Pasha - from The Conversation Africa
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Pasha - from The Conversation Africa
Welcome to Pasha, The Conversation Africa’s brand new podcast. In the spirit of The Conversation, Pasha – which means to inform in Swahili – will be bringing you some of the best and brightest research from academics across the continent. After nearly four years of publishing expert research, we’re...
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How the pandemic lockdown in South Africa affected mental health
When SARS-CoV-2 emerged in South Africa, the country took measures to restrict people’s movements and activities, to slow the spread of infections. Th...
What’s wrong with the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The “Fourth Industrial Revolution” is a term coined in 2016 by German economist Klaus Schwab. It’s used to describe the technology revolution that the...
Tips for parents on keeping kids safe online
Young children and adolescents are becoming hyper connected. They are using digital technologies as a platform for learning, connection and socialisat...
Killer whales are hunting great white sharks in South Africa’s waters
Great white sharks have long been at the top of the food chain in parts of South Africa’s oceans. In their peak winter hunting months, around 100 grea...
Snare and shotgun injuries reveal more about threats to lions and leopards in Zambia
Wildlife and people are coming into more and more conflict across Africa as human populations expand. Habitat loss and fragmentation of animal populat...
Big infrastructure projects on the continent should work for everyone
Big infrastructure projects should be based on the needs of people and communities. Often, they are criticised for benefiting the wealthy only. These...
Big development projects can have negative effects on nature and people
There are some major development projects in progress on the continent. They include the Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya and irrigation and hydropower...
Projects like Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway can unlock development
Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway, which links Nairobi and Mombasa, East Africa’s largest port, was built to ease the pressure on the road network. Const...
When a hippo honks, here’s what it could mean – to another hippo at least
Hippos are very vocal animals, exchanging signals like the “wheeze honk”. But not much is known about what these sounds mean. Two researchers found th...
Cities must listen to people to find solutions for climate impacts: stories from Cape Town
A few years ago the South African city of Cape Town was close to reaching “day zero” – the day the taps would run dry as a result of a serious drought...
Technology for education has huge potential: partnerships can widen access
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted normal contact learning in education systems worldwide. Technology became an essential tool for learning and it has gr...
Lakes in the Democratic Republic of Congo are contested spaces. Here’s why
The lakes of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) play a big part in people’s lives – socially, politically and economically. But lake fishing commu...
Understanding vaccine hesitancy in South Africa
Vaccine hesitancy is the delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccination, where vaccination services are available. It’s a diverse phenomenon: people ma...
Hyenas’ unpicky feeding habits help clean up a town in Ethiopia
Hyenas aren’t the most popular animals. Sometimes they kill people’s livestock. They are also thought of as scavengers, with some unappealing eating b...
Soil isn’t dirt: it’s the foundation of life and needs real care
Healthy soil is critical for life on earth. It can contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, food and nutrition security. It is central...
What bush crickets are telling researchers via their unique calls
Bush crickets – or katydids, as they are also known – are fascinating creatures. They belong in the same order of insects as grasshoppers and crickets...
Africa’s forests have value for the whole world. All must pay for them
African forests are rich in biodiversity and provide a livelihood for more than 1 billion people. They store massive amounts of carbon and play a part...
Benin bronzes: What is the significance of their repatriation to Nigeria?
After years of pressure, western countries are finally returning priceless artefacts and artworks that had been looted from Nigeria during colonial ti...
Pasha 132: COVID South Africa: Top scientist on vaccine rollout lessons, and next steps
South Africa is several months into its COVID vaccination roll-out – a complex process with wide repercussions. It has recently extended the roll-out...
Pasha 131: The Ethiopian and Tigrayan conflict one year on
The conflict between Ethiopia and its northern region of Tigray has been going on for a year. The power struggle has created many refugees and caused...
Pasha 130: The Ethiopia and Tigray conflict is worsening hunger in the region
Ethiopia and its northern region of Tigray have been in conflict for about a year now. The political power struggle that had been going on for decades...
Pasha 129: Africa’s climate concerns and the way forward
Many African countries are under significant stress from climate change. Increasing emissions of greenhouse gases are putting the world on a path towa...
Pasha 128: Why Rwanda is involved in Mozambique’s security
Islamic militias in the northern part of Mozambique, the province of Cabo Delgado, have mounted an armed insurgency against the Mozambican government...
Pasha 127: Allergies vs rooibos: can this South African plant help sufferers?
Nasal allergy is a common problem in South Africa. It is estimated that 20% to 30% of adults in South Africa suffer with allergic rhinitis or hay feve...
Pasha 126: Four factors that make a graduate more employable
South Africa has an extremely high unemployment rate. A qualification from a tertiary institution usually means the chances of landing a job are highe...
Pasha 125: Nigeria can regain its lost athletics glory. Here’s how
Nigeria used to be a great force in global athletics but that has changed. The country’s fortunes have plummeted in track and field events. The downwa...
Pasha 124: How Nairobi’s informal settlements got their names
Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city, started as a railway depot in 1899 and developed into a colonial administration centre, then into a commercial and regi...
Pasha 123: Conversations with the Editor: The IMF’s special drawing rights
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is to inject $650 billion in Special Drawing Rights into the global economy. Because of the way the quotas for m...
Pasha 122: How video analysis benefits rugby
A recent rugby series between South Africa and the British and Irish Lions, a tour that takes place every 12 years, was the subject of controversy. On...
Pasha 121: Why we need mosquitoes
The dreaded mosquito is an insect with a bad reputation. They bite, keep you up at night and spread deadly diseases like dengue and malaria. There are...
Pasha 120: Botanical gardens: why we need them and how they can also pose a risk
The team behind our podcast, Pasha, has started a series called “Why We Need” and this first episode is about why we need botanical gardens. Botanica...
Pasha 119: Talking about Africa and the Olympics
It’s safe to say that the 2020 Olympic Games held in Tokyo this year was an unconventional event. The impact the pandemic had on the athletes has been...
Pasha 118: Herd immunity isn’t achievable. We need to learn to live with COVID-19
In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic the phrase “herd immunity” was bandied about a lot by heads of state as well as health officials. This idea...
Pasha 117: What drove South Africa’s recent violence and looting and what to do about it
After former president Jacob Zuma was recently arrested for contempt of court, South Africa went into disarray. Widespread looting, vandalism and viol...
Pasha 116: Why events like Eid celebrations can be superspreaders
One of the elements that contribute to a rise in COVID-19 infections is gatherings. Ramadan (the month when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset) and E...
Pasha 115: Five ideas about why so many top African officials have died of COVID-19
Seventeen African leaders – national ministers and heads of state – had lost their lives to COVID-19 by February 2021. The continent is made up of 54...
Pasha 114: Lessons from COVID-19 for other global crises
Disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic provide the world with a learning opportunity. It is important that global events like this are used to invoke ch...
Pasha 113: COVID-19, the Delta variant and South Africa’s vaccination problems
The Delta variant of SARS-COV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – is spreading across South Africa, sparking a strong resurgence of infections. The p...
Pasha 112: The struggles of women doing stand-up in Zimbabwe
Being a comedian in Zimbabwe is no easy profession, particularly if you’re a woman. The problems women face range from violence – for example, Samanth...
Pasha 111: Why it’s important to improve Africa’s research output
Peacebuilding
Research output across the African continent is really low. Many institutions that produce research are severely underdeveloped an...