Our increasing reliance on rechargeable batteries is making the Democratic Republic of Congo reconsider how it values cobalt. Once a forgotten byproduct, the price of cobalt has tripled in the last two years and the world’s largest producer plans to profit off the demand.
The Daily Show will now have an Africa correspondent.
A pensive Alan Paton is the inspiration for today’s Google doodle. The search engine honored the South African author and activist on the 115th anniversary of his birth.
It may be getting easier for Africans to travel within the continent, but African passports still can’t travel far.
In order to gain access to an unremarkable suburban road, South Africans have become accustomed to parting with their most personal details. At barriers erected across public roads, people who want to cross into this protected zone fill in their name, surname, cellphone, identity and car registration numbers, and then the exact time of their entry.
A romantic comedy about the disasters and joys of a huge Nigerian wedding is breaking box-office records at home and abroad.
The first few business days of the year allow for a sober assessment of what worked in the previous year, and what didn’t. The African economies that investors were keeping an eye on in 2017 were ones that were eager to harness renewable energy sources and strengthen their manufacturing sectors.
Africa witnessed major changes in 2017, whether at the geopolitical, socio-economic, or digital levels. With global economic recovery strengthening, Africa’s growth outlook will look more stable after a few tough years. And with a young and tech-savvy population, major changes will be afoot when it comes to innovation in 2018.
First headlining act Solange canceled her performance, inciting a social-media backlash. Then summer rain muddied the day and sent festivalgoers rushing for shelter.
It was a year of many firsts for African filmmaking.
African literature is the object of immense international interest right now, and the coverage of this field has played an influential role in Quartz Africa’s coverage. In 2017, we published stories about Nigeria’s car culture through the literature of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, reviewed Karen Blixen’s Out of Africa on the 80th anniversary of its publication, explained how a political scandal lifted South Africa’s small literary market, documented the growth of online bookstores in Kenya and how a boutique Nigerian publisher is breaking into new markets in Europe and the US.
On Dec. 25, Marvel released a new television spot for the film Black Panther in the US, revealing a little more about the mythical Wakanda and more clues about the fight for the throne that will propel the plot. It also hinted at the film’s determination to maintain the Black Panther’s links to Africa.
Johannesburg
South Africa’s currency rejoiced as Cyril Ramaphosa was named the president of the African National Congress.
South Africa’s ruling ANC party has selected what will likely be the country’s next president: businessman and former political stalwart Cyril Ramaphosa.
Today, South Africa’s ruling party, the ANC, will choose its next leader, and by dint of its majority rule, the next president of the country. The choice is between Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, an accomplished female politician and former chairperson of the African Union, and Cyril Ramaphosa, a polished businessman and former political stalwart who made millions when South African markets opened to the world after apartheid.
A spate of sudden deaths among a community of chimpanzees in Uganda was caused by the common cold, passed on by humans.
Lubumbashi, DR Congo
The thing about Airbnb is that it could either be really good or really bad. When you’ve struck it lucky, the home-sharing app really does unlock some undiscovered gems.
The desperate need for mobile labs in Africa was made clear during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Testing for Ebola could take up to five days, as symptoms that initially presented as flu or malaria quickly turned deadly. Mobile labs sped the diagnostics process up to mere hours, but were only in place thanks to donations from foreign governments or agencies.
Steinhoff’s drive to become the African Ikea has been halted by allegations of corruption.
By winning one of the art world’s most prestigious prizes, Lubaina Himid has broken through the industry’s boundaries in much the same way her art has done.
Visitors entering the city of Cape Town this year will be greeted with warning signs that veer between gentle but firm and positively apocalyptic. The city is in the grips of the worst water crisis in recent memory, complete with a countdown clock to Day Zero.
Nairobi
