Akisa Wandera At Shona EPZ, a garment factory in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, the tension is inescapable. The industrious thrum of the heavy-duty sewing machines, along with the workers’ chatter, normally fills the plant with a reassuring rhythm. But today every sound is tinged with uncertainty as the future of the firm is unclear because of the possible end of a key piece of US trade law. The African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), embedding in legislation a landmark trade agreement that has for 25 years given some African goods duty-free access to the US market, expires on Tuesday. However, this…
Author: Montage Africa
Former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila has been sentenced to death in absentia for war crimes and treason. The charges concern accusations that Kabila has been supporting the M23, a rebel group who have wreaked devastation across the country’s eastern region. Kabila was convicted on Friday of treason, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, including murder, sexual assault, torture and insurrection. He rejected the case as “arbitrary” and said the courts were being used as an “instrument of oppression”. His current whereabouts are unknown. The 54-year-old led DR Congo for 18 years, after succeeding his father Laurent, who…
Secluded yet accessible, thrilling yet deeply restorative, five reasons why Ruaha is a safari destination like no other Where ancient baobabs rise from the plains and miombo woodlands stretch endlessly towards the horizon in the Iringa region of south-central Tanzania, you’ll find Ruaha National Park, the ultimate escape into the African bush. Resilient and largely undisturbed, Ruaha offers silence and a sense of intimacy with the wild, something you’ll rarely find at many other safari destinations. Lions roam in extraordinary numbers, elephants amble freely and you feel a connection to nature that has endured for ages. If you’re searching for…
By Hennie de Villiers Africa’s population is projected to exceed 1.7 billion by 2030, one of the youngest and mobile-first populations on the planet, making the continent fertile ground for the reimagining of financial services. But Africa also sits at a crossroads: an accelerating trajectory of digital innovation challenged by deep digital divides, including access and infrastructure, affordability, digital literacy and regulatory constraints. If not addressed with urgency and scale, millions could be locked out of economic progress. The upcoming G20 Summit in Johannesburg represents a vital moment for the continent to address these challenges and serve as the platform to showcase…
Marianne BaisneeParis South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, has been found dead near the four-star Hyatt Regency Hotel in Paris, French officials have told the BBC. Mthethwa, 58, was reported missing by his wife on Monday evening, after a “worrying message from him”, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. He had booked a room on the 22nd floor of the high-rise hotel, whose security window was forced open, it added. The circumstances around his death are unclear at this stage, and an investigation has been opened, the Paris prosecutor’s office said, adding that a duty magistrate was “going to the…
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) have renewed and expanded their memorandum of understanding (MoU), underscoring their commitment to strengthening intra-African trade, small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) competitiveness, and South-South cooperation. The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the recently concluded Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) by Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank and Ms. Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of ITC. Under the renewed MoU, Afreximbank and ITC will promote SME competitiveness, capacity building related to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), sustainable livelihoods through the…
Aryatara Shakya, at two years and eight months, was chosen as the new Kumari, replacing her predecessor who, by tradition, returns to a mortal life upon reaching puberty. The Kumari, revered by both Hindus and Buddhists, is selected between the ages of two and four based on strict criteria such as flawless skin, eyes, teeth, and fearlessness. Worshippers regard the living goddess as a divine embodiment, wheeling her through the city on a chariot during major religious festivals. Always dressed in red with a painted third eye, the Kumari blesses devotees who line up to touch her feet with their…
On August 29, 2025, South Africa hosted the G20 Women to Africa dialogue, part of the Empowerment of Women Working Group (EWWG), on African soil for the first time. As Advocate Mikateko Maluleke noted in her opening address, the event was designed to turn principles into pipelines and commitments into capital that moves. Esteemed contributors The program brought together an accomplished lineup: Sindisiwe Chikunga, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities; Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, former Chairperson of the African Union Commission; Narnia Bohler Muller, Chair of the G20 W20; Dr Vera Songwe, Chair and Founder of…
Kenyan President William Ruto aims to sign a trade agreement with the United States before the end of the year, seeking relief from US tariffs that have impacted Kenyan exports. Ruto, who was recently in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During their meeting, Ruto emphasized the importance of renewing the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a 25-year-old trade agreement between sub-Saharan Africa and the US. While China’s influence has grown in the region, many African nations, including Kenya, still rely on the US for a significant portion of their exports.…
Rows of women sit low to the ground in the central Nigerian town of Bida, holding sticks that rise and fall in a steady rhythm. The air is filled with the dull thud of wood against shell – the dark sun-dried, brown exterior of the shea fruit giving way to reveal the hard nut inside. The produce, harvested in the wild after falling from the trees, is being readied for the middlemen to collect and then supply factories. These are the early stages of a process that ends with shea butter on the counters of cosmetics shops across the world…