🔅 The New Queen of the Auction House, King Charles III's Kenya Visit
Plus, Paul Kagame's Expansion Mission & Gates Foundation's Bet On Africa's Vaccine Future
Photo of the day
Berbera City, Somaliland
Markets:
🟢 Nigerian SE: 67,133.19 (+0.05%)
🔴 Johannesburg SE: 73,849.53 (-0.51%)
— Ghana SE: 3,141.18 (0.00%)
🟢 Nairobi SE: 93.69 (+0.74%)
🔴 US S&P 500: 4,371.71 (-0.12%)
🟢 Shanghai Composite: 3,107.90 (+0.94%)
*Data accurate as of the close of markets across the continent
Brief & Bright: Africa's Top Five
Julie Mehretu: The New Queen of the Auction House
Move over, Marlene Dumas, there's a new African-born artist breaking records at auction. Julie Mehretu, an Ethiopian-born artist now living in the US, sold a diptych for a whopping $9.32 million at a recent Sotheby's sale in Hong Kong. That's a lot of zeros, folks. She's not alone in the top tier of African artists, who also are women—the top three is rounded out by South Africa's Irma Stern and Nigerian-American Njideka Akunyili Crosby. Despite concerns about speculation and price corrections in the African art market, Mehretu's work continues to fetch top dollar, indicating a loyal following. In fact, the piece that set the record previously sold for a measly $2.89 million in 2015. Talk about a good investment.
King Charles III Goes to Kenya: A State Visit Full of Symbolism and Apologies
King Charles III is heading to Kenya for a state visit, following in the footsteps of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who found out her father died and that she was the queen while on a trip there in 1952. This is Charles' first visit to a Commonwealth nation since he became king last year, showing his commitment to the organization that has been a big deal for Britain since World War II. The king will meet with environmental activist Wanjira Mathai, daughter of the late Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, and acknowledge the "painful aspects" of Kenya's history with the UK, including the Mau Mau Rebellion in the 1950s before independence. The rebellion started as Kenyans set out to take back their land from British officials and white farmers. It resulted in 90,000 Kenyans being executed, tortured, or maimed by the UK's counterinsurgency campaign. In 2013, the UK government apologized and paid millions for human rights abuses. King Charles visited Kenya in 1971, and in 2022, in Rwanda, he attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government, a group of 56 countries with ties to the UK. Charles became the head of the organization after his mother's passing, although the position is not hereditary. His trip will last from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3 and will include visits to Nairobi National Park and a meeting with President William Ruto.
Paul Kagame: Africa's Marathon Man
Paul Kagame has been running Rwanda for almost 30 years and shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, he just announced that he'll be running for a fourth term as president next year. And while his country may be small, his ambitions are not. His army is on the move, fighting rebels in the Central African Republic, jihadists in Mozambique, and possibly deploying to Benin to fight even more jihadists. All in the name of becoming Africa's "exporter of security." But before we crown him the continent's superhero, let's not forget that his own government has a pretty bad reputation. A recent report by Human Rights Watch reveals a disturbing pattern of intimidation and violence against Rwandans, even those living abroad. Why is he sending troops to other countries? To make money and gain influence. It seems to be working—Rwanda's army has won the gratitude of Western policymakers and businesses linked to the ruling party seem to have been reaping tremendous benefits and contracts in the countries it sends its troops to.
The Gates Foundation's Big Bet on Africa's Vaccine Future
The Gates Foundation is dropping $40 million to boost access to mRNA vaccines in Africa. You know, the ones that revolutionized the world's response to COVID-19 but were super hard to get your hands on if you lived in a lower-income country. So far, a few initiatives have been set up to make these high-tech vaccines more accessible, and now the Gates Foundation is throwing some cash at two African vaccine manufacturers to help them buy the technology and make their own versions. Senegal's Institut Pasteur de Dakar and South Africa's Biovac are getting $5 million each. A further 10 million is up for grabs for other manufacturers who want to get in on the mRNA action. This could make vaccines cheaper to develop.
Diphtheria Outbreak in Nigeria: A Deadly Disease and a Lack of Vaccines
Diphtheria, a highly contagious disease that affects the nose, throat, and skin, has been wreaking havoc in Nigeria since December 2022. More than 600 people, mostly children, have died and 14,000 cases have been reported. This is way worse than the last outbreak of 2011, when only 98 cases were reported. Kano state is the hardest hit, with over 500 deaths, but there has been a slight decline in active cases recently. The disease is preventable with vaccines, but many children who died were not vaccinated. Health authorities are urging parents to get their kids vaccinated, and the World Health Organization says Nigeria needs to increase vaccinations to cover at least 80% of the population to prevent future outbreaks.
Food for Thought
“For Africa to me... is more than a glamorous fact. It is a historical truth. No man can know where he is going unless he knows exactly where he has been and exactly how he arrived at his present place.”
— Maya Angelou