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

Uganda, Tanzania decry EU resolution on oil and gas development

Uganda, Tanzania decry EU resolution on oil and gas development

The governments of Uganda and Tanzania are pushing back against a resolution, passed by the European Union, that calls for environmental and human rights protections as the two nations develop the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). The European Parliament resolution warns that the project threatens wetlands and water resources,…

Mozambique joins Malawi in new polio case reports

Officials in Mozambique are reporting a polio outbreak, the first in the country since 1992. The case was found in Tete province in the country’s northeast. It was found in a child who experienced paralysis that began in late March, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Tests taken from…

Nobel Prize in Literature goes to Tanzania native Gurnah

The Nobel Prize in Literature was announced Thursday, with the prize going to Tanzanian native Abdulrazak Gurnah. Gurnah is known for his focus on migration and refugees, within the context of East Africa’s colonial history. He himself was a refugee, arriving in the United Kingdom in 1964 after fleeing from…

Tanzania implements new COVID measures

Tanzania is implementing new pandemic restrictions meant to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections, according to an announcement from health minister Abel Makubi. The new rules include a ban on all flights to or from India, where the coronavirus is spreading at an alarming pace and emerging variants are adding…

Magufuli vaccine remarks continue COVID denial trend

President John Magufuli of Tanzania – no stranger to controversy where the COVID pandemic has been concerned – has made new and alarming statements about the coronavirus during a public appearance. Magufuli questioned the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, according to local media accounts of his remarks, and put…

Malawi denies making any troop commitment in Mozambique

Malawi has denied a report that its government will be sending troops to Mozambique to help fight Islamic militants in the Cabo Delgado region. The report, published by a local news outlet and shared widely on social media, follows a special summit meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)…

Tanzania sees progress on Kilimanjaro wildfire

Tanzanian environmental minister Hamisi Kigwangalla visited the scene of a wildfire burning through Kilimanjaro National Park on Wednesday, checking on fire suppression efforts and thanking those battling the flames. Community volunteers have joined professionals in working to put out a fire that TANAPA, the Tanzania National Parks authority, said broke…

UAE extends deadline for Zayed Sustainability Prize applications

The deadline has been extended for applications for the prestigious Zayed Sustainability Prize, an initiative of the Unite Arab Emirates that engages Africans and their global counterparts in delivering solutions for a sustainable future. The prize coordinators say that because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, they’ll now accept entries through…

Tanzania’s Chadema to isolate from parliament over COVID deaths

Tanzania’s main opposition party has called on its affiliated MPs to avoid parliamentary meetings and committee work because of the spread of the coronavirus, which has claimed several of its members. Party for Democracy and Development (Chadema) leader Freeman Mbowe, who has been sharply critical of President John Magufuli’s response…