Hi Quartz Africa readers,
It feels as if the trivialization of sexual violence against women on the continent will never end.
Whether it’s the 2018 rape and murder of a Kenyan university student, allegedly by a sitting governor, or the 2020 murder of a young woman in a church in Benin City, these depressing headlines are almost immediately followed by apparent words of wisdom, mostly from men, on what girls and women could have done to avoid being brutalized.
The latest egregious example took place on an Ivorian TV show, where the host invited a self-confessed rapist to demonstrate, using a mannequin, how he abused his victims. Between jokes and laughter, the duo also offered women advice on how to prevent assaults.
The West had its #MeToo. But in Africa, we have #wearetired, which women in Northern Nigeria used to protest sexual violence, #shutitalldown for Namibian objecting to the rise in femicide, #balancetonporc in Francophone countries, and #uyinene, #justiceforsharon, and #justiceforUwa, for South Africans, Kenyans, and Nigerians who refuse to remain silent about heinous crimes. We also have #wearthatmini in Uganda, T’étais habillée comment? (How were you dressed?) in Senegal, and #mydressmychoice in Kenya.
Backlash against the Ivorian show was swift. An online petition against it has amassed more than 50,000 signatures, and social media users shared their own experiences of assault under #jesuisunevictime. The host has since been dismissed, the channel has issued an apology, and the self-confessed rapist has claimed he was an actor hired for the story. Both men have been fined and are facing prison time.
Together, these movements lend each other momentum, by giving those who fight injustice the ability to share their plight in unique ways, and the comfort of knowing there are others who will stand up alongside them. —Ciku Kimeria and Orphelie Thalmas
Stories this week
The end of leaded gasoline for cars and trucks. This week, Algeria finished its reserves of leaded gasoline. which for decades was a major cause of public health problems in developing countries. Tim McDonnell explains the implications of using up the world’s supply of this particularly insidious fossil fuel.
An evolving pandemic. Scientists have identified a new, highly mutated Covid-19 variant originating in South Africa and now active in seven other countries, Tawanda Karombo reports. New and faster-spreading variants are fueling a surge in cases on the continent, and concerning the World Health Organization.
Missteps slow Nigeria’s growth. The country’s GDP grew by 5% in the second quarter, but the reference period for last year was a recession. Alexander Onukwue follows the country’s struggle to return to pre-pandemic growth, which has not been helped by policy choices affecting the telecom sector.
Reconsidering remote work. The pandemic has offered opportunities for people in low-income countries to secure remote jobs that could otherwise have been difficult to find. While this is welcome, Neema Iyer explores how these jobs have the potential to exacerbate inequalities around compensation and labor protections.
Wizkid is on a roll. “Essence,” the “song of the summer” by Nigerian star Wizkid, was the most Shazamed song in the US last week, topping hits by Ed Sheeran, Lil Nas X, and Doja Cat. As Alexander Onukwue writes, it’s not just the latest in a series of milestones for the artist, it’s a milestone for Afrobeats.
One big number
You might not think of “one” as a high-impact number, Madagascar recently attained a sobering status as the first country in the modern world to suffer a climate change famine. Samanth Subramanian explores how a country that produces a little more than 0.01% of the world’s annual carbon dioxide emissions every year is now dealing with the devastating effects of climate change.
Dealmaker
Bumpa, a seven-month-old Nigerian startup that provides small businesses with smartphone-based sales and inventory management features, has raised $200,000 in pre-seed funding. Investors in the round include Greencap Equity, HoaQ Club, Whogohost’s venture arm, Rizq Investment Group, Microtraction, DFS Lab, and Aidi Ventures, with a number of individual angel investors also participating.
Payflex, a Buy Now Pay Later option available on South African e-commerce, has been acquired by Zip, an Australian fintech company, which provided some expertise when Payflex launched in 2017. The amount of the deal is undisclosed, but appears to be a consolidation that would allow Zip to fully enter the African market, beginning with South Africa.
Amenli, Payhippo, and 13 other startups joined Y Combinator’s summer batch for 2021, making this cohort the largest collection of African startups in one YC batch. Each startup will receive $125,000 in equity funding, and hopes to ride YC’s Demo Day program to more money from other investors.
Quartz gems
The phones have spies. Last month, 37 journalists, human rights activists, and lawyers found out their phones had allegedly been hacked by authoritarian governments. The governments were allegedly using software from Israeli technology firm NSO Group. And it’s not the first time NSO Group has been in the news for something that sounds like it’s straight out of an action movie.
✦ NSO Group offers a glimpse into the under-regulated world of hackers for hire. It’s also the latest subject of The Company, a member-exclusive email sent out every Thursday. Become a member today to get The Company and other member-only emails sent straight to your inbox—use code QZEMAIL40 to get 40% off.
Person of interest
It took six tries, but Hakainde Hichilema was finally successful in his bid for Zambia’s presidency. The new president takes on an economy troubled by debt repayments, stunted growth, and inflation that will require difficult decisions. Securing a debt restructuring plan with the IMF may be his first step, however this will likely require austerity measures that will hit an already struggling population. Time to see if Hichilema can deliver on his campaign slogan that “Bally (rich father) can indeed fix Zambia.”
Other things we liked
One step to an e-currency. Nigeria’s proposed central bank digital currency, eNaira, will be built in partnership with Bitt, a Barbados-based company, Reuters reports. The bank is hoping that Bitt will bring expertise from working on the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank’s digital currency pilot, which started in April.
A “vaccine apartheid” in the making. With less than 2% of Africa’s population vaccinated, discontent is growing over Western countries considering booster shots, according to Al Jazeera. Yet the situation also has scientists furious over the lack of investment by governments in vaccine production and research.
The ongoing dilemma of fossil fuels. As the world moves away from fossil fuels, Nigerian vice president Yemi Osinbajo argues in Foreign Affairs that banning fossil fuel investments “would crush Africa.”
Ankara eyes Africa. Turkey’s recent investments on the continent include an Olympic-sized swimming pool in Senegal and a remodeled airport in Niger. In The Christian Science Monitor, Shola Lawal had experts explain what was motivating these projects: economic interests or strategic national security goals?
It’s too soon to celebrate polio wins. Africa marked the end of wild poliovirus on the continent one year ago. But WHO Africa regional director Matshidiso Moeti says that the continent is still at risk from the disease. In this op-ed for STAT, she urges Africa not to lose momentum in polio vaccination drives during the pandemic.
Keep an eye on
Digital democracy challenge. A global hackathon led by Seedstars aims to develop innovative solutions that strengthen and enhance digital democracy for citizens living under strict cyber regulations. Interested applicants can sign up here. (Sept. 13)
Modernizing African payment systems. AfCFTA’s launch is opening up greater opportunities for intra-African trade across the continent, but is Africa’s cross-border payments infrastructure up to the task? African Banker and StoneX invite you to a virtual event on the topic. (Sept. 14)
So you want to report on other countries? In Quartz’s latest business journalism webinar, panelists who have reported across Africa, the US, Europe, and Asia shared their experience getting into foreign correspondence, and the guidelines they follow to avoid stereotyping. You can catch up on the conversation, as well as previous webinars in the series, here.
🎵 This brief was produced while listening to “Umusaraba Wa Joshua” by Jay Polly featuring Marina (Rwanda). Rest in power, Jay Polly.
Our best wishes for a productive and ideas-filled week ahead. Please send any news, comments, suggestions, ideas, Afrobeats jams, and equitable remote work gigs to africa@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter at @qzafrica for updates throughout the day.
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