Kim Harrisberg

Inspired by Gen Z uprisings from Nepal to Kenya, tens of thousands of young Madagascans have taken to the streets in recent weeks to demand an end to broken promises, bust services and bankrupt rule.

The island nation - home to rich minerals and fertile land - is one of the world's poorest, and demonstrators blame corruption at the top for a life they say is blighted by ceaseless power cuts, deep poverty and a dearth of opportunity.

As dusk descends on South Africa's coal belt, a stretch of land scarred by decades of mining now flickers to life as dozens of solar street lamps light up Nomzamo Agri-Village.

Despite this mini solar wave sweeping the settlement, coal still keeps many in work, warms their homes in winter and cooks the dinner, even as locals cough up lung fulls of grey smog.

Now though, things are slowly changing.

A cloud of uncertainty hangs over an Africa-U.S. trade deal set to expire by the end of September with African unions warning that more than a million indirect jobs could be on the line if it is not renewed. 

But some trade experts and economists say the possible end of the 25-year-old African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) could allow African countries to seek potentially beneficial deals with other partners, or boost trade with each other. 

Workers across 30 African countries this month are anxiously waiting to see if the United States will extend a flagship trade programme that has sustained their jobs for a quarter of a century.

President Donald Trump's protectionist trade policies have plunged the fate of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) into doubt, and African manufacturers are lobbying the U.S. Congress for a last-ditch temporary extension beyond an end-September expiry date.

Global military spending following the outbreak of conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza is at its highest since the Cold War, which African leaders warn is leaving less international aid available to help their countries adapt to the climate crisis.

At the second African Climate Summit (ACS) in Ethiopia last week, African heads of state, researchers and activists made a plea to international donors to help the continent withstand floods, droughts and heatwaves.

From mangrove restoration along West Africa's coastline to organic waste recycling in Nairobi, billions of dollars have been spent to help Africa adapt to climate shocks like floods, droughts and heatwaves. 

This week, African leaders at the African Climate Summit in Ethiopia called for more international funding support for phase two of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP), which has supported these efforts since 2021. 

Be it AI pest detectors in Kenya or Nigerian soil-free farming, climate change is pushing farmers to innovate and show the sort of can-do spirit that experts say is vital if Africa is to overcome its twin scourge of high heat and hunger.

The experts - drawn from government, farming and the lab - are meeting in Senegal to brainstorm new ways to deal with old threats as farmers across whole swathes of Africa face famine, conflict, a debt crisis and ever-worsening climate shocks.

Since President Donald Trump gutted U.S. aid programmes this year, thousands of South African health workers, whose salaries were covered by U.S. funds, have not been able to monitor HIV patients and distribute medication.

South Africa has the world's highest burden of HIV, but has been praised for controlling the number of infections.

In South Africa's coal heartland, grey smog hangs over parts of the Mpumalanga province like a thick blanket, while miners descend underground to chip away at the black rock.

One of them is Mooi Masuku, an artisanal coal miner of 17 years, who says a new bill to legalise informal mining is key to protecting and creating jobs, particularly as critical minerals are eyed for green technologies.

Under U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, climate change regulation, research and funding have been slashed, including the cash meant to help developing countries like South Africa transition from coal to cleaner energy.

But while green goals may take longer to hit, the head of the just energy transition unit in South Africa's presidency - a body overseeing the shift to clean energy - said the country is "not backtracking on its climate commitments."