Event: Johannesburg

One of Netflix's hottest and sassiest new dramas has not only South Africa but the world talking about marriage, betrayal, revenge and the contentious issue of polygamy - the practice of having more than one spouse at the same time.The Polygamist, a 22-episode Zulu-language series, is about the tangled love life of wealthy Johannesburg businessman Jonasi Gomora.It begins at the fictional tycoon's funeral where we learn that his widow Joyce, a social media influencer wearing a striking white outfit, is not his only partner. In fact, he has two other wives and a mistress - who are all there dressed in black.Emotions explode as secrets are laid bare - and in a dramatic rollercoaster, the plot spirals back over five years to explain their relationships and toxic family dynamics.Released by the streaming giant on 12 June, the show topped trend lists within hours and social media has been lit up since with reactions to the controversial plot twists - some people sharing memes and their own experiences about polygamy and faithless marriages.Some minibus "matatu" taxis in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, have been redecorated with Jonasi's face or name such is the show's popularity there and the debate around his behaviour.Even Nigerian Afrobeats star Davido tweeted, external: "Yo JONASI is WILD" - and Hollywood celebrities have chipped in too."I thought Crazy Rich Asians was something, but crazy rich Africans is a whole 'nother level," Emmy-award winning talk-show host and actress Sherri Shepherd said on Instagram, external.In reply to the post, Taraji P Henson - star of hits including Hidden Figures and Empire - said the show had had her in a "chokehold" and she had binged it in one day.Based on the 2012 novel by Zimbabwean author Sue Nyathi, The Polygamist has been adapted for the screen by Netflix in collaboration with…

Thousands of migrants flee South Africa ahead of anti-immigrant protestsNewsFeedThousands of migrants are fleeing South Africa amid a wave of xenophobic violence and ahead of planned anti-immigrant protests on June 30. Malawi, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, and Mozambique are repatriating citizens following a wave of xenophobic violence, with many camping outside consular offices.Published On 26 Jun 2026

Johannesburg, South Africa – In April, African Union ministers gathered in Tangier, Morocco, to discuss artificial intelligence at a moment when governments across the continent are racing to develop AI strategies, attract investment and expand digital infrastructure.Beneath the enthusiasm, however, sits a more fundamental question. As foreign technology companies invest in data centres, cloud services and AI systems across Africa, how much control will African countries ultimately have over the infrastructure on which those technologies depend?The debate reflects a broader shift in how policymakers are thinking about AI. For years, discussions focused largely on adoption: how governments, businesses and public services could use the technology. Increasingly, attention is turning to ownership, governance and the terms on which AI systems are developed and deployed.Several governments have framed the issue in those terms. Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and Ghana have all released national AI strategies in recent years that highlight the need to build local capacity and reduce dependence on foreign technology providers. Ghana’s national strategy, launched in April, describes AI as a “sovereign capability”. Forty-nine countries, along with the African Union, have endorsed the Africa Declaration on Artificial Intelligence, which calls for greater investment in African AI infrastructure, talent and innovation, alongside proposals for coordinated financing mechanisms.At the same time, translating ambition into policy has not always been straightforward. In South Africa, a draft national AI policy was withdrawn earlier this year after officials identified references that could not be verified and appeared to have been generated by AI tools, highlighting the practical challenges governments face in regulating rapidly evolving technologies.Global competition, local leverageThe discussion is unfolding as global competition over AI intensifies. Major technology companies, cloud providers and governments are competing for access to data, computing power and new markets. For African countries, that competition may also create space to negotiate.Priyal…