Author: Ewang Johnson

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,…

LONDON, United Kingdom, 8 August 2025-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- Backbase, the global leader in Engagement Banking, in partnership with the African Banker magazine, has launched the inaugural report in the Africa Digital Banking Experience Series 2025, a timely publication that explores the transformation of banking across the continent in an age of hyper-personalisation, AI integration, and financial inclusion. The report “Retail banking: Competing for the modern African customer” is based on an exclusive survey of over 200 senior banking executives across 40 African countries. It provides a detailed, data-driven analysis of how African banks are shifting from traditional transactional models to…

By Dumisani Kadango, Country Manager, TransUnion Malawi LILONGWE, Malawi 7 August 2025 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- Financial inclusion has become one of the most critical building blocks for sustainable economic development, not only in Malawi but across emerging markets. When individuals and small businesses have access to affordable, appropriate, and timely financial products and services, they are empowered to save, invest, manage risk, and improve their quality of life. Yet in Malawi, a portion of the population still faces challenges in accessing comprehensive financial services. According to the 2023 FinScope Consumer Survey, 88% of Malawian adults are considered financially included, meaning they…

“We have the science, we have the technology—now we need the political will and investment to match.” Dr. Ru-fong Joanne Cheng, Director of Women’s Health Innovations, Gates FoundationThe Gates Foundation on Monday announced a $2.5 billion commitment through 2030 to advance a wide range of innovations aimed at improving women’s health spanning new medicines to prevent maternal deaths to vaccines targeting infections that disproportionately impact women. To explore the significance of this investment, Africa.com Founder and Executive Editor Teresa Clarke connected with Dr Ru-fong Joanne Cheng, Director of Women’s Health Innovations at the Foundation. Africa.com: This is the largest investment…

“The Prince of Darkness has died” has a distinctly different ring from “the King is dead,” the headline that marked Elvis Presley’s passing. If Elvis was the king of rock and roll, then the late Ozzy Osbourne was the patron saint of what came to be called heavy metal. For those who loved him, Ozzy was a Falstaffian madman who brought joy to millions and a consummate performer who died just seventeen days after his final concert. For others, he was the lunatic who bit the head off a dove and a bat (the bat was an accident), micturated on…

What is certain is that The Black Cauldron aimed to be a different kind of Disney film. “Ron Miller, the former CEO of the company and the son-in-law of Walt Disney, wanted the film to be a departure,” Neil O’Brien, author of After Disney: Toil, Trouble, and the Transformation of America’s Favorite Media Company, tells the BBC. “He wanted it to appeal to a teenage, young-adult audience, and deliberately went about making sure there were no songs in the movie that could turn off teenage audiences.” The Black Cauldron also had a PG rating, a first for Disney. “That’s standard now,…

Google highlighted the impact of its Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools on the South African innovation landscape and business scenes at the AI in Action event held in Cape Town today.  The event, attended by various stakeholders in the tech ecosystem, business community, and media was an opportunity for Google to reaffirm its commitment to advancing Africa’s digital transformation journey through AI adoption. Held under the theme “AI is Now,” Google used the opportunity to demonstrate how businesses, developers, and communities in South Africa can leverage AI to enhance productivity, ignite innovation, and tackle real-world challenges in a way that is…

In 2017, as the dust settled from South Africa’s  #FeesMustFall protests, a quiet revolution was taking shape. It wasn’t happening in the halls of parliament or the streets of Cape Town, but online—on a tech-enabled platform designed to rewrite the future for thousands of financially excluded students. That platform is Feenix, and today, it’s one of South Africa’s most innovative responses to the country’s enduring education funding gap. Rooted in the idea that access to education shouldn’t depend on wealth, Feenix launched as a Public Benefit Organisation to bridge the divide between aspiration and affordability. Through a unique crowdfunding model,…

As the US prepares to impose a 15% tariff on Ghanaian goods starting August 7, China has reaffirmed its commitment to zero-tariff access for Ghana and 52 other African nations. Chinese Ambassador Lu Kun, speaking at the Africa-China Centre for Policy and Advisory (ACCPA) fellowship event in Accra, described Beijing’s policy as mutually beneficial. He urged Ghanaian exporters to tap into China’s massive consumer market, which comprises over 400 million middle-class consumers. Ambassador Kun revealed that Beijing and Accra have signed a framework agreement regarding the policy, and talks are currently ongoing to finalize implementation details. He also encouraged Ghanaian businesses to…

 By Fara Ndiaye, Deputy Executive Director (Speak Up Africa), Dr George Githuka, Program Director (CHReaD), Prof Keitshepile Geoffrey Setswe, Managing Director: Implementation Research Division (Aurum Institute and SAHTAC), Caroline Mbindyo, Chief Innovations Officer (Amref Health Africa)  The global health community is facing significant cuts to critical global health research funding. Estimates show global health funding has dropped by $9-10 billion for the upcoming fiscal year alone, and $30-40 billion over the next 3 to 5 years. Dozens of health trials across Africa were forced to halt in late January after millions of dollars in USAID funding were cut, including groundbreaking…