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Empowering African women with the skills required in the workplace in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)
Full text linkAfrica has been characterised by gender and social inequalities that have affected differentdimensions of women’s lives. Even in the modern era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR),most women do not have the right skills to secure and keep profitable employment. Grounded inhuman capital, postmodern feminism, and empowerment theories, this study unpacks how to empower African women with skills relevant in the 4IR. An integrative review approach is used. Out of 917 articles screened, 24 peer-reviewed articles (2018–2023) on 4IR, women, and Africa were retained and analysed using a manual content analysis method. Results reveal the need for a robust regulatory framework backed by government funding and support to address past inequalities and tackle the underdevelopment of 4IR and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) skills in women.
African Union Strategic Response Against Terrorism in Africa: The Case of Somalia
Full text linkTerrorism remains a critical global security challenge, with African nations facing some of its most severe consequences. The African Union (AU) has played a central role in counterterrorism efforts, particularly in addressing the threats posed by extremist groups such as Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). This paper critically examines the AU’s counterterrorism strategies, focusing on Somalia, where Al-Shabaab continues to threaten regional stability. The study assesses the effectiveness of AU-led initiatives, including intelligence-sharing mechanisms, joint military operations, and diplomatic interventions
The Practice of Public Relations in Lesotho’s Government Ministries: A Case Study
Full text linkAlthough scholars and practitioners increasingly recognise the strategic importance of public relations in the private and public sector, many government ministries have poor public relations, which affects service delivery. This is coupled with limited scholarship on public relations in developing countries, including sub-Saharan Africa. This article draws on a case study of government ministries in Lesotho to establish how public relations is practised, contested and can be repurposed in the African context. To collect data, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were employed to solicit views from 20 public relations officers working in 10 government ministries in Lesotho. Data were analysed through an inductive thematic analysis. The findings suggest that public relations professionals face many challenges in executing their duties. These include a lack of communication; a lack of resources; misunderstanding (specifically from management) as to what public relations entails; bureaucracy, political influence and manipulation of information released to the public; information presented in one language only; and the absence of a public relations cadre. Collectively, these challenges suggest limited awareness of the full scope of public relations and a predominance of routine technician tasks over strategic advisory roles. The proposed directives for improvement present an opportunity for public relations practitioners working in government ministries to strategise their work
Serious Games in Service of Higher Education
Full text linkThis paper presents the reader with the concept of serious games. Definitions are given and the different kinds of games are discussed. Being in a country – South Africa – where this concept still needs much introduction, this paper serves as an outline for the reader to what comprises the application, utilisation, and execution of a serious game within an institution of higher education. Linked to these is student-centredness and a new approach to curriculum. From the paper it becomes clear that the students will not have a problem with this. However, the challenge is the educators and institutions of higher education, stuck in the old ways of teaching and learning
‘I Am Spiritual but Not Religious’: Expanding Non-Religious Identities through Digital Kinship
Full text linkIn the post-COVID context, religious identities and practices have undergone transformation. While existing research has focused on religious institutions, there is a gap in understanding nuanced expressions of non-religious identities in the Kenyan context. In other research, Ndereba (2023b; 2024) has provided an analysis of non-religious identities, including atheism, in the Kenyan context. Grounded in an exploratory research perspective, this paper argues that digital kinship is providing a sense of identity, belonging, and expression for non-religious African youth, including those identifying as ‘spiritual but not religious’ (SBNR). The paper moves beyond traditional kinship structures to show how digital networks facilitate a cross-pollination of both religious and non-religious ideas in the pluralistic religious context of Africa. This research also shows that social media influencers provide a sense of ‘virtual communalism’ for those in a religious minority context of young Kenyans navigating the contemporary African (Kenyan) religious context. Digital kinship is foregrounded due to the capacity of social media to valorize religious and non-religious identities in societies, and it merits fresh analyses from religious scholars, theologians, and social scientists, especially those studying religion and non-religion among Africa’s digital natives
The Bible as a Social Organizational Tool in African Urban Pentecostalism: The Case of Christ Is the Answer Ministries, Valley Road
Full text linkAfrican urban Pentecostalism has attracted growing scholarly attention for its complex social and cultural dynamics. A key factor in its development is the strong resonance between African cultural values—especially the centrality of family—and Old Testament social structures. This article examines how the Bible functions as a tool of social organization within African urban Pentecostalism, shaping communal life amid the disruptions of urbanization, industrialization, and capitalism. Focusing on Christ is the Answer Ministries (CITAM), Valley Road, and using grounded theory to analyze qualitative data, the study argues that African urban Pentecostalism emerges from a tension between the traditional extended family and the increasingly dominant nuclear family. The findings show that many urban Africans turn to CITAM to navigate these pressures, drawing on biblical interpretation to build alternative or supplementary social networks that foster cohesion and well-being. The article demonstrates that the Bible is not merely a spiritual authority but a vital cultural resource that enables African Pentecostals to reconstruct supportive social structures in an otherwise fragmented urban environment
Resilience of African Kinship Values amidst COVID-19 Pandemic Disruptions in Masvingo and Bikita Districts, Zimbabwe
Full text linkThis article sought to explore the extent to which African kinship values remained resilient amidst COVID-19 pandemic disruptions in the Masvingo and Bikita districts, Zimbabwe. The study was guided by the social disruption theory. Adopting a phenomenological approach, this qualitative study used key informant interviews, focus group discussions, observations, and a review of available literature to gather data. The research’s main finding was that African kinship values were disrupted, but by and large, the communities were resilient to the COVID-19 pandemic-induced restrictions from March 2020 to June 2022. The paper argues that whilst discomfort and uncertainty were a litmus test for the efficacy of African kinship values and principles, the communities in Masvingo and Bikita districts redefined their values, sense of belonging, and emotional well-being across the gender divide in temporal and spatial spheres. It can be concluded that the African kinship value system played a critical role in integrating health and social care systems in the Masvingo and Bikita districts
Where Is Our God?: African Christianity and Responses to the Pandemic edited by J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, Mark S. Aidoo, and Esther E. Acolatse
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Christian Kinship in Urban Christianity: Case Study in Translation and Indigenous Agencyin the African Context
Full text linkResearch on Pentecostalism, as an emerging religious form, has often focused on its role in the public life of modern Africa, rather than its interaction with socio-cultural categories. Drawing on extended ethnographic research in three Nairobi communities, this article contributes to filling this gap by focusing on kinship within Pentecostal studies. This interdisciplinary study integrates social sciences and world Christianity methodologies to examine this aspect of lived religion. The study found that the use of familial terms in Pentecostal churches underscores the role of local actors in grounding the Christian message in the lives of adherents. This language complements the lived experiences within these communities. Community leaders engage in a continuous translation process, adapting local visions of relational bonds to better articulate the Christian experience within their cosmopolitan context. These findings contribute to the body of knowledge on agency and vectors of Christian religious experience in the non-Western world
Between Kinship and Individualism: Reimagining Communality inKenyatta University Christian Union
Full text linkThis study examines how communality is being reimagined within university Christian student organizations, focusing on the Kenyatta University Christian Union (KUCU). Against the backdrop of rapid technological change and shifting generational values, it explores how KUCU navigates the tension between traditional African communal philosophies and contemporary individualism. Historically, African societies fostered deep daily connections rooted in shared language, culture, and religion. In contrast, KUCU operates within a diverse academic environment, where students differ in ethnicity, faith, and discipline. Using Optimal Distinctiveness Theory (ODT), which balances the human need for belonging and uniqueness, the study investigates KUCU’s strategies for cultivating solidarity and inclusion. Employing ethnographic methods, including interviews, observations, and focus groups, it addresses three core questions: How does KUCU foster communality? What integrative practices support its diverse membership? And how does it draw from African communal traditions? The findings argue that communality within KUCU is dynamic and adaptive, reflecting a postmodern model of integration where individuality and collective identity are continuously negotiated