While the world watches the (possibly outgoing) President of South Africa and two presidents in Kenya, our bloggers keep an eye on what’s happening in the rest of the continent. They write about innovative new solutions to old problems, theories that are discussed outside the academic world and an oil-rich country that depends on illicit imported oil, all in this week’s Top of the Blogs:
africa-ontherise.com
You only know drones from the spectacular photos they take and from incidents reported in the media, like when drones crash into airplanes? But they have many more innovative uses, especially when it comes to tackling Africa’s challenges. In Rwanda drones have become life savers and in South Sudan they are even active farmers!
Is Chimamanda Adichie a postcolonial theorist?
udadisi.blogspot.co.za
“Was the postcolonial theory invented by professors to create their jobs?” Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie joked in a French TV show. But what is postcolonial theory actually? Isn’t it the reason Adichie is able to sell her books all over the world? Or is it just a strategy for the Eurocentric academy to criticize the imperialism without listening to the ones it wants to defend? The article shows both sides of the ongoing debate which takes place mainly on twitter.
One of Africa’s biggest oil-producers is smuggling in fuel to fill demand
africanarguments.org
Cameroon is rich on oil. Nevertheless people are using illegally imported oil from Nigeria. Petrol stations are rare in the western African country and often run out of fuel. In contrast Nigerian oil in is available everywhere and is even cheaper. Cameroonian politicians are trying to ban the illicit oil from the streets – leading to demonstrations and even attacks on the petrol depots.
Customization is the next frontier in East Africa’s ride-sharing wars
qz.com
Tired of using the public transportation in your city? Uber and Taxify are the global alternatives for taking a bus or taxi. But now there’s a Kenyan company entering the market; its advantages: customized answers to the local market. In Nairobi for example, you can hire motorbikes instead of common car-taxis. The company plans to launch its service in six new cities.
