African history, culture & futures — told by us
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Long reads on African history, governance, economics, culture, and what comes next.

All eras Ancient (before 500 CE) Medieval (500–1500 CE) Pre-colonial (1500–1884) Colonial era (1884–1960s) Independence era (1960s–2000) Contemporary (2000–present) Future systems & solutions
Governance & Political Systems Colonial era (1884–1960s)

Bantustans and their long shadow — apartheid's territorial logic and its successors

The Bantustans — Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda, Ciskei, and six other 'self-governing' territories — were the apartheid regime's attempt to resolve a structural contradiction. South Africa needed cheap Black …

2 min read · Southern Africa, South Africa · 27 views
Governance & Political Systems Contemporary (2000–present)

Ethiopian federalism after Tigray — what survives, what needs rebuilding

The 1995 Ethiopian constitution organised the federation along ethno-linguistic lines: nine regional states and two chartered cities, each region nominally dominated by one or more 'nations, nationalities, and …

2 min read · Horn of Africa, Ethiopia · 19 views