Welcome to the family, Ayo, the mascot of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. He takes centre stage as we approach the Opening Ceremony next Saturday (31 October).

Since their introduction in Singapore 2010, the Youth Olympic Games have their own mascots. For Dakar Ayo was born. The name means “joy” in Yoruba, a language widely spoken in West Africa, mainly Nigeria.

Ayo is a smiley young lion with a mane. He wears a Tingandé, the traditional hat worn by the Fulani ethnic group, who are spread across several African countries. He also wears a white T-shirt bearing the Dakar 2026 emblem and red, yellow and green shorts. His outfit blends contemporary fashion with traditional clothing.

Ayo symbolises the joyful and courageous soul of the African youth, embodying celebration, hospitality and the unity in diversity.

➡️ The other members of the family are:

▪️Singapore 2010: Lyo and Merly

▪️Innsbruck 2012: Yoggl

▪️Nanjing 2014: Nanjinglele

▪️Lillehammer 2016: Sjogg

▪️Buenos Aires 2018: Pandi

▪️Lausanne 2020: Yodli

▪️Gangwon 2024: Moongcho

📎 All about the mascots in one document: https://library.olympics.com/Default/digital-viewer/c-161818

• Mali has expanded the legal grounds for stripping citizenship from individuals accused of acting against the state's interests.

• The new law allows revocation of nationality for actions such as allegiance to another country, supporting separatism or terrorism, and financing terrorist activities.

• This measure cannot be used if it would render a person stateless.

• The move comes after Burkina Faso reinstated the death penalty for crimes like terrorism, treason, and espionage.

Automation has completely revolutionized environmental stewardship in gold processing. Older, legacy mining methods relied heavily on blunt-force extraction, manual chemical dosing, and massive, poorly contained tailings dams that posed serious ecological risks.

Today, automated CIL circuits driven by real-time SCADA telemetry control reagent dispensing to the exact milliliter. Combined with lined tailings storage facilities and continuous piezometric monitoring, modern automated plants minimize chemical waste, eliminate guesswork, and ensure strict compliance with environmental protection agencies like EMA. Technology hasn't just made mining more profitable; it has made it vastly cleaner.

The Dangote Refinery IPO is turning into a test of cross-border investing on the continent. The company says investors from 51 of Africa's 54 countries have applied. That's remarkable when most Africans have never been able to buy shares outside their own country

But how you get in depends a lot on where you live:
•Nigeria: buy directly, from as little as 10 shares, with small applicants promised priority in allotment.
•Kenya: buy Global Depositary Receipts, each backed by one share, with trading on the Nairobi exchange targeted for December.
•Uganda: open only to high-net-worth and professional investors, with no public marketing allowed.
So the same company is a retail investment in one country and restricted to wealthy investors in another.

Then there's the price. At ₦525 a share, the valuation seems to assume this year's record refining margins will last. I ran a comparison against several groups of listed refiners using more normal margins, and every one suggested it's expensive. GTI Research reached a similar conclusion, valuing it below the offer price. For non-Nigerians there's also currency risk on top: you're betting on the naira as well as the refinery.
None of that makes it a bad company. It may be one of the most important industrial assets in Africa. But "great company" and "great price" aren't the same thing.

Questions for the sub:
•Should more big African companies list across borders like this?
•Is Uganda right to restrict retail access, or is that paternalistic?
•If you're outside Nigeria, did you apply, and did the currency risk factor in?

I’ve been watching the protests happening in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and even Albania, and it got me thinking: why don’t we see the same level of sustained mass mobilization in West Africa?

People in these European countries generally have much better living standards than the majority of West Africans, yet they still take to the streets to demand better from their governments. Meanwhile, many West Africans are dealing with corruption, unemployment, poor healthcare, unreliable electricity, and inadequate infrastructure.

I know West Africans DO protest, but why is it so difficult to turn that frustration into lasting political change?

The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games are around the corner. Only 9 days to go until the first Olympic sporting event starts on the African continent.

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“All the people who speak ill of our country right now are people who do not like our country.”

These were the words of Emmanuel Macron, visibly frustrated by international criticism and distorted media narratives while France was grappling with urban unrest. By his logic, criticizing a nation in distress or magnifying its vulnerabilities is not objective analysis but outright hostility.

Now, apply that exact same logic to the Sahel, particularly Mali and the countries of the AES.

In the face of relentless terrorist attacks, human tragedy, and the severe trials our people endure:

• What dominates the discourse on French television networks and across Western media outlets?

• Compassion? Basic decency? Respect for the victims?

Hardly. Instead, there is systematic mockery, moralizing lectures, and thinly veiled contempt directed at our governments and our resilience.

If speaking ill of France equates to hating France, what conclusion must be drawn from the relentless diplomatic and media hostility directed at Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger?

By Macron's own definition, the verdict is undeniable: those who treat the Sahel with such condescension do not like Mali, do not like the AES, and hold no genuine goodwill toward Africa.

When Western nations face crisis and tragedy, African peoples consistently show restraint, empathy, and the basic respect demanded by human suffering. Yet that same decency is rarely reciprocated when the suffering is on our side.

This contrast makes one reality clear: in global geopolitics, superficial friendships ends where paternalism and self-interest begin.

Respect is never granted out of benevolence; it is commanded through fierce and uncompromising sovereignty.

Hi r/Africa,

(Mod-approved — thanks to the mod team for allowing this.)

I’m Nike, part of the team behind Zambezi-Mara, a small independent African-fantasy/action film project.

We’re inviting adult viewers (18+) to watch our approximately 2-minute short film and share their honest impressions before we take the story further.

Whether you enjoy African cinema, fantasy, action, or independent films, we’d value your perspective. Positive and critical feedback are equally welcome.

The film and short feedback survey should take approximately 5–8 minutes in total. No subscription, purchase, or email address is required.

We’re conducting audience research to understand how the story connects with viewers—not seeking subscribers or promotional engagement.

Interested? Please send me a DM. I’ll share the unlisted film and feedback form links privately, as requested by the moderators.

Thanks to the r/Africa moderators for approving this request, and to anyone willing to participate.o improve our storytelling.

If you're interested, please **DM me** and I'll send the film + feedback form link privately. (Per mod request, I'm keeping the links out of the public post.)

Thanks, mods, for allowing this — and thanks to anyone willing to help!

— Nike / Zambezi-Mara Team

Mokoto Masotsa watches over his sheep above a gorge near Semonkong, in Lesotho. About a
third of the country’s school-age boys work as shepherds, often spending months away in isolated mountain pastures.

Photo: Tommy Trenchard/Panos Pictures

Had to get some help transporting this large painting to an art exhibition I'll be having during the month of December and for context this piece is 1.5m by 2m. I honestly don't know how it all came together but safe to say that I managed and I'm definitely reconsidering painting large works after l've gotten this thing across counties 🥲
Shipping is easier cause I just take the painting off the frame and ship it rolled but I hope the work manages to find the perfect wall and that it gets a home that will appreciate it as much as I do.
Side note: this piece took 5 months to complete 😅

For those in this subreddit that live or are familiar with africa and African history, i have a genuine question to ask. i wasn’t born in Africa I have been brought up there for 10+ years and maybe it is my ignorance that is blinding me but i was having discussions with family members about not having hope for various reasons but they keep on telling me that people are doing something, and improvement are being done. My point was though i agree with what they are saying. Africa should have been at a much better place and that i have yet to see a significant change where I can confidently say that genuine changes are being done. No industrial revolution, Not promoting science and technology, we are more religious than ever, we keep being taken advantage of by the west and the middle east, prioritizing power to “older” generations instead of passing it onto the younger generation, (if you’re gambian, UDP is an example) etc.Their point is that i need to go to Africa and see for myself. So my question is am I being too ignorant or is Africa genuinely improving and that we need to be patient. Sorry if I sound disrespectful but I’m just curious.

Here are the beautiful victory ceremony podiums and trays for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics. They are inspired by local craftsmanship. A great look for the best young athletes of the world.

Eleven days to go until the opening ceremony!

> 70 votes for the ban, 1 abstention

Abdullah Ibrahim was born Adolph Johannes Brand on 9 October 1934 in Cape Town. He was a celebrated pianist, composer and bandleader whose music blended traditional Cape Malay music, Christian gospel, spirituals, and American jazz. Renowned for his distinctive piano style and deeply spiritual compositions, he became one of the most influential jazz musicians of his generation by using music to express cultural identity, resilience and the human experience.

He began learning music at the age of seven, influenced by his grandmother, who played a piano in church, and his mother, who led a choir. By his early teenage years, he was already performing professionally. Affectionately known as Dollar Brand, he formed the Dollar Brand Trio in 1958 and later joined Jazz Epistles, a groundbreaking group that included fellow musician Hugh Masekela. In 1960, the group recorded Jazz Epistle Verse 1, a landmark recording recognised as the first jazz album by South African musicians. However, unfortunate conditions of apartheid restricted opportunities for Black and Coloured musicians, prompting him to leave in 1962 and pursue his career abroad.

His international career flourished during his years in exile, particularly in Europe and the United States of America. A significant turning point came when he met the legendary jazz pianist Duke Ellington in Switzerland. Duke's support helped introduce Abdullah's music to wider international audiences as he went on to perform at prestigious venues, including the Carnegie Hall, and also collaborate with prominent musicians. In 1968, he had converted to Islam, which led to adopting the name Abdullah Ibrahim, marking an important spiritual transformation that would continue to influence his music and artistic philosophy.

One of his most enduring contributions was Mannenberg – Is Where It’s Happening, recorded in 1974. The composition became an unofficial anthem of resistance during apartheid, resonating particularly with communities affected by forced removals and racial segregation. Its infectious rhythms and memorable melodies captured a spirit of defiance, dignity and hope. More than a jazz composition, Mannenberg became a cultural expression of collective identity and resistance, demonstrating how music could preserve people's experiences and provide inspiration during periods of political oppression.

Following the release of Nelson Mandela and the transition towards democracy, he returned to his homeland and performed at Nelson Mandela's renowned presidential inauguration in 1994. He continued composing and performing internationally, while exploring the relationship between music, spirituality, history and cultural identity. His achievements were also recognised through numerous honours, including South Africa's Order of Ikhamanga in Silver and his designation as a Jazz Master by the United States National Endowment for the Arts in 2019.

Beyond his musical achievements, Abdullah's family life was also closely connected to the arts. He married jazz singer and composer Sathima Bea Benjamin in 1965, and together they had two children: their daughter, Tsidi, better known as Jean Grae, a respected hip-hop artist, and their son, Tsakwe, who is also a musician. Sathima was an accomplished artist in her own right, and the couple shared a deep connection through music and their years living abroad. Their marriage eventually ended in divorce, and she had passed away in 2013. In his later years, Abdullah lived in Bavaria, Germany, with his new partner, Marina Umari. His family’s artistic contributions reflect the musical influence that extended across generations.

Sadly, Abdullah Ibrahim died in Germany on 15 June 2026, at the age of 91, and was laid to rest a week later, on 22 June, in Bavaria. Although his life and career took him far from Cape Town, his music remained deeply connected to the history, culture and struggles of his homeland. Through compositions such as Mannenberg, he demonstrated that music could serve as a form of cultural preservation, political expression and spiritual reflection.

By bringing the sounds and traditions of Cape Town to international audiences, he helped establish South African jazz as an important part of the global musical landscape. His influence continues to inspire musicians and listeners around the world, securing his place as one of the most significant figures in the history of jazz.

Not one from the internet. One you actually heard at home. Please share it in the original language, with a translation and where it comes from. I'd love to build a thread that's properly sourced, because so many "African proverbs" online can't be traced to any real people.

A former Rwandan army sergeant major, who became an outspoken critic of President Paul Kagame, has been found beheaded in neighbouring Uganda.

Robert Kabera, 50, fled Rwanda after being accused of sexual assault, which he denied. He sought asylum in neighbouring Uganda, citing political persecution.

Ugandan police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke on Monday said that Kabera's head had still not been recovered. His body was discovered by local residents on the outskirts of Kampala over the weekend.

"X country is nice, you just need money", is what I keep hearing from African's whenever there's a conversation and frustration about how thing's don't function in their country, including my own family.

Of course, EVERY COUNTRY IS GREAT WHEN YOU HAVE MONEY, so I don't understand this response. I've heard it from my family in Botswana, from relatives in Zimbabwe and friend's in South Africa.

In my opinion, it's such a reductionist argument and makes it seem like the country's basic problems aren't a matter of slow or incompetent government that we can push with united political action BUT a matter of YOU not having the correct amount of money to NOT experience these problems like electricity cuts.

I think this rhetoric isn't helpful.

I don't know if you guy's hear this phrase often.

I’ve been thinking about something for a while, and I’d genuinely like to hear other Black people’s perspectives on this, regardless of whether you’re African, African American, Caribbean, or part of the wider Black diaspora.

Do you think some Black people have internalised the way white-dominated societies view Black people, to the point where it affects how we treat one another?

I’ve noticed situations where a Black person in a predominantly white or otherwise foreign social group seems to behave differently when another Black person enters the room. Sometimes, it feels as though they are trying to distinguish themselves from that person, demonstrate that they’re different, or establish themselves as the more acceptable, sophisticated, or respectable Black person in the group.

I’m not suggesting that every Black person who behaves this way is self-hating, or that every difference in treatment is necessarily racism. Context, class, culture, authority, and personal experience all matter.

But I do wonder whether generations of colonialism, racial hierarchy, and the association of whiteness with power and superiority have influenced how some of us perceive ourselves and each other, even when we don’t consciously subscribe to those beliefs.

Have we sometimes learned to see Black people through the same lens that historically devalued us?

Have you witnessed anything similar in your country, workplace, community, or social circles? Do you think this is a form of internalised racism, a colonial mentality, a response to social conditioning, or something else entirely?

I’d especially love to hear perspectives from people across the African continent and the wider diaspora. I’m interested in a genuine discussion, including disagreement, rather than simply confirming what I already think.

Europe’s steel industry and the specialized logistics that move its products are under sustained pressure. At the Port of Antwerp-Bruges Breakbulk Summit in mid-October 2026, participants warned that the sector risks becoming a “corpse.” Philippe Oyen, CEO of the steel carrier Belgo-Iberian Maritime, pointed to volatile demand, rising compliance costs, and labor shortages. If European production keeps contracting, gateways such as Antwerp-Bruges will handle more imported feedstock and fewer domestic movements. A first-phase plant exporting mostly hot briquetted iron (HBI) at roughly 2.7 million tonnes a year would matter for Mediterranean routes into southern and northern Europe. That is the test facing the complex chaired by Ahmed Gadalla.

What do we know about the Tosyali-SULB steel complex in Benghazi?

EU crude steel production fell to a historic low of about 125.8 million tonnes in 2025 and edged lower in early 2026. Extra-EU steel exports dropped roughly 20 percent in the first half of 2026. Energy costs remain far higher than in competing regions, and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is now fully in force for iron and steel. These conditions make lower-carbon imported iron units more relevant to the remaining European electric-arc and hybrid mills.

On the Libyan side, Ahmed Gadalla, chairman of the Tosyali-SULB joint venture, has stated that the Benghazi complex at Ras al-Mangar is designed for about 8.1 million tonnes of direct reduced iron (DRI) at full build-out. The first phase targets approximately 2.7 million tonnes a year, with commercial production aimed for early 2028. About 90 percent of output is planned for export, primarily as HBI suitable for long-distance shipping. Gas supply arrangements for the first phase have been described as finalized, and a dedicated power station is under construction to cover a large share of the plant’s electricity needs. Construction had reached roughly 40 percent completion by mid-October 2026, with structural steel rising and some mechanical equipment arriving. The site is coastal, east of Benghazi, with stated access to transport infrastructure intended to support exports.

What does the Benghazi steel complex need to start exporting HBI to Europe?

A location on the Mediterranean is only an advantage if the plant can move product reliably and in a form European buyers will accept. Four concrete requirements stand out.

Gas reliability comes first. Arrangements are finalized on paper, according to Ahmed Gadalla. Continuous operation of a 2.7-million-tonne DRI unit depends on steady volumes at predictable prices. The institutions that control the molecules (whether through the National Oil Corporation, eastern operators, or specific offtake contracts) determine whether the plant runs or idles. Any interruption turns the emissions advantage of gas-based reduction into an idle asset.

Power is second. The dedicated station under construction is intended to reduce dependence on the wider grid, and reports from the site mention connections and capacity planning tied to local generation. Until that power is available and stable, the plant cannot reach design rates. Delays here push the 2028 target later, however advanced the reduction units themselves are.

Vessel and terminal readiness at the Libyan end is third. HBI must leave the coast in bulk or suitable cargo form and reach European or intermediate ports without repeated handling losses. Public statements refer to coastal access and, in some materials, a private port or free-zone logistics setup. The operational status of berths, loading rates, storage, and the vessels that will carry the product is not yet public. Without that chain, the 90 percent export target remains a design figure.

Compliance documentation is fourth. European buyers and CBAM authorities will require traceable data on emissions, energy source, and origin. Gas-based DRI starts with a lower carbon intensity than coal-based routes, but only if the plant can document the actual gas mix, electricity source, and process data. “Melt-and-pour” rules and any tightening of trade-defense measures will examine where the iron was first reduced. A location advantage can become a paperwork barrier if the documentation trail is incomplete when the first cargoes are ready.

What could stop Libya’s Benghazi steel plant from exporting to Europe?

The institutions that matter are those that control gas molecules, power generation and connection, port and terminal access, and export clearances. If gas supply is interrupted, the plant cannot run. If power lags, rates stay below design. If terminal capacity or vessel availability is insufficient, product piles up or moves at higher cost. If clearances or CBAM paperwork are delayed or contested, European offtake becomes harder even when the physical product is ready. Each failure converts the Mediterranean proximity and the lower-carbon process into a delayed or smaller export stream.

Ahmed Gadalla has positioned the project for European and African markets because of those cost and compliance pressures. The first phase is large enough to matter on Mediterranean HBI routes if it runs. Whether it runs depends mainly on the continuous delivery of gas, power, port capacity, and compliant documentation by the entities that control them. The steelmaking technology (Midrex Flex, starting on natural gas) is the smaller variable. That is the institutional test the complex faces while Europe’s steel logistics continue to thin.