We asked ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity for financial advice: what we got was practical, but with big blind spotsBomikazi Zeka, University of Canberra and Raechel Johns, University of Canberra
South Africa’s small sugar farms are producing less than they could: study finds ways to boost themLawrence Nkosikhona Malinga, South African Sugarcane Research Institute; University of KwaZulu-Natal
How can governments tackle poverty when climate change, conflict and economic shocks hit all at once?Vidya Diwakar, Institute of Development Studies
The world has changed. African countries must rethink how they grow their economiesJonathan Munemo, Salisbury University
Ghana’s housing problem goes beyond numbers – it’s also about qualityBismark Aha, Nottingham Trent University; Abubakar Sadiq Abass, Middle East Technical University; Philip Kofi Alimo, ENTPE, and Richmond Juvenile Ehwi, Oxford Brookes University
Nigeria’s new digital economy rules leave gaps in crypto regulation – financial law expert explainsIwa Salami, University of East London
What Gabon’s rating downgrade tells us about how sovereign credit worthiness is judgedDaniel Cash, United Nations University; Aston University
Nairobi’s largest informal settlement is getting an upgrade. But who will actually benefit from new apartments?Fabrizio Floris, Université catholique de Milan
Jobs abroad or jobs in Africa? Why a focus on work in other countries shouldn’t replace opportunities at homeMichael Boampong, The Open University; Daniel Assamah, Rutgers University - Newark, and Melissa Mouthaan, University of Cambridge
A sharp fall in gas supplies in 2028 threatens South Africa’s economy: how to manage the falloutDavies Tsikayi, University of the Witwatersrand
Will El Niño drought hit food prices in South Africa? Earlier rains and grain stocks offer hopeWandile Sihlobo, Stellenbosch University
African entrepreneurs operate in tough conditions: the skills they’ve honed could be useful to othersBadri Zolfaghari, University of Cape Town; Mikael Samuelsson, University of Cape Town, and Susanne Nilsson
Training young people for jobs: insights from 9 African countries on what’s missingRamos Emmanuel Mabugu, Sol Plaatje University
Africa’s youth are finding jobs – but not the ones they imaginedSam Jones, United Nations University and Ricardo Jorge Moreira Goulão Santos, United Nations University
Flawed credit ratings in Africa: are top 3 western agencies driven by data or bias?Misheck Mutize, University of Cape Town
Want to raise money for research? 5 things donors will look for before they trust youPape Abdoulaye Seck, Académie nationale des sciences et techniques du Sénégal (ANSTS)
How oil turned the motors of capitalism: a historyImraan Valodia, University of the Witwatersrand and Adam Hanieh, SOAS, University of London; Independent Social Research Foundation
Blaming migrants ignores the real causes of South Africa’s economic crisisJustin Visagie, University of the Witwatersrand and Ruth Castel-Branco, University of the Witwatersrand
Can climate shocks change how people feel about paying taxes?Enrico Nichelatti, University of Luxembourg
Did Kenya’s Gen Z protests achieve anything? An economist weighs up what’s changed and what’s stayed the sameXN Iraki, University of Nairobi
Johannesburg has taken a big new loan to help fix its electricity problems, but the results will take timeGlen Robbins, University of the Witwatersrand
South Africa is short of 2.6 million homes: Vienna’s approach to social housing offers useful lessonsAndreas Scheba, University of the Free State and Judith Lehner, TU Wien
Global supply chains keep workers poor: three case studies show how the cycle can be brokenAnnika Surmeier, University of Cape Town; Ines Meyer, University of Cape Town, and Molefe Maleka, Tshwane University of Technology
The IMF enjoys preferred creditor status: why it shouldn’t be the judge when it comes to other lendersMisheck Mutize, University of Cape Town
South Africa’s gig economy workers set to get more protection under planned labour law reformsRuth Castel-Branco, University of the Witwatersrand and Brenda Mwale, University of the Witwatersrand
Women and wealth: what stands in their way and how to overcome itBomikazi Zeka, University of Canberra and Romalani Leofo, University of Canberra
South Africa’s jobs crisis: what 10 years of tax data tells usJustin Visagie, University of the Witwatersrand
Tax data can be mined to shape better policies. South Africa, Uganda and Zambia show howAmina Ebrahim, United Nations University and Patricia Justino, United Nations University
Nigeria’s budget is treated like a government secret: how an online public monitoring system could fight corruptionTolu Olarewaju, University of Lancashire; Keele University
Pensions for Botswana’s elderly are growing, but care services are lacking – study tracks 20 yearsElena Moore, University of Cape Town and Thokozile Madonko, University of the Witwatersrand
Senegal’s crisis: why debt restructuring may be the least bad optionAbdoulaye Ndiaye, New York University
African debt and climate change: how the ICJ’s Vanuatu ruling could be used for broader justiceDanny Bradlow, University of Pretoria
Africa’s debt crisis needs a bold new approach: expert outlines a way forwardDanny Bradlow, University of Pretoria
African countries can’t resolve their debt crisis under a system rigged against themCarlos Lopes, University of Cape Town
Iran war is exposing South Africa’s dependency on diesel: what went wrongLisette IJssel de Schepper, Stellenbosch University
High food prices in east and southern Africa: four steps to boost production and make markets work betterGrace Nsomba, University of Johannesburg and Simon Roberts, University of Johannesburg
Young middle-class Nigerians are desperate to leave the country: insights into whyJing Jing Liu, MacEwan University
US-Africa trade deal turns 25 next year: Agoa’s winners, losers and what should come nextBedassa Tadesse, University of Minnesota Duluth
West Africa trade will take a hit as Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso leave EcowasOlivier Walther, University of Florida
Digital trade protocol for Africa: why it matters, what’s in it and what’s still missingFranziska Sucker, University of the Witwatersrand
Africa’s freeports should boost trade and foreign exchange earnings – but evidence is thinJonas Aryee, University of Plymouth