Do tourists stress out safari animals? We tested their dung to find outBruce Crossey, University of Pretoria
Tigray’s old grapevines have survived against the odds: new research uncovers their genetic and historic valueJan Nyssen, Ghent University; Alemtsehay Tsegay, Mekelle University; Emnet Negash, Ghent University; Oregon State University; Federica Sulas, University of Gothenburg; Mariano Ucchesu, Université de Montpellier; Tesfaalem Gebreyohannes, Mekelle University, and Yemane Hailu Fissuh
A sharp fall in gas supplies in 2028 threatens South Africa’s economy: how to manage the falloutDavies Tsikayi, University of the Witwatersrand
Ethiopia’s national parks are working for wildlife – but not always for the people living near themJames Borrell, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Bezawit Genanaw; Sophie Jago, and Wendawek Abebe Mengesha, Addis Ababa University
China is funding African farmers but not food processing and storage: why it’s a problemAdrino Mazenda, University of Pretoria
Africa’s wildlife laws follow a colonial model which separates people and animals: why it’s not workingF. Dermmillah Obare, UMass Boston
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’s move to renewable power is complex, but clearing 5 bottlenecks would speed it upRod Crompton, University of the Witwatersrand
Nigeria raised electricity prices to improve supply. Why it hasn’t workedTaiwo Hassan Odugbemi, University of Abuja
Could sodium replace lithium as the dominant ingredient in batteries?Syed Abdul Ahad, University of Limerick
South Africans want solar power but they worry panels will be stolen – studyUzziah Mutumbi, Rhodes University; Gladman Thondhlana, University of Pretoria, and Sheunesu Ruwanza, Rhodes University
Mini-grids can supply electricity, but what about demand? A private DRC project shows how it can workNik Stoop, University of Antwerp; Elie Lunanga, University of Antwerp; Marijke Verpoorten, University of Antwerp, and Sébastien Desbureaux, Université de Montpellier
South Africa will run out of industrial gas by 2028 and 70,000 jobs could be lost – why government fixes are lackingCraig McGregor, Stellenbosch University
Connecting home solar and electric vehicle batteries to the grid could boost South Africa’s clean energy and strengthen the electricity systemDavid Richard Walwyn, University of Pretoria
Does South Africa have a future without power cuts? Ramaphosa intervenes, but the drama isn’t overRod Crompton, University of the Witwatersrand
South Africa is moving away from coal – how mines and power stations could be used for green energy and farmingSandeep Pai, Duke University and Jennifer Lee Broadhurst, University of Cape Town
Differences in human and great ape laughter reveal clues to the origin of speechChiara De Gregorio, University of Warwick
Sharks, seals, hunters, tourists – how wildlife-human interactions matter for conservationDian Spear, Stellenbosch University
Community conservation in Ghana has evolved, but policy and funding need to catch upSamuel Adeyanju, University of British Columbia; Alida O'Connor, University of British Columbia, and Cornelius K. A. Pienaah, Western University
Birds of prey in South Africa are in trouble – a study analyses data from 16 years of road countsSantiago Zuluaga Castañeda, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC); Arjun Amar, University of Cape Town, and Megan Murgatroyd, University of Cape Town
Humidity and heat are killers for tropical birds – waxbill and hornbill studies highlight the dangersAndrew McKechnie, University of Pretoria and Susan Cunningham, University of Cape Town
How wildlife conservancies perpetuate green colonialism in KenyaKariũki Kĩrigia, University of Toronto
Mozambique ‘sky island’ expeditions found 4 new species of chameleon – already at risk from forest lossKrystal Tolley, University of Johannesburg
Are Uganda’s environmental impact reports just a box-ticking exercise? What a study of 108 projects revealsMulumba M Agaba, University of Liverpool
Kenyans living in towns are farmers too: what this means for rural landscapesMwangi Chege, American University
Fertiliser: the forgotten history linking the agricultural commodity and empire in wartimeLorenzo Feltrin, Ca' Foscari University of Venice; Graduate Institute – Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement (IHEID)
AI offers promise for agriculture, but smallholder farmers risk being left behindAbiodun Olusola Omotayo, University of Maryland Eastern Shore; North-West University and Abeeb Babatunde Omotoso, North-West University
80% of Africa’s fertiliser is imported: how food systems can adapt to the Iran shockJaron Porciello, Cornell University
Millions of farmers in Africa’s Great Lakes region face rising temperatures. Study predicts how crop disease and pests could spreadRomaric Armel Mouafo Tchinda, Université de Sherbrooke ; Aaron I. Plex Sulá, University of Florida; Jacobo Robledo Buritica, University of Florida, and Karen Garrett, University of Florida
South Africa’s farmers aren’t yet replacing chemical fertilisers with sustainable alternatives – this is whyMokgadi Miranda Hlongwane, Tshwane University of Technology
Women working in Uganda’s pig sector: how challenging prejudices can unlock opportunities – researchEsther Leah Achandi, International Livestock Research Institute
We are mapping and monitoring Africa’s underground water supplies in preparation for a hotter future – scientistsGirma Yimer Ebrahim, International Water Management Institute
Lake Kariba’s rising waters bring hope to communities in Zambia and ZimbabweJoshua Matanzima, The University of Queensland
Water tank delivery in South Africa has stopped pipes getting fixed and opened the door to corruption – researchNyashadzashe Chiwawa, University of KwaZulu-Natal
Boreholes are booming in a drying South Africa – how the government plans to tighten controlsSurina Esterhuyse, University of the Free State
Handpumps bring water to rural African communities, but many are broken – study models how best to maintain themChengcheng Zhai, University of Notre Dame; Alfonso J. Pedraza Martinez, University of Notre Dame; Jorge Mejia, Indiana University; Kurt M. Bretthauer, Indiana University, and Rodney Parker, Indiana University
Poison or poverty: the impossible economic choices facing Ghana’s e-waste workersBrandon Marc Finn, University of Michigan
Ammonia from wastewater: How we’re turning a pollutant into fertilizer and clean fuelNavid Noor, McMaster University and Drew Higgins, McMaster University
What Kenya’s fish markets tell us about choosing between nutrients and contaminantsKira Lancker, University of Copenhagen
Microplastics have been found to interact with the gut microbiome – here’s what health effects they might haveNick Ilott, University of Oxford
A lot of ‘recycled’ plastic is being burned overseas – and causing widespread pollution linked to health problemsEllen M. Considine, University of Colorado Boulder
