African tech founders speak up about Silicon Valley Bank impacts

African tech founders speak up about Silicon Valley Bank impacts

Africa’s startup founders and investors are watching what happens next for Silicon Valley Bank (SBV), which was shutdown by regulatory authorities in the United States on Friday—essentially freezing thousands of accounts at the tech-friendly bank and raising questions about what happens to startup funds. “Check in on your fellow tech…

Laureen Fagan

Laureen is the editor of Africa Times

Debt relief on the table as Ethiopians visit China

Debt relief on the table as Ethiopians visit China

A high-level Ethiopian delegation’s visit to Beijing has led to speculation about how China is dealing with the African nation’s deepening debt crisis, but a spokeswoman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied any plans to restructure Ethiopian debt. “China takes the debt issue of developing countries seriously…

Laureen is the editor of Africa Times

Ibrahim on IIAG report: Coups are back, African democracy is challenged

Progress in African governance has stalled since 2019 due to security challenges and the economic and health impacts of COVID, as well as “widespread democratic backsliding” that poses a threat to development, according to the just-released annual report from the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. Data from the Ibrahim Index of African…

Laureen Fagan

Laureen is the editor of Africa Times

African leaders mourn the passing of soccer legend Pelé

Namibian President Hage Geingob was among African leaders who paid tribute to the life and legacy of Pelé, the 82-year-old Brazilian soccer star who died Thursday night in São Paulo following a battle with cancer.  “I met the legend Pelé and Eusébio in 1967 in New York during an exhibition…

Laureen Fagan

Laureen is the editor of Africa Times

SA’s Biovac seals deal to produce cholera vaccines in Africa

South Africa’s Biovac has announced a deal with the nonprofit International Vaccine Institute (IVI) to begin manufacturing cholera vaccines, a move that will advance the African continent’s goal of manufacturing its own vaccines. The licensing and technology transfer deal will mean that Biovac is equipped to make oral cholera vaccines…

African leaders decry racism after CDC head stopped in Germany

The acting director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says he won’t be attending this year’s World Health Summit in Berlin after experiencing difficulties with immigration control when his flight landed in Germany — a situation that immediately sparked outrage on social media. “I’ve been mistreated at…

Gambian baby deaths lead to WHO cough syrup warning

Following the deaths of dozens of babies and children in The Gambia, a product alert for cough syrups believed to be linked to the fatalities has been issued by the World Health Organization. Four products manufactured by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited in Haryana, India, are included in the warning. They should…

World Bank’s IDA20 launches $93B in funds for low-income nations

The World Bank has formally launched its US$93 billion in funding commitments to help low-income countries build up their economies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and other setbacks, with funds sourced in part from 52 donor nations through the IDA20 replenishment. The funding is meant to target “overlapping crises—climate…

SA diamond mine dam fails, fatal deluge hits Charlesville

Rescue efforts are under way in South Africa, where a mine tailings dam burst early Sunday and flooded nearby communities. The ensuing mudslides and deluge from the abandoned diamond mine in Jagersfontein claimed at least three lives with others unaccounted for, according to local media reports. The office of Nkosazana…