Monthly Archives: September 2016

Puffed out – Africa’s new railways risk going the way of the old ones Jun 4th 2016 Economist The railway station at Lubumbashi, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s second city and the centre of its mining trade, has seen better … Continue reading →

Africa uber alles – The potential and pitfalls of African tech innovation Apr 23rd 2016 Economist The fastest, and cheapest, way to zip around the hilly capital of Rwanda is to catch one of the many motorcycle taxis, or motos, … Continue reading →

A preventable tragedy – Africa is in the grip of one of the worst outbreaks of yellow fever in 30 years. A wider disaster threatens May 14th 2016 Economist One of the mysteries of epidemiology is why Asia does not … Continue reading →

Not as easy as it looks – Western worries about China’s burgeoning influence in Africa may be overblown Nov 21st 2015 Economist On the western edge of Lake Victoria in Uganda, a hundred miles south of Kampala and an hour … Continue reading →

On the move – Much hangs on mobile money Apr 16th 2016 Economist From his shack in Kangemi, a slum at the western edge of Nairobi, Gilbert Onduko sells bare essentials to his neighbours. A blackboard above the hatch lists … Continue reading →

FOREIGN AID Misplaced charity – Aid is best spent in poor, well-governed countries. That isn’t where it goes Jun 11th 2016 Economist Not long ago Malawi was a donor darling. Being dirt poor and ravaged by AIDS, it was needy; … Continue reading →

Let Africans fly – Air travel in Africa is needlessly hard and costly. Open skies would make it cheaper Feb 13th 2016 Economist Few places still capture the romance (and frustration) of the early days of flight quite as Africa … Continue reading →

African hospitality. No room at the inn – Africa needs decent hotels, but building them is not easy Apr 23rd 2016 Economist Those who have spent years travelling in Africa have learned to do so with good humour. A decade … Continue reading →

Not making it – A successful manufacturing sector requires many things that Africa lacks Apr 16th 2016 Economist Bashir Danyaro stands in dismay in his shoe factory in Kano, northern Nigeria’s biggest city. In its heyday, around 15 years ago, … Continue reading →

Jobs in Africa -In praise of small miners. A boom in artisanal mining offers lessons in development May 7th 2016 Economist On the outskirts of the western Ivorian town of Angovia, Joseph Bado hunches over a pile of gold-laced stone, … Continue reading →