Africanites

04/08/2025

South Africa is seeking new trade markets within Africa and Asia as it faces the threat of a 30% tariff from Trump.

The move could cost South Africa an estimated 30,000 jobs. President Cyril Ramaphosa's government is frustrated with Washington, arguing that South Africa's exports do not compete with US industries and represent a small share of America's total imports.

The proposed tariff—set to take effect later this week—would be the highest imposed on any sub-Saharan African country.

It also comes amid deteriorating diplomatic ties between South Africa and the US, strained by disagreements on both domestic and international policy fronts.
~DW

03/08/2025

Powerful!

My name is Thandolwenkosi Tshuma, and I am the first Black female bicycle traveler in all of Africa. I'm here to inspire women who doubt themselves. As *mbokodos*, we have the strength to do anything we set our minds to.

When I first started cycling, I was called many hurtful names—ugly, a granny, HIV-positive. I was told I would die. But here I am, still standing strong and unshakable. Nothing can break me.

WOMAN POWER 💪

02/08/2025

South African 🇿🇦 maths Olympiad team draws criticism for lack of black representation

South Africa's high school maths team achieved its best result in over 20 years at the 2025 International Mathematics Olympiad in Australia, earning one silver and four bronze medals.

However, the team's composition has sparked controversy, as none of the seven members are Black.

This has led to widespread criticism on social media, with many questioning the absence of 'native South Africans' and highlighting the underrepresentation of Black students in elite academic competitions.

The South African Mathematics Foundation has yet to publicly address the concerns raised.

02/08/2025

Old West African leaders extend grip on power-

• Côte d’Ivoire: 83-year-old President Alassane Ouattara is pursuing a fourth term in office.
• The Gambia: President Adama Barrow is aiming for a third term.
• Cameroon: 92-year-old President Paul Biya is seeking an eighth term, remaining one of the world’s longest-serving leaders.
• Togo: President Faure Gnassingbé has abolished term limits, paving the way for indefinite rule.

02/08/2025

UK Politician from Nigeria 🇳🇬 says she is no longer a Nigerian

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has said she no longer identifies as Nigerian and has not renewed her passport since the early 2000s.

Badenoch, who was born in the UK, grew up in both Nigeria and the US. She returned to England aged 16 because of Nigeria's worsening political and economic climate, as well as to continue her education.

Speaking on former MP and television presenter Gyles Brandreth's Rosebud podcast, she said she was "Nigerian through ancestry" but "by identity, I'm not really".

Last year, Badenoch faced criticism from Nigeria's vice-president, who said she had "denigrated" the West African country.

Badenoch, who previously lived in Lagos, spoke at length about her upbringing on the podcast.

"I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there, and I'm very interested in what happens there," she said. "But home is where my now family is."

On not renewing her passport, she said: "I don't identify with it anymore. Most of my life has been in the UK and I've just never felt the need to."

She added: "I'm Nigerian through ancestry, by birth, despite not being born there because of my parents... but by identity, I'm not really."

Badenoch said that when she had visited the country when her father died, she had to get a visa, which was "a big fandango".

She said her early experiences in Nigeria shaped her political outlook, including "why I don't like socialism".

As a child, "I remember never quite feeling that I belonged there", she went on, adding that she recalled "coming back to the UK in 1996 thinking: this is home".

The Tory leader added the reason she returned to the UK was "a very sad one".

"It was that my parents thought: 'There is no future for you in this country'."

She said she had not experienced racial prejudice in the UK "in any meaningful form", adding: "I knew I was going to a place where I would look different to everybody, and I didn't think that that was odd.

"What I found actually quite interesting was that people didn't treat me differently, and it's why I'm so quick to defend the UK whenever there are accusations of racism."

At the end of last year, Badenoch was criticised for saying she had grown up in fear and insecurity in Nigeria at a time it was plagued by corruption.

The country's vice-president Kashim Shettima responded that his government was "proud" of Badenoch "in spite of her efforts at denigrating her nation of origin". A spokesperson for Badenoch rebuffed the criticism. BBC

02/08/2025

Researchers have developed a system called WhoFi that can identify individuals with 95.5% accuracy using only Wi-Fi signals. It doesn't need cameras, lights, or even a clear view—just the way signals bounce off a person’s body is enough. Remarkably, it works through walls and with standard home routers. While this technology is a breakthrough in wireless sensing, it also sparks important concerns about surveillance and privacy in everyday environments.
~Fact point

01/08/2025

US 🇺🇸 President Trump sends 2 nuclear submarines near Russia🇷🇺

01/08/2025

US 🇺🇸 President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on several African nations in a major trade policy shift.

Below is the list of African countries impacted by the new tariffs.

📸: Business Insider Africa

01/08/2025

EUROPEAN UNION 🇪🇺 teases USA 🇺🇸

01/08/2025

Muammar Gaddafi's outfits often featured the Map of Africa.

His outfits sometimes featured images of renowned African leaders, including Nelson Mandela, Julius Nyerere, Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, and Kenneth Kaunda.

Gaddafi was deeply committed to African unity and worked tirelessly for the continent's freedom and progress.

Yet, when Western powers came to remove him from power, many African leaders chose to remain silent and took no action, despite his considerable contributions to Africa.

01/08/2025

US🇺🇸 President Trump has imposed new tariffs on 20 African countries, set to take effect in seven days. African nations not on the list will keep the 10% baseline tariff announced in April. Algeria 🇩🇿 , Libya 🇱🇾 , and South Africa 🇿🇦 top the list with the highest tariff rates. Tensions between the US and South Africa have escalated after Trump accused the country of discriminating against its white minority—a claim strongly denied by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

01/08/2025

In 40 years history turns for Nigeria 🇳🇬.
Ghana 🇬🇭 saw mass protests in Accra on July 26, with hundreds demanding Nigerians leave the country over alleged ritual killings, prostitution, and rising crime.
Protesters cited missing children and moral decay, carrying placards like “Nigerians Must Go” and “End Kidnapping,” as tensions grow over foreign influence and community safety.

Back in history :
In 1983, the Nigerian government ordered an estimated two million undocumented immigrants, many of whom were Ghanaians, to leave the country.
This mass expulsion, known as Ghana Must Go, was a significant event in West African history, highlighting issues of migration, national identity, and xenophobia.

The phrase became associated with the checkered plastic bags used by many to transport their belongings during the exodus.