Changing the narrative on Africa.
Nairobi is cutting taxes and opening capital markets to small investors while Pretoria is lifting wages above inflation rates in a new shift toward income-led economic stabilisation.
More African courts are joining the fight against female genital mutilation, playing a bigger role in efforts to challenge a practice long shielded by silence and impunity. A recent report from Equality Now spotlights legal victories that are resonating across the continent.
2026 is shaping up to be an important year for inclusivity activism in Africa’s most populous country as a growing number among Nigeria’s 35 million disabled people step up to benefit from the recent gains made in the ongoing campaign for their rights.
Ibrahim “Snoopy” Ahmed is among the four Sudanese filmmakers who came together to make “Khartoum” (2025), which became the first Sudanese film to premiere at both Sundance and Berlinale, where it won the Berlinale Peace Prize. He tells bird about his mission to use his camera to shine a spotlight on those who, like him, have been displaced from home, and about how he found refuge and community in his current city of residence, Nairobi.
Africa’s tech startup ecosystem is increasingly being organised around large, high-visibility festivals. From Lagos to Cape Town, Nairobi, Marrakech and beyond, these events are positioning themselves as deal-making infrastructure, spaces where founders, investors and corporates transact.
West Africa is bracing for a jump in air travel demand as its heads of state prepare to cut taxes and fees that make up nearly half of a flight ticket, starting January 2026. The heads of state and government in the region approved the measures at their December 2024 summit in Abuja, aiming to dismantle the cost barriers that have made West Africa one of the world’s most expensive regions for air travel.
Though preliminary data suggests a victory for the incumbent Paul Biya, the electoral commission (ELECAM) is still counting the votes following Cameroon’s October 12 presidential election, with the Constitutional Council expected to certify the results by October 26. This marks the eighth time President Paul Biya, now 92, has appeared on the ballot since first taking power in 1982.
Gen Z-ers across Africa are rolling up their sleeves to organize sociopolitical movements. They want to have a say in what is going on in their societies and are increasingly using tech to demand access for basic services and to hold governments accountable to the ideals of democracy.
Botswana is preparing to sell something few African countries ever have: citizenship. According to a September 2025 statement by the Government of Botswana and investment-migration firm Arton Capital, the two sides have recently signed an exclusive memorandum of understanding to design and launch the country’s first Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) programme.
In an analysis piece republished by bird story agency, veteran Somali reporter Abdi Guled unpacks the high-stakes struggle unfolding along Somalia’s 2,000-mile coastline, a contest over sea access that could redefine the Horn of Africa.