A collaboration between two leading biotech companies, the South Africa-based Afrigen and the Belgium-based Univercells will work together to develop a novel regional mRNA vaccine. The companies intend to confront the lack of local cost-effective production and the need for cold or super-cold chains that have hampered vaccination thus far.
Innovation
African identities Google Translate learns 10 new African languages
Ten of the new language additions on Google translate are African languages including Lingala, Twi, and Tigrinya. There are now 133 languages supported by a technology that is breaking language barriers and connecting communities around the world.
Politics and Society Elon Musk has bought Twitter: Here is what to expect
The ownership of Twitter throws Elon Musk deep into conversations about the inordinate power of tech billionaires in the modern world, in manufacturing public consent.
Africans rising Plastic is a challenge and an asset in the DRC
An entrepreneur in the DRC is showing us how eco-friendly construction can help manage non-biodegradable waste. The management of plastic waste continues to be a major challenge worldwide. Innovative solutions for recycling the alarming amount of plastic pollution are a need that cannot be understated.
Politics and Society Visa opens its first Africa based innovation studio
Global digital payments facilitator Visa is expanding into the region by opening its first innovation studio in Kenya. The aim is to adopt the market of consumers switching to new payment platforms and digital wallets.
Politics and Society How the blockchain lost its soul – Private space and individual freedom in the age of on-chain geopolitics
Cypherpunks developed cryptocurrency to limit the power of states over individuals. As governments turn to crypto-deterrence and cyberwarfare, the blockchain’s founding propositions of private space and individual freedom are being done away.
Politics and Society This Is Africa presents: Balancing with earth — A humans and nature coexistence storytelling series
In a storytelling collaboration with African Crossroads, This Is Africa explores what relationships Africans have with their environment zooming in on efforts to better the interconnection and interaction between humans and nature. Inspecting through a climate lens, the series juxtaposes everyday life and eco-friendly rituals on the continent that have seen the survival of our species, lands and oceans as we know them over centuries. Our coverage will delve into the Climate action scene, highlighting injustices on the larger African continent, local communities and individuals in urban, semi-urban, and rural settings across Africa. The collection of feature stories, essays, cartoons and illustrations brings together different experiences, initiatives and perspectives on human-nature coexistence as we strive for Climate Justice for all.
Politics and Society Africa can’t stay out of the space race
Can Africa avoid getting sucked into the 21st-century contest, or should it also reach for the stars?
Africans rising Waste-to-fuel project an IChemE Global Awards 2020 finalist
An intercontinental research team from Brazil, India and South Africa, comprising researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT), has been announced as an IChemE Global Awards 2020 finalist in the Energy category for their Decentralised Diesel system, which aims to produce fuel from waste.