🔅 Plastic Waste: Africa's Newest Crisis
Plus: Who is Mr Beast and why the controversy? And Kenya's taxing identity.
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Côte d’Ivoire
Markets:
🟢 Nigerian SE: 70,773.31 (+0.07%)
🔴 Johannesburg SE: 72,465.63 (-0.48%)
🟢 Ghana SE: 3,147.07 (+1.54%)
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Airtel Uganda's IPO: A Missed Connection | Looks like Airtel Uganda’s initial public offering (IPO) didn’t quite hit the mark. The telecom company aimed to sell 8 billion shares but only got offers for 4.4 billion, raising 211 billion shillings instead of the 800 billion shillings they hoped for. The listing makes Airtel the second telecom company on the stock exchange after MTN Uganda.
*Data accurate as of the close of markets across the continent
Brief & Bright: Africa's Top Five
Plastic Waste: Africa's Newest Crisis
The plastic waste problem in Africa is growing faster than anywhere else in the world. Every minute, enough plastic waste to cover a football field is openly dumped or burned in sub-Saharan Africa. If we don't do something about it, the region will have a whopping 116 million tonnes of plastic waste annually by 2060. The main culprit? Rising demand for plastic products, especially in countries with young populations and growing incomes. This issue will be front and center at a UN meeting in Nairobi next week, where representatives will discuss a treaty to fight plastic pollution. In addition to the obvious, plastic waste invites mosquitoes, flies, and vermin, which increases the risk of diseases like malaria and cholera.
MrBeast's Charity Controversy: Helping Africa or Hurting Its Pride?
YouTube star MrBeast (real name: Jimmy Donaldson) is facing backlash for his latest video, where he claims to have built 100 wells in Africa, including more recently in Kenya. Donaldson is known for his philanthropy and is also the most popular individual creator on YouTube, with over 200 million subscribers. This has allowed him to build a business estimated at more than $1 billion and earned him a spot on Time magazine's most influential people of 2023. While some have been effusive in their praise for Donaldson's work, others have accused him of exploiting vulnerable people for views and revenue. While some have expressed gratitude for his work and pointed out the failures of the Kenyan government, others say it perpetuates stereotypes of Africa as a continent dependent on handouts. Donaldson himself has brushed off the criticism, saying he will continue to use his platform to help people and inspire others to do the same. So, is he a hero or a villain?
Opera Goes Hip: Cape Town's Young Talent Takes the Stage
Opera may seem like a stuffy, old-fashioned art form, but in Cape Town, it’s getting a major youth injection. Thanks to a program at the city’s Artscape Theatre Centre, young singers from under-resourced high schools are getting the chance to train and perform. Who says classical music can’t be cool? The opera world is finally opening up to black talent in South Africa, and you can read The Guardian's take on it here.
The King of the Bailundo Kingdom Visits His Descendants in Brazil
A community in Rio de Janeiro that traces its ancestry back to runaway slaves welcomed a unique visitor this week: King Tchongolola Tchongonga Ekuikui VI from the Bailundo kingdom in Angola. The king, wearing a traditional black-and-white robe and hat, was greeted with dancing, chanting, and a hearty dish of feijoada, which enslaved people invented. He also visited a UNESCO World Heritage site that served as a landing point for over 900,000 enslaved people. The king's visit allowed him to connect with his descendants and learn about their culture. As he told the community, "We are here, and there are a lot of people who look majestic... Our presence here is to say to Afro-descendants, to our brothers, here in Brazil and especially in this quilombo, that we are here as roots that are alive, roots that keep this ancestry, roots that maintain our habits and customs.”
Kenya's Taxing Identity Crisis
Getting an ID in Kenya now costs a pretty penny. Well, more like 1,000 shillings, which is about 6 dollars. But still, that’s a significant change from getting it for free at 18. And it’s not just IDs—other government documents like passports and birth certificates are also seeing hefty price hikes. This is causing quite an uproar among Kenyans, who are already struggling with a high cost of living since President Ruto came to power and hiked taxes. Some even say these fees could create barriers for poorer citizens to access government services or participate in essential processes like voting and getting married. All this comes as President William Ruto is expected to give his first State of the Nation address, where he’ll probably talk about the achievements of his administration over the past year.
Food for Thought
"A bird does not change its feathers because the weather is bad."
— Kenyan Proverb