The trouble with “showing the real Africa”
Streamer iShowSpeed’s Africa Tour of 20 countries in 28 days just wrapped, and it has captured the news headlines and social media, producing viral moment after moment. For example, the image of him replicating the jiggaboo lips has been used as a meme on TikTok to antagonize other Black content creators. Mr. Beast’s Africa content is rebranding exploitation as philanthropy and it is unsurprising considering his history of racist and homophobic comments. On the surface, it seems that IShowSpeed’s Africa tour does not deserve to be placed in this category. However, this does not negate that the content operates within the tradition of organizing Africa in a recognizable representational regime.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 07, 2026 22:47 UTC
Morocco Records 35% Increase in Brazilian Tourist Arrivals in 2025 – The North Africa Post
Brazilian tourist arrivals to Morocco increased by 35% in 2025, confirming the growing appeal of the destination in the South American market. According to data from the Moroccan National Tourist Office, 54,475 Brazilian visitors were registered during the previous year, up from 40,277 in 2024 and 37,750 in 2023. the 2025 new figure surpasses the level recorded before the Covid-19 pandemic, when 47,113 Brazilian tourists visited the Kingdom in 2019. In December 2025, Morocco welcomed 4,496 Brazilian tourists, up 14% from the same month in 2023, when 3,941 visitors were registered. In terms of overnight stays in classified tourist accommodation establishments, the Brazilian market accounted for 84,228 overnight stays in 2025, up from 57,423 the previous year, marking a 47% increase. Globally, Morocco welcomed 19.8 million tourists in 2025, marking a 14% increase over 2024.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 07, 2026 20:47 UTC
Fossil discovery repositions Morocco at center of human evolution 800,000 years ago
Tracing early humansAmong Morocco’s most revealing sites is Taforalt Cave, known locally as Pigeon Cave, in Berkane province. Working alongside Barton and other international researchers, Bouzouggar has helped position Morocco at the forefront of studies in human evolution. (Photo: AFP via Getty Images)Life and ritual at TaforaltAt Taforalt Cave, layers of discovery are revealing how early humans lived, worked, and mourned their dead. World’s oldest beadsIn the southwest, Bizmoune Cave has revealed one of the most extraordinary glimpses into early symbolic behavior. Evidence from Taforalt Cave supports this continuum, revealing that the gap between the two periods was narrower than previously believed.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 07, 2026 20:25 UTC
Drought spreads beyond Kenya’s arid north, pushing herders into crisis
Kenya has experienced severe droughts before, most recently in 2022 when record dry conditions wiped out livestock and triggered a hunger crisis in the country’s arid north and northeast. However, the current drought is now spreading to areas that traditionally did not face such extreme conditions, including Kajiado County near the capital, Nairobi, where Katanga lives. Kenya’s National Drought Management Authority has warned that repeated droughts are increasing competition for scarce resources and raising the risk of conflict. Somalia declared a national drought emergency, with the UN warning that millions face severe hunger and rising malnutrition. Weather forecasts show Kajiado is likely to receive near-average to below-average rainfall, deepening fears that conditions may worsen.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 07, 2026 18:34 UTC
Morocco still battling disastrous floods, rescue efforts underway
More than 140 000 people in total have been evacuated as authorities attempt to bring the population to safety following disastrous downpours in the north of the country. Several provinces in northern Morocco were placed in weather alert warnings by authorities after heavy downpours over the past days flooded large parts of the zone. Around 140 000 inhabitants in total were evacuated to rescue them from flooding. The increase is due to strong inflows from the Loukkos River basin, raising concerns about potential flooding in nearby areas. Local authorities are closely monitoring the situation and managing water releases to reduce pressure on the dam and protect downstream communities.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 07, 2026 17:14 UTC
‘A’ rated and resilient: Gulf Insurance Group reinforces its regional leadership
KUWAIT: Gulf Insurance Group (GIG), one of the leading insurance groups in the Middle East and North Africa, announced comprehensive rating affirmations across its regional operations, demonstrating the Group’s consistent financial strength and strategic execution across diverse markets. AM Best has affirmed the Group’s Financial Strength Rating (FSR) at "A” (Excellent) and Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (ICR) at "a+” (Excellent) for both the parent company and its core subsidiary Gulf Insurance and Reinsurance Company KSC (Closed) (GIG Kuwait). S&P Global Ratings rates the Group at "A+” with stable outlook, while Moody’s rates the Group at "A2” with stable outlook. This milestone achievement reflects GIG Kuwait Takaful’s strong market position as the third-largest takaful insurer in Kuwait, having reported KD 22.3 million ($72.2 million) in insurance revenue in 2024. The rating underscores the strategic importance of the company to the Group’s long-term growth strategy in Kuwait.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 07, 2026 16:45 UTC
AU Security Council Seats up for Grabs at Upcoming Summit
The upcoming 39th AU Summit in Addis Ababa will see an election for 10 seats on the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC). Regional blocs and non-sanctioned member states are already vying for the seats. The PSC is the AU body charged with handling conflicts and conflict resolution. Its current members are nearing the end of their two-year term after being elected in February 2024 during the 37th ordinary session of the AU Assembly. Since the election for the three-year term was held during the 38th AU Assembly in February 2025, the 2026 election of the PSC will be limited to these ten two-year term seats on the Council.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 07, 2026 13:59 UTC
Ooredoo Fintech Integrates Western Union to Boost Remittance Options in Qatar
Ooredoo Fintech has entered into a strategic partnership with global money transfer giant Western Union, integrating its services directly into the Ooredoo Money app. The collaboration launches initially in Qatar with plans to expand across other Ooredoo Fintech markets in the region. The move is designed to provide Ooredoo Money customers with a broader range of options for sending and receiving money, enhancing flexibility for users who rely on the platform for remittances. Expanding financial inclusionThe partnership aligns with Ooredoo Fintech’s broader strategy to drive digital financial inclusion across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Customers in Qatar can access the new service immediately by downloading the latest version of the Ooredoo Money app.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 07, 2026 08:08 UTC
Drought in Kenya spreads beyond arid north
Droughts are common in Kenya's arid north, like here in 2017. After one of the driest rainy seasons on record at the end of 2025, drought is spreading in Kenya. This time, it is also affecting areas that are usually less prone to droughts than the country's north. According to the organisation, this led to the driest season on record since 1981 in parts of eastern Kenya. The result is a drought that has this time gone beyond the north of the country, historically most prone to such events.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 07, 2026 07:32 UTC
Electric motorcycle riders in Kenya demand more flexible battery networks
Electric motorcycles, also known as electric mobility bikes or e-bikes, are gaining ground throughout Africa. Electric motorcycles, also known as electric mobility bikes or e-bikes, are gaining ground throughout Africa, led by companies such as Ampersand, ARC Ride and Roam. Yet there is still uneven access to swap stations, hubs where riders trade drained batteries for charged ones in minutes. “From a financing and consumer perspective, the worst-case scenario is having many swap stations that cannot serve all riders," he said. “In Africa's e-mobility space, one company often controls the bike and the battery network, but that's not how energy markets should work.”Ampersand sees itself as the electric battery “fuel station” where electric bikes whose battery packs meet quality and safety standards should be able to plug in, Whale said.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 07, 2026 06:12 UTC
Green Hydrogen: International Consortium to Invest $4.5 billion in Ammonia Project in Morocco – The North Africa Post
Aziz Akhannouch, ministers and representatives of ORNX consortium and deputy head of mission at U.S. embassy in Rabat. ORNX has been selected to develop a large-scale green hydrogen and ammonia project in southern Morocco as part of the national “Offre Maroc” hydrogen program. The project aims to deliver export-grade green ammonia to international markets using renewable electricity generated exclusively on-site. The ORNX project intends the development of major wind and solar-powered green hydrogen and ammonia production facilities in Laayoune, Dakhla and Boujdour. These are the ORNX consortium, UAE-based Taqa & Spain-based Cepsa, Moroccan energy company Naerva, Saudi Arabia’s Acwa power and two China-based companies (UEG and China Three Gorges Corporation)These consortiums pledged to invest $30 billion in six large-scale green hydrogen projects.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 07, 2026 00:15 UTC
45 Degrees North: What A Mess
It never occurred to us that their work would also include driving tankers of liquid manure to be spread on fields in our area. In Wisconsin and probably other states, a Farm Service CDL allows farm workers to operate agricultural equipment, including tank vehicles, on roadways. We don’t know if that driver was part of the crew that cleared ice storm debris in the fields by our house. I figure they came expecting to clear fields, raise crops, raise children, and worship in a church they helped build. Will people like that South African crew still come to the US on H2-A farm workers visas?
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 06, 2026 23:08 UTC
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Source:The North Africa Journal
February 06, 2026 20:15 UTC
MoneyHash and Tap Payments Partner to streamline Payment Orchestration Across MENA
MoneyHash, the payment orchestration platform, has entered into a strategic partnership with Tap Payments, a payment technology provider serving the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), to deliver a unified payment infrastructure for businesses in the region. The collaboration integrates Tap’s payment gateway services directly into MoneyHash’s orchestration platform. The move is designed to help merchants navigate the fragmented payment landscape of the MENA region by offering a single control layer for managing diverse payment methods and routing. Tap Payments currently supports businesses across nine markets in the MENA region, providing access to a broad range of online payment methods and payout capabilities. Anwar Marafi, group head of business and financial institutions at Tap Payments, said: “Our focus at Tap Payments is helping businesses run reliable payments across MENA, with local payment method coverage and the control teams need as they scale.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 06, 2026 17:32 UTC
What Barak-Epstein audio says about Israeli controlling demographics
Former PM had told late sex offender that Israel could ‘easily absorb another million’ Russian immigrants to offset Palestinian population and lessen religious Jews’ influence. The recording was released last week in a huge tranche of files by the United States Department of Justice. The former Israeli leader, speaking in an undated meeting with Epstein, says that his country could “easily absorb another million” Russian-speaking immigrants, a clear reference to white Slavic peoples. According to the official data, 996,059 immigrants from former Soviet republics arrived in Israel after its collapse up until 2009. They took whatever came; now, we can be selective,” he said, adding, “We can easily absorb another million.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 06, 2026 17:28 UTC