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Five stories from this week
Designing for the “forgotten economy.” Roadside vendors and other forms of informal trade account for more than half of Zimbabwe’s economy. An architect has offered street hawkers in Harare upgrades like pallet flooring, composting toilets, and umbrellas that purify rainwater as well as capture solar energy.
Look left, look right, look left again. In Kenya, half the 3,000 people who die each year in car-related accidents are pedestrians. Crowdsourced data collected by the Nairobi-based start up, Ma3Route, urban planners and residents offers a better sense of where and when these accidents happen, writes Lily Kuo from Nairobi.
Forget digital payments, cash is king. A lot has been written about the promise of digital money to help African economies leapfrog challenges like financial inclusion. But payments expert Guillaume Lepecq argues research shows improvements in bank note technology and other features of cash will have more significant impact.
I’ll have more Africa in my Lemonade. Beyoncé’s visual album Lemonade caught our eye for its use of African art and imagery and her collaboration with African artists rather than appropriation. As Lynsey Chutel writes, this isn’t the first time the pop phenomenon has looked to the continent for inspiration.
Nigeria’s next security challenge. Nomadic Fulani herdsmen’s deadly attacks on farmers in northern Nigeria over the last two decades have started to escalate as climate change forces them farther south in search of grazing land. Mark Amaza, in Abuja, explains why these clashes have the potential to be more destabilizing than Boko Haram.
Chart of the week
Africa’s longest serving president. President Teodoro Obiang added another seven years to his 36-year rule in Equatorial Guinea. The 73-year-old has been in power since August 1979, and unfortunately is not the only African ruler refusing to let go of the reins of power.
Other things we liked
Kenya’s latest trading partner—Iran. As one of the world’s largest exporters of tea, Kenya stands to benefit from Iran’s reopening, writes Nathan Siegel for Ventures Africa. The East Africa Tea Association estimates that exports to Iran will increase five fold, and for one Kenyan tea company, Cup of Joe, Iran is already its largest customer.
On the run in Burundi. The small central African country’s current political conflict has deep roots in the country’s 53-year history of numerous coups and endless power struggles. New Yorker’s James Verini spends time in Bujumbura with the rebels and politicians who are risking their lives to organize resistance and stand up to the unpopular regime of president Pierre Nkurunziza.
Keep an eye on
North Africa’s startups and VCs will be here. The Techne Summit takes place on May 7-8 in Alexandria, Egypt. The theme for this year is “Technology. Innovation. Talent” with a focus on innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship for nation building and development.
Zambia’s kwacha expected to yo-yo. A fortnight ago the Zambian kwacha appeared to have bounced back thanks to recovering global copper prices. But Africa’s second largest copper producer is back to worrying (and praying) its currency is under pressure as copper prices falter.
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