the Western Cape.) This is one of the most widespread dances among San communities. It is a communal healing practice in which medicine men, believed to possess healing powers, treat the sick through touch and dispel harmful spirits or misfortune.
During the trance dance, men dance while women sing and clap in accompaniment. Some of the male dancers serve as healers. The dancers move in a circular pattern, stamping their feet until a shallow furrow forms on the ground. Prolonged dancing induces an altered state of consciousness, during which healers may fall or collapse as they enter trance.
In South Africa, several forms of trance dance are depicted in the rock art. These scenes typically show clapping female figures accompanying male dancers, who are often shown bending forward. In some images, however, the clapping figures are absent, and only the dancers are represented.
Halstone dance.RSA-HAE1-2R, Courtesy of the Rock Art Research Institute, University of the Witwatersrand and The African Rock Art Digital Archive: www.arada.co.za. With permission, Author provided (no reuse)
Ethnographic accounts (for example, Wilhelm Bleek and Lucy Lloyd, 1911: 190) note that leg rattles are commonly used during trance dances to produce a sharp, rhythmic vibration, yet these rattles are not frequently depicted in the rock art. A notable exception comes from the Halstone site in the Eastern Cape (above), where several dancers are shown wearing leg rattles. Some figures balance on dancing sticks and appear to be in an altered state of consciousness, or in a trance.
Ndhloveni Mountain, I dance (trance dance)Picture adapted from Vinnicombe 2001 (1976), 304, fig. 219, Author provided (no reuse)
Female initiation rituals that are accompanied by eland dances, performed during the first menstruation rite, also appear in the rock art.
Fulton’s Rock Dance, KwaZulu-Natal province, RSA-FUL1-6R, possibly representing a girls’ initiation dance.Courtesy of the Rock Art Research Institute, University of the Witwatersrand and The African Rock Art Digital Archive: www.arada.co.za. With permission., Author provided (no reuse)
The women mimic the moves of the female eland, a spiritually important animal. These dances are performed only by women, usually in a secluded space. The dancers move in a circle while bending forward, and the ceremony celebrates a girl’s first menstruation. This interpretation is supported by ethnographic research conducted among San communities in Botswana and Namibia by anthropologists such as Marshall and Biesele.
Other ritual dances depicted in the rock art include boys’ initiation ceremonies, commonly known as the Tshoma. This dance marks the transition from boyhood to manhood and is performed exclusively by males. The ethnographic accounts mentioned above indicate that these ceremonies take place in secluded areas away from the main camp.
Crown Point dance, Vechtkop, Free State province. This was uncategorised.Iziko Museums of Cape Town with Permission., Author provided (no reuse)
We identified some other dance scenes at G3 Site II (Vinnicombe 1976) (below) as possibly circumstantial or leisure dances and we suggested that this could have well been the case for the performance depicted at Witsieshoek (bottom).
G3 Site II dance.Picture adapted from Vinnicombe 2001 (1976) p313, figure 227., Author provided (no reuse)
Witsieshoek dance.Picture adapted from Stow and Bleek 1930, 324, pl. 7., Author provided (no reuse)
It is likely that, because of their non-ritual nature, circumstantial or leisure dances – which ethnographic literature suggests were very common – were only rarely depicted in paintings.
– Dance scenes in South African rock art: a closer look at ritual, music and movement – https://theconversation.com/dance-scenes-in-south-african-rock-art-a-closer-look-at-ritual-music-and-movement-275489
La Banque africaine de développement (www.AfDB.org) et l’Institut international d’agriculture tropicale (IITA) ont signé, mercredi 18 février 2026 à Abuja, un accord de don de 16,61 millions de dollars pour lancer la troisième phase du programme Technologies pour la transformation de l’agriculture africaine (TAAT-III), qui vise à mettre à l’échelle la production alimentaire résiliente au climat à travers le continent.
L’accord renforce l’engagement commun en faveur de la modernisation de l’agriculture africaine par le déploiement à grande échelle de technologies éprouvées, le renforcement des systèmes semenciers et l’élargissement des partenariats entre les institutions de recherche, les gouvernements et les acteurs du secteur privé.
Depuis son lancement en 2018, TAAT est devenue l’une des plateformes d’innovation agricole les plus efficaces et transformatrices d’Afrique, touchant près de 25 millions d’agriculteurs et stimulant la productivité des principales cultures de base. L’initiative a permis d’étendre les pratiques agricoles résilientes au climat sur plus de 35 millions d’hectares.
En étroite collaboration avec le Groupe consultatif pour la recherche agricole internationale (CGIAR) et des partenaires nationaux et régionaux, TAAT a permis d’accroître les rendements agricoles jusqu’à 69 % et de générer plus de milliards de dollars de valeur agricole supplémentaire. Des pays comme le Soudan, l’Éthiopie, la Zambie, le Zimbabwe et le Nigeria ont enregistré des gains notables en matière de productivité des cultures de base et de résilience au climat.
Le Nigeria a été l’un des principaux bénéficiaires des initiatives de TAAT. Dans le cadre de son Wheat Compact (Pacte du blé), les agriculteurs qui ont adopté des variétés améliorées résistantes à la chaleur ont plus que doublé leurs rendements, qui sont passés de 1,7 tonne à 3,5 tonnes par hectare. Les évaluations des systèmes semenciers menées dans le cadre du programme ont également contribué à éclairer les réformes nationales visant à élargir l’accès à des semences certifiées et résilientes au climat.
S’exprimant lors de la cérémonie de signature, Abdul Kamara, directeur général du Groupe de la Banque pour le Nigeria, a déclaré que la nouvelle phase se concentrera sur une mise à l’échelle plus rapide de l’innovation : « TAAT-III souligne l’engagement de la Banque africaine de développement à veiller à ce que les technologies agricoles éprouvées et résilientes au climat atteignent les agriculteurs plus rapidement et à plus grande échelle. Cette phase renforce les systèmes de diffusion de l’innovation, aidant les pays à stimuler la productivité, à renforcer la résilience et à aligner les efforts de transformation de l’agriculture sur les Quatre points cardinaux, les quatre nouveaux axes prioritaires de la Banque. »
Financé par le Fonds africain de développement, le guichet de prêts concessionnels du Groupe de la Banque, TAAT-III consolidera les acquis antérieurs tout en introduisant un modèle d’exécution plus durable, piloté par le secteur privé. L’initiative vise à renforcer les systèmes de distribution de semences et de technologies, à approfondir les partenariats avec les gouvernements et les entreprises agro-industrielles, et à développer les outils numériques, notamment les catalogues électroniques de technologies et les plateformes de suivi en temps réel, afin d’accélérer le déploiement de solutions à fort impact.
« TAAT-III nous permet d’intensifier la fourniture de solutions fondées sur la science qui améliorent les rendements et les moyens de subsistance des agriculteurs. En collaboration avec la Banque et nos partenaires, nous mettons à l’échelle des technologies qui rendent les systèmes alimentaires de l’Afrique plus résilients et plus compétitifs », a fait remarquer Simeon Ehui, directeur général de l’IITA.
TAAT a joué un rôle majeur dans le soutien apporté par la Facilité de production alimentaire d’urgence du Groupe de la Banque pour l’Afrique, en aidant les pays à déployer rapidement des semences et des technologies améliorées pour stabiliser les approvisionnements en denrées alimentaires lors des récentes perturbations au niveau mondial. La troisième phase du programme vise à intégrer ces innovations dans les stratégies nationales d’investissement agricole à long terme.
TAAT-III devrait toucher 14 millions d’agriculteurs supplémentaires dans 37 pays vulnérables et à faible revenu bénéficiaires du Fonds africain de développement, le guichet de financement concessionnel du Groupe de la Banque.
Distribué par APO Group pour African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Contact média :
Nkiruka Ugoh
Banque africaine de développement, Département pays du Nigeria media@afdb.org
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) (www.AfDB.org) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) have signed a $16.61 million grant agreement to launch the third phase of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation Program (TAAT-III), aimed at scaling climate-resilient food production across the continent.
The agreement, signed on 18 February 2026 in Abuja, bolsters a shared commitment to modernise African agriculture by scaling proven technologies, strengthening seed systems, and expanding partnerships among research institutions, governments, and private sector actors.
Since its launch in 2018, TAAT has become one of Africa’s most effective and transformative platforms for agricultural innovation, reaching nearly 25 million farmers and boosting productivity across major staples. The initiative has expanded climate-resilient agricultural practices across over 35 million hectares.
Working closely with the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research Centres (CGIAR) and national and regional partners, TAAT has increased crop yields as much as 69 percent and generated more than $4 billion in additional agricultural value. Countries including Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria have recorded notable gains in staple crop productivity and resilience to climate shocks.
Nigeria has been a key beneficiary of TAAT initiatives. Under its Wheat Compact, farmers adopting improved heat-tolerant varieties more than doubled yields from 1.7 tons per hectare to 3.5 tons per hectare. Programme‑supported seed system assessments also helped inform national reforms to expand access to certified, climate-resilient seeds.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Abdul Kamara, Director General of the Bank Group’s Nigeria Country Department, said the new phase will focus on scaling innovation more rapidly: “TAAT-III underscores the Bank’s commitment to ensuring that proven, climate-resilient agricultural technologies reach farmers faster and at scale. This phase strengthens the systems that deliver innovation, helping countries boost productivity, enhance resilience, and align agricultural transformation efforts with the Bank’s four new areas of emphasis, dubbed the Four Cardinal Points.”
Financed through the African Development Fund, the Bank Group’s concessional lending window, TAAT-III will consolidate earlier gains while introducing a more sustainable, private sector-driven delivery model. The initiative aims to reinforce seed and technology distribution systems, deepen partnerships with governments and agribusinesses, and expand the digital tools, including its technology e-catalogues and real-time monitoring platforms, to speed up deployment of high‑impact solutions.
Simeon Ehui, Director General of IITA, remarked: “TAAT-III allows us to deepen the delivery of science‑based solutions that improve farmers’ yields and livelihoods. Working with the Bank and our partners, we are scaling technologies that make Africa’s food systems more resilient and competitive.”
TAAT featured prominently in supporting the Bank Group’s Africa Emergency Food Production Facility, helping countries to rapidly deploy improved seeds and technologies to stabilise food supplies during recent global disruptions. The programme’s third phase seeks to embed these innovations within long-term national agricultural investment strategies.
TAAT-III is expected to reach an additional 14 million farmers across 37 low-income and vulnerable countries served by the African Development Fund, the Bank Group’s concessional financing window.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media contact:
Nkiruka Ugoh
African Development Bank Nigeria Country Department
email: media@afdb.org
About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org
