Things Fall into Place
Africa’s Long Return to the Centre of History

By Kirtan Bhana and Anisha Pemjee

25 May 2026
There are moments in history when events that once appeared isolated begin to reveal themselves as part of a larger civilisational pattern. What seemed fragmented suddenly aligns. Political shifts, economic integration, cultural awakenings and geopolitical realignments begin moving in concert. In Africa today, things are falling into place.

NEPAD at 25: AUDA-NEPAD Reflects on Continental Development and Calls for Faster African Integration

TDS - 24 May 2026

The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) has marked 25 years since the launch of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), reflecting on a quarter century of programmes aimed at advancing infrastructure, agriculture, governance, health, industrialisation and regional integration across the continent.

South Africa and Botswana seek mutually beneficial growth 

25 May 2026

Botswana and South Africa must seek mutually beneficial growth that creates jobs in equal measure while also deepening trade and investment relations between the two countries, President Cyril Ramaphosa said.

DICAN Conference Warns of Rising Information Warfare Threats, Launches National Fact-Check Network
Oru Leonard

21 May 2026

The 2nd Diplomatic, Security, Trade and Investment International Conference has raised concerns over the growing threat posed by information warfare, deepfakes and coordinated disinformation campaigns to global security, democracy, trade and investment.

China and Russia agree to strengthen new-type partnership during talks in Beijing
The leaders of Russia and China, together with delegations from both states, signed a number of major documents during the Chinese-Russian negotiations

TV BRICS - 21 May 2026

Talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping took place at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. They began with a meeting in a restricted format and continued in an expanded format. Following the talks, the leaders of the two countries signed a Joint Statement on the further strengthening of the comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction and on deepening relations of good-neighbourliness, friendship and cooperation. A Joint Declaration on the formation of a multipolar world and a new type of international relations was also adopted, according to the website of the Chinese government.

The international symposium “The Golden Horde as a Model of Steppe Civilization”

21 May 2026

The international symposium “The Golden Horde as a Model of Steppe Civilization: History, Archaeology, Culture, and Identity” took place in Astana on 19-20 May, 2026, with the participation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The event brought together more than 350 delegates, including representatives of international organisations, leading foreign and Kazakh historians, archaeologists, researchers and scholars specialising in the history of the Great Steppe and the Golden Horde.

NDB Flagship Governors Seminar highlights New Development Bank’s growing role in supporting sustainable development priorities
High-level discussions in Moscow highlight innovation financing, AI, energy systems and inclusive growth
TV BRICS/Photos: New Development Bank

18 May 2026

For the first time, the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the New Development Bank (NDB) has been held in Moscow, marking a significant moment for the institution’s global agenda and engagement with its member countries.

President of New Development Bank Dilma Rousseff: NDB launches new strategy development with clear long-term vision
Financing in national currencies to remain a strategic priority
TV BRICS

18 May 2026
The New Development Bank (NDB) has begun work on a new strategy designed to maintain a clear policy direction over the next five years. This was stated by NDB President Dilma Rousseff at the opening ceremony of the 11th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors, held in Moscow.

Moonwalking on Tippy Toes - Heal the World Dances Through Memory, Liberation and Hope

by Kirtan Bhana and Anisha Pemjee

18 May 2026

Mzansi Ballet has delivered a production that is not merely entertainment, but an act of emotional restoration. Heal the World, now showing at the Pieter Toerien Theatre, is a stirring fusion of classical ballet and contemporary dance that captures the enduring spirit of Michael Jackson while reflecting deeper social and historical currents that continue to shape both South Africa and the United States.

New Development Bank prepares Indian rupee bond issuance
Under the Bank’s strategy, the share of projects financed in national currencies is expected to exceed 45 per cent by 2031
TV BRICS

18 May 2026
The Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the New Development Bank (NDB) took place in Moscow on 14–15 May. Following the events, Dilma Rousseff and Russian Finance Minister and Chair of the NDB Board of Governors Anton Siluanov answered journalists’ questions at the final press conference.

Africa, China, USA and the New Geometry of Global Balance

By Kirtan Bhana

17 May 2026

The contemporary international system is undergoing a quiet but decisive reconfiguration. It is not marked by the sudden collapse of an old order, but by the gradual emergence of overlapping centres of power, competing economic logics, and increasingly interdependent strategic choices. Within this shifting geometry, Africa is no longer a peripheral stage upon which global rivalries are enacted. It is becoming an active node in the design of global balance itself.