Preeti Jha

Africa News Editor

Preeti Jha is Africa News Editor at Semafor. She was previously a Southeast Asia correspondent for AFP in Bangkok and a political journalist for the BBC in London.

Environmental journalists in Africa facing violence, says report

The International Press Institute, a nonprofit that aims to protect media freedom, recorded 26 incidents of attacks and threats in the five months to March.

Journalists at a press conference in Mali.

Stringer/Reuters

Africa set for solar installations record in 2026

The continent is on track to install 17 gigawatts of solar in 2026, up 45% year-on-year.

A Starlink antenna powered by a solar panel near tents of Sudanese refugees from Darfur.

Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters

Africa’s electricity access gap persists amid investment shortfall

While access to electricity has increased in the past decade, nearly 600 million people remain without power.

Workers walk past the construction site of a power station.

Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

Africa Finance Corporation raises $430 million digital bond

The deal is the first by an African institution to be listed, traded, and settled on a regulated digital exchange.

Trains parked beneath the Nelson Mandela Bridge with part of the city of Johannesburg

Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

Ebola spread undetected for months, WHO says

The revelation raises the likelihood that the latest Ebola outbreak’s true scale is far larger than previously thought.

Health workers wearing Personal Protective Equipment walk in a formation during a training by Medecins Sans Frontieres in DR Congo.

Thomas Mukoya/Reuters

Tanzania, Uganda agree plans for East African energy hub

The two countries signed an agreement with Vitol, the world’s largest independent oil trader, to transform Tanzania’s Tanga Port.

Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Anastasia Barashkova/Reuters.

Ghana offers lessons on Chinese power projects — report

Ghana has delivered power projects at reasonable cost and on relatively strong timelines says a think tank.

Resin analysis of incense in Pompeii links Roman city to African trade

Resins from African rainforests were likely traded alongside other commodities from sub-Saharan Africa via the Red Sea, researchers said.

Solar minigrids in Nigeria could offer major jobs boost, report finds

Off-grid solar electricity is among the solutions the World Bank is backing to halve the continent’s energy gap.

Intra-Africa commerce could reach 53% if AfCFTA were fully implemented, report finds

In its report the Mo Ibrahim Foundation also said the continent’s manufacturing sector could be boosted by $1 trillion, creating create 14 million jobs by 2035.

Nigerian fans edit anime with Afrobeat soundtracks on TikTok

Fight scenes from shows including ‘Naruto’ and ‘Demon Slayer’ have been injected with the vocal urgency of Nigerian music, Native Mag reported.

Nearly 60% of self-employed women in Nigeria use WhatsApp for work

It was the highest rate across four countries surveyed in a new study.

Clinical trials are neglecting Africa, study finds

Only 3.9% of clinical trials are conducted exclusively in Africa, according to a study of five major medical journals.

New housing design reduces disease rates in Tanzania

Children living in specially designed two-story homes had lower rates of malaria, diarrhea, and acute respiratory infections, a study found.

Mali leader makes first public appearance since insurgent attacks

An al-Qaida affiliate and an allied separatist group assassinated Mali’s defense minister and captured key territory in the country’s north during the strikes.

Kenya lowers tax revenue goal amid Iran war impact

Kenya requested rapid financial support from the World Bank to help it manage the economic shocks sparked by the Iran war.

Major kidney genomic study in Africa finds new risk factors

Researchers found new genetic variants driving chronic kidney disease, offering potential targets for future drugs or diagnostic tools.

China’s solar panel exports to Africa surged in 2025

China exported 18.8 gigawatts of solar panels to Africa last year, 48% more than in 2024, according to new analysis from the energy think tank Ember.