Social Media OP-ED - Week one of making YouTube Shorts taught me why my colleague calls it "twerking for the algorithm" When viral reach comes at the cost of analytical rigour, African creators risk becoming content farmers rather than discourse shapers.
Artificial Intelligence OP-ED - Africa's AI awakening: from Western brainrot to homegrown tech sovereignty As Gen Z in the West abandons social media's endless scroll for "meaning," Africa is laying internet connectivity infrastructure at scale. Will it import yesterday's engagement-maximisation playbook or build for actual human flourishing?
Market Intelligence OP-ED - Who controls the narrative? First-party data, truth and power in Africa’s digital economy As powerful actors spin persuasive stories, the challenge is documenting reality with first-party evidence, resisting myths, and shaping narratives that serve more than self-interest.
Market Intelligence OP-ED - How routine township shopping in South Africa now buys you 'invisible' funeral cover through embedded insurance SAG Ventures’ Purchase Pal, underwritten by Sanlam, tucks funeral insurance into everyday grocery purchases. No forms, no intermediaries, no premiums. Prince Nwadeyi shows what happens when deep consumer research drives product design.
Artificial Intelligence OP-ED - Claude, deepfakes, and the death of 'real' As AI blurs the line between truth and fiction, our collective indifference to reality could prove more dangerous than the technologies reshaping our world.
This Is Connectivity OP-ED - AI meets its match: human connection In the afterglow of the NOVACOM Africa 1-to-1 Telco Summit 2024, Andile Masuku notes that while AI continues to advance, the fundamentals of meaningful human interaction remain essential for long-term success.
Sponsored POD - Future in the Humanities EP 2/3: Unpacking Social Media Conspiracies in a World of Crisis Wits University media researchers Samuel Olaniran and Iginio Gagliardone come to grips with the societal impact of conspiracy theories in today's social media-led world.
