Expert Analysis
Democracy must deliver development
Effective governance, infrastructure improvement, and human capital development are crucial for democracies like Nigeria and South Africa to meet the needs of their citizens. Without these elements, democracy fails to improve lives, leading to social discontent and...
Inclusive biodiversity conservation and the unsustainability of ‘sustainable use’
The South African Government’s Reviewed National Biodiversity Economy Strategy (2024) continues to promote trophy hunting as a conservation tool. This policy briefing challenges this approach, arguing that trophy hunting, particularly of endangered species, should be...
Participation beyond the ballot box is essential for democracy in South Africa
In 1998, four years after the inaugural elections in South Africa, Patrick Kulati wrote in the Environmental Justice Network newsletter that “public participation is one of the major issues that continue to elude South Africans as they grapple with the realities of...
Quantify news to ensure credibility in a disinformation age
On 26 July 2023, Niger’s Presidential Guard staged a coup that ousted and detained President Mohamed Bazoum and his family. But this was not just a military power grab — coordinated Wagner-linked campaigns, echoing tactics used in Mali and Burkina Faso, suggest a...
Dutch Disease and what to do about it in South Africa
Late last year, a colleague and I published a peer-reviewed journal article trying to identify whether southern Africa was afflicted by “premature deindustrialisation”. Harvard economist Dani Rodrik (2016) identified this pattern of manufacturing decline in developing...
30 years: Democracy isn’t a once-off achievement
Democracy is an ongoing experiment. The will to defend it is largely influenced by how it is experienced and valued by citizens. Given this, it is critical to identify both how democracy works in different contexts in Africa, and the type of group attitudes towards it...
READ BETWEEN THE LINES
Sign-up to our newsletter to get the inside track on Africa
