Think Africa Press Looks to Host the Best Blogs from the African Continent
By Staff Writer
LONDON---Think Africa Press, a free online publication that aims to provide insightful and enlightening news analysis and commentary on African affairs, was officially launched mid last month.
The media house is run from London headquarters by multi-national staff, engaging a network of correspondents - both on the ground in Africa and from around the world.
During the Launch Woody Webster, co-founder of Think Africa Press, said: "We're aiming to be the platform for debate on Africa's most pressing issues, with an unchallenged range and depth. We strongly believe that the latest news and opinions will gain in value by being presented alongside specialist high quality features on business, economics and history."
According to sources, Think Africa Press is currently updating their blog section and looking to form partnerships with a number of high-quality writers to provide original Africa-focused content from an on-the-ground perspective. Their particular interest is in voices from within academia, politics, civil society, industry and development.
Think Africa Press is also said to have already hosts the ideas of some of the world’s leading thinkers on Africa through its Experts Panel and via the Experts Weekly debates. Experts include the likes of Mahmood Mamdani, Richard Dowden and Raquel Rolnik, and the subjects of these debates have ranged from access to employment for women, and democracy in Nigeria, to the recent charges brought against Julius Malema in South Africa.
In recent weeks African news stories have dominated the headlines, with the world's eyes on fighting in Libya and the Ivory Coast, regime change in Egypt, elections in Nigeria and the secession of South Sudan. Think Africa Press aims to give these stories, and others from the continent, the thoughtful and specialist treatment necessary to place them in their local and historical context.
The site also boasts interviews with the Zambian President, Rupiah Banda, Dr Muhammed Pate, Director of Nigeria’s National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Oxford University Professor of Islamic Studies, Tariq Ramadan, former Minister of Abuja, Nasir El-Rufai, and Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood.
Think Africa Press is now looking to set up a platform on which to present a vibrant panel of specialist bloggers. This will complement their role as the source of informed debate by showcasing analysis alongside rolling commentary and the inside stories from Africa’s key sectors.