Sub-Saharan Africa’s first light rail opened in 2015 to genuine acclaim. Within a decade it needed rescuing from its own decline.
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Property
Ethiopia-Djibouti Railway: The Export Line That Trucks Keep Overtaking
A 753-kilometre electric railway was built to carry a landlocked nation’s trade to the sea. Eight years on, much of that trade still goes by road.
Beyond the freight line: Kenya’s commuter rail revival rides in the SGR’s shadow
The SGR was sold on cargo. The harder transport problem – moving Nairobi’s commuters – runs on a separate, older network now being rebuilt with different money toward 100,000 riders a day.
Mombasa-Nairobi SGR: a US$3.6bn corridor reset that still has to pay for itself
The SGR cut Mombasa-to-Kampala cargo time from 18 days to three. It also handed Kenya its largest-ever loan, equal to about 6% of GDP, and a railway that has run at an operating loss.
Roads, Rails and Wires: China’s African Build-Out and the Bill That Follows
China reports nearly 100,000 km of roads and over 10,000 km of railways built across Africa. Kenya’s flagship line shows why the build matters – and why the repayment terms matter as much.
Africa CDC’s New Home: A US$80 Million Headquarters and a Lesson in Health Sovereignty
China built Africa’s disease-control headquarters in Addis Ababa after a US retreat. The pandemic-born institution now houses its laboratories in a donated building.
A Gift in Glass and Concrete: The AU Headquarters and the Politics of Being Built
China funded the African Union’s US$200 million home in Addis Ababa. Its 99.9-metre tower honours African unity – and raises a question about who builds the continent’s institutions.
Local Government Bets on Renewable Power and Agribusiness
Letlhakeng District Council plans solar farms, a commercial farming cluster and a modern bus-rank centre – a bid to build its own revenue base rather than wait on transfers.
Boots on the Fence Line: Ikageng Workers Redeploy to FMD Zones
The Local Government Ministry has redeployed Ikageng workers to help control foot-and-mouth disease in affected zones, turning an existing labour programme toward an animal-health front.