Author: Ewang Johnson

In the heart of Africa, a remarkable organization is making waves. Seedtime Economic Empowerment & Development Initiative Africa (SEED Africa) is a pioneering non-governmental organization (NGO) that’s dedicated to promoting sustainable development across the continent. With its headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, SEED Africa is empowering communities, fostering entrepreneurship, and driving positive change. A Legacy of Impact SEED Africa’s story is one of hope and resilience. Over the years, the organization has achieved some remarkable milestones. For instance, in December 2024, SEED Africa partnered with the Ame Wo Ba Eggon Medical Team to provide free medical consultation, treatment, and surgeries. The…

From its inception, Seurat was determined that Bathers at Asnières would not be just another painting. It was an audacious manifesto on how we see the world when the artificial trappings of class and status, form and function, are filtered away to reveal the vital vibration of colour, pure colour – a meticulously plotted statement of purpose and artistic intent. In preparation for the work, Seurat dramatically departed from Impressionist spontaneity and its habit of working hastily outdoors, undertaking in his studio more than a dozen oil sketches and nearly as many crayon drawings, convinced this would be the masterwork…

Building on its strong presence in South Africa, Paymentology’s new plug-and-play solution, PayoCard, enables digital banks and fintechs to launch secure, self-service card experiences faster – supporting underserved customers and expanding access to digital payments Paymentology, the leading global issuer-processor, has launched a new mobile-first card management platform, PayoCard, to help digital banks and fintechs in South Africa extend fast, secure, and intuitive card services to their customers. This is the first digital card platform provided by a processor in the region. Delivering responsive, mobile card services can be complex and costly for banks and fintechs, often requiring heavy infrastructure and…

Western culture, she says, has built a whole mythology around female blondeness − from religious iconography and fairy tales, to art and advertising − that has told specific stories about what it means to be blonde. In cinema’s early years, comedies such as Platinum Blonde (1931) and Bombshell (1933), starring Jean Harlow, embedded concepts of the dazzling, devastatingly beautiful blonde into the cultural vernacular. “The idea that you’re a bombshell, it’s almost like a weapon,” says Nead. “On the one hand, it is this kind of ideal, but at the same time, it’s also threatening.”  Before Harlow, there was another…

With just 20 days to go, KwaZulu-Natal is preparing to welcome global investors, policymakers, and industry leaders to the Tourism Investment Forum Africa (TIFA) 2025. Set to take place from August 27th–29th  in the City of uMhlathuze, this year’s forum is a crucial platform for unlocking the vast and diverse investment opportunities within the province, with a special focus on its booming tourism and film sectors. With the theme “Tourism and Infrastructure Investment: Driving Economic Transformation and Enhancing Community Well-Being,” TIFA 2025 will be held in the bustling economic center of Richards Bay. The event aims to highlight KwaZulu-Natal’s strategic…

By Adil El Youssefi, Chief Executive Officer, Africa Data Centres In May 2025, a brief yet wide-reaching internet outage in South Africa, caused by a single point of failure in a core internet exchange, revealed just how exposed even mature digital ecosystems can be. The interruption only lasted a few minutes, but with South Africa’s internet penetration rate standing at almost 79%, it significantly impacted thousands of businesses and millions of users. The ripple effect lasted well beyond, disrupting online classes, interrupting meetings, and even online streaming of the country’s national budget speech. This event served as a timely reminder that in…

This is the third and final article in a three-part series. (Read Part I and Part II.)In the first article of this series, we laid a theological framework for thinking about extraterrestrial life. In the second, we examined the rise of UFO mythology in popular culture and clarified how the scientific search for life differs from the images of little green men with ray guns. Now, in this final installment, we explore a more difficult task: how Christian theology might respond if we one day confirm the existence of life beyond Earth. Not because we know it exists, but because…

A series of fires broke out around the city. In an effort to see in the dark, many New Yorkers had lit candles indoors, and curtains and furniture accidentally caught fire. “I just remember it turning into this nightmare situation where it was non-stop,” Sharon Hawa, who worked for the American Red Cross at the time, told the organisation’s podcast in 2021. “It was like a wildfire happening in the city.”Fewer arrests than usualFire crews were called out to more than 60 residential fires that night, with two deaths attributed to the use of fire to provide light. “The borough…

Opinion by Matsie Mpshe, Founder and Managing Director at The Transformation Firm and Founder of the SMME Empowerment Summit South Africa has over 2.5 million small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), employing nearly 10 million people. Yet, many of these businesses are still viewed by corporates through the narrow lens of CSI or supplier development compliance. What if we have it backwards? What if it is big business that can no longer afford to underestimate the value and innovation of small business? The truth is, without meaningful partnerships with the SMME ecosystem, especially in underrepresented and township communities, large companies…

By Maureen Phiri, Sales Manager at Oxyon People Solutions The engineering sector has historically been a male-dominated field, and to a large extent it still is. However, this is changing, and the shift is gaining significant momentum as more women begin to take up leadership roles, spearheading innovation and driving inclusive growth. These women are reshaping the industry, driving innovation and change, and Women’s Month is an ideal moment to reflect on how far we have come, while recognising how far we still must go in ensuring equity, diversity and inclusivity. Stepping up to change the industry In recent years,…