The first phase of Lagos’ new elevated rail system has been commissioned and testing will now begin ahead of operations that should see as many as 250,000 people transported daily. Lagos, Nigeria | BIRD AGENCY | The first phase of a light rail system that is set to transform commuting …
Read More »Are private wildlife conservancies the way to sustainable tourism in Africa?
Despite individual African governments having an essential role in tourism management, private wildlife reserves are proving to be the sector’s driving force. But are conservancies the way to go? Montral, Canada | BIRD AGENCY | This week, over 190 countries attending a UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Canada committed to …
Read More »Smaller nations drive Africa’s push towards visa-free travel era
More African states are liberalising travel for their peers, indicating a positive trend towards more open travel policies on the continent. Johannesburg, South Africa | BIRD AGENCY | Africa is moving toward greater integration as more states make progress in their freedom of travel policies, the latest edition of the …
Read More »Africa’s ‘over-the-top’ sports consumption
African football fans are keeping up with the World Cup 2022 games from their mobile devices on the back of rapid smartphone penetration, high-speed internet and increased VPN usage on the continent. Doha, Qatar | BIRD AGENCY | Sports content is being democratised in Africa with more bespoke over-the-top (OTT) …
Read More »Wildlife in concrete jungles: Two African cities home to thriving wildlife
In these two African cities, you can make a turn from the worst traffic jam and find yourself in the relaxing escape of nature within a minute. Nairobi, Kenya | BIRD AGENCY | Kenya, the most famous country in Eastern Africa, was named the world’s leading Safari destination for 2021 …
Read More »Embolo, Fati and Garang make Africa proud at Qatar World Cup
World cup 2022: Here are Here are 11 players of African descent making waves in foreign teams Doha, Qatar | BIRD AGENCY | Over 50 players of African descent are spread across 11 teams – excluding sides from the continent – that are competing in Qatar. One of them, Embolo, recently …
Read More »Small African economies industrialising fastest
Smaller African countries are punching beyond their weight to diversify their economies from agricultural dependence, a new report shows. Nairobi, Kenya | BIRD AGENCY | A new report shows that value-add factories and public-private partnership are helping small African countries industrialize much faster than their larger peers. The recently …
Read More »Get ready for more electric vehicles on African roads in 2023
From Kenya to Nigeria, African startups are debuting electric vehicles and unveiling plans for increased fleet deployments, especially in the public transport sector, as electric vehicles roll out across the continent. Nairobi, Kenya | BIRD AGENCY | Kenyan e-mobility firm BasiGo recently secured $6.6 million in new funding to fast-track …
Read More »Scorecard: Is Africa on track to meet UNAIDS HIV prevention targets by 2025?
With only three years left to achieve the global testing and treatment targets, African countries are demonstrating significant progress toward HIV epidemic control. Harare, Zimbabwe | BIRD AGENCY | To achieve the 2030 global goal of ending AIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) tasked countries to ensure …
Read More »African telcos target minors with new mobile money solutions
From house piggy banks to accounts in commercial banks and now on mobile, junior accounts are going digital as telcos tap a much younger population to grow what could be their next biggest customer base Harare, Zimbabwe | BIRD AGENCY | Until recently, young children have been saving small amounts …
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