Is Islamic extremism in Africa truly about faith — or a...
Islamic extremism in Africa is not a simple matter of faith alone; it is overwhelmingly a symptom of deep political, economic, and social failings that are masterfully exploited by religious ideologues and local elites. The ideology provides a language and a moral framework for political...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/417040
How has religion been used as a political tool to control and...
While religion has historically served as a powerful force for social cohesion, resistance, and unity in many African societies, its complex and multifaceted nature has also made it a potent political tool for control, division, and the manipulation of power. The usage of religion in this manner...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/417032
Why Are Chinese Companies in Africa Importing Their Own Laborers...
One of the most frustrating paradoxes in Africa’s modern development story is that while millions of Africans — including skilled engineers, technicians, and builders — remain unemployed or underemployed, thousands of Chinese workers are imported each year to work on...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/417012
How Much of Africa’s GDP is Real Development — and How...
Africa’s recent economic performance has often been celebrated in glowing terms. Headlines tout “Africa Rising,” pointing to high GDP growth rates, urban skylines filled with cranes, and the spread of mobile technology and banking. Yet beneath this façade of progress...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/417009
What happens when debt repayment deadlines collide with...
Africa stands at a perilous crossroads. On one side looms a mountain of external debt—much of it owed to China and other non-traditional lenders—demanding billions in repayments each year. On the other side stands a restless and rapidly growing youth population facing the harsh...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/417008
What role can technology and social media play in promoting...
The Role of Technology and Social Media in Promoting Transparency and Civic Education in Africa- In the 21st century, technology and social media have emerged as powerful tools for societal transformation. In Africa, where governance challenges, corruption, and limited civic engagement...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/417003
The Scorpions’ Pact Beneath the Sand
The desert floor, baked and featureless under the relentless sun, was merely the roof of a clandestine world. Beneath the shifting, golden surface, in a network of cool, dry tunnels, resided the Scorpions. They were the masters of the deep sands, creatures of silent movement, powerful defense,...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/417001
How Can Regional Bodies like the African Union or African...
Machine tools are the backbone of industrialization. They produce the machines that build everything else—from tractors and mining equipment to cars, medical devices, and renewable energy systems. For Africa, which is striving to industrialize under the framework of the African...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/417000
Can Cross-Border Collaboration Reduce Duplication of Efforts and...
The machine tool industry is a cornerstone of industrial development. It provides the essential equipment required for manufacturing across agriculture, construction, mining, automotive, aerospace, defense, and consumer goods. For Africa, developing a strong machine tool sector is not just an...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416999
How are European elites influencing U.S. defense spending and...
European elites primarily influence U.S. defense spending and military strategies through burden-sharing commitments, which serve as the indispensable political anchor for continued American involvement in European security. By publicly and materially committing to increased defense...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416998
How do European elites position themselves in U.S. debates over...
European elites position themselves in the U.S.
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416997
Are disputes over tech regulation, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals...
The core disputes over tech regulation, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals are not solely about consumer protection or elite economic dominance, but rather represent a fundamental tension between two competing models of economic governance:
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416996
How do Chinese financial terms compare to those of Western lenders...
In the 21st century, China has become Africa’s largest bilateral creditor and investor, surpassing the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in infrastructure financing. Its “no-strings-attached” approach, fast project delivery, and readiness to fund high-risk...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416756
Has China’s dominance in trade turned Africa into an import...
Over the last two decades, China’s economic rise has dramatically reshaped Africa’s trade landscape. From gleaming railways to glittering skyscrapers, the “Made in China” stamp is now visible across the continent. China is Africa’s largest trading partner, with...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416755
What percentage of Chinese project spending actually stays in...
Surprisingly small share of headline Chinese project spending typically stays circulating in African economies. Quantitative estimates vary by project and sector, but most credible studies and case-work put the local “value retained” in many Chinese-financed infrastructure deals in...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416753
How can citizens dismantle vote-buying culture and demand...
How Citizens Can Dismantle Vote-Buying Culture and Demand Performance-Based Politics- Vote-buying remains one of the most pervasive threats to democratic governance in Africa. By exchanging immediate material benefits—cash, food, or favors—for electoral support, political...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416750
The Cobras’ Council in the Grasslands
The Grasslands were a realm of endless, swaying amber, a place where vision was obstructed by the height of the stalks and survival depended on subtlety and silence. Here, beneath the deceptive uniformity of the plain, existed a network of tunnels and hidden burrows, the domain of the Cobras....
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416747
Should African Countries Pool Resources to Establish Regional...
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is often described as one of the boldest steps toward continental economic integration since the independence era. With 55 member states and a combined market of 1.4 billion people, AfCFTA aims to create the largest free trade area in the world by...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416742
Would a Locally Developed Machine Tool Industry Help Africa’s...
The global transition toward electric mobility is accelerating, with electric vehicles (EVs) projected to dominate automotive markets in the coming decades. Africa, home to abundant mineral resources such as cobalt, lithium, manganese, graphite, and nickel—key ingredients for EV...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416740
To what extent are European banks and corporations shaping U.S....
European banks and corporations exert a substantial and sophisticated influence on U.S. tax, trade, and investment policies, leveraging their massive presence in the U.S. market, their integral role in the transatlantic economy, and a sophisticated lobbying apparatus. Their influence...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416736
How do European elites lobby for favorable trade agreements,...
European elites execute a sophisticated, multi-layered lobbying strategy to secure favorable trade agreements, limit punitive tariffs, and shape U.S. financial regulations. This influence campaign operates through four main channels: official diplomatic engagement, direct corporate lobbying,...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416735
Are transatlantic institutions (IMF, World Bank, WTO) used by...
Transatlantic institutions (IMF, World Bank, WTO) are used significantly by Europe to maintain and exert leverage within the U.S.-led global order. This influence is achieved not by challenging the U.S. outright, but by securing crucial institutional positions and advocating for a...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416734
Are Chinese-Funded Projects Truly “Investments” —...
Over the past two decades, China has emerged as Africa’s single largest financier of infrastructure, providing over $170 billion in loans for roads, railways, power plants, and industrial zones. To many observers, this wave of Chinese funding looks like a new era of opportunity — a...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416525
How Much of Africa’s So-Called “Economic Growth”...
Over the past two decades, Africa has been hailed as the “next frontier of global growth.” From the skyscrapers of Addis Ababa to the modern railways of Nairobi, from Angola’s oil fields to Zambia’s copper mines, the continent’s landscape has changed rapidly. Much...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416523
Is Africa Trading Away Its Long-Term Sovereignty for Short-Term...
In the last two decades, Africa has witnessed a dramatic transformation in its physical and economic landscape, much of it powered by Chinese loans, construction projects, and trade deals. From Nairobi’s Standard Gauge Railway to Angola’s hydropower plants and Zambia’s new...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416521
What lessons can Africa learn from nations that broke away from...
What Lessons Can Africa Learn from Nations That Broke Away from Elite Dominance- Africa’s post-independence trajectory has been marred by elite dominance, corruption, and governance structures that prioritize the interests of a few over the needs of the many. While this has...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416517
Could Africa’s Elite Capture Be Seen as a Modern Form of...
Africa’s post-independence narrative is often framed as a struggle to reclaim sovereignty and direct the continent’s wealth toward national development. Yet, decades after political independence, many African countries continue to experience systems of domination, not from foreign...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416507
Why is Africa’s wealth (minerals, oil, land) not translating...
Why Africa’s Wealth in Minerals, Oil, and Land Is Not Translating Into Widespread Prosperity- Africa is often described as a continent of immense potential. It is endowed with vast reserves of minerals, oil, fertile land, and other natural resources that could, in theory, generate...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416506
The Penguins Who Argued Over Melting Thrones
The southernmost stretch of the vast, fractured ice shelf, known to the world as the Great South Plateau, was a territory defined by its relentless, accelerated decay. Here, huddled together in an uneasy, clamorous collective, were the Penguins. They were creatures of habit and deep-seated...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416505
"How Global Alliances Can Build a Cooperative Framework for...
Rare Earths as a Global Strategic Priority- Rare earth elements (REEs) have transitioned from industrial curiosities to the cornerstones of modern technology and defense. Their applications span from electric vehicles and wind turbines to smartphones, advanced computing, and...
https://ubuntusafa.com/posts/416501
