About two years ago, the world was hit by a major unexpected shock: the COVID-19 pandemic. While this health and economic crisis has had, and continues to have, a severe impact on European citizens and businesses, the euro area banking sector has so far weathered the crisis well. Rather than being part of the problem, it has been part of the solution. The central banks in many African countries have managed to change their monetary and macroprudential tools.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the slowdown in the global economy are hitting hard many African countries, especially those already struggling with the negative effects of climate change. In this context, transitioning towards a more ecologically sustainable economy is not only necessary but also presents significant opportunities for economic development in these countries. However, achieving this transition is hindered by the difficulty of mobilizing funding, particularly in French-speaking African countries.

Africa, while less impacted than other regions of the world, is still facing disastrous consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, African countries, especially those in French-speaking Africa, have provided less support to their economies during the crisis compared to other nations. This situation has brought about renewed debates on political space in these countries.

Africa’s digital future makes an important and timely contribution to the literature on Africa, exploring the many opportunities and challenges that the continent faces in a world characterised by accelerating technological change. Edited by Prof Wilma Viviers, Ali Parry and Dr Adelia Jansen van Rensburg, the book has been published in an online format by AOSIS, the open-access publisher which hosts a wide range of journals and independent publications on its platform. The book is therefore freely available to anyone who wishes to read it online or download a copy.

The governments of South Africa and Tunisia launched a bilateral research project under the auspices of the ‘South Africa-Tunisia Science and Technology Collaboration’ initiative. The research project is aimed at identifying realistic and sustainable export opportunities between the two countries, with a specific focus on SME (small and medium enterprise) exporters. Following an extensive bidding process, a research consortium comprising the WTO Chairs at the North-West University (South Africa) and the University of Tunis (Tunisia) were awarded the project.

Rural youth are an important yet underutilised resource for agricultural growth and economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In rural areas, the prevalence of vulnerable, low-quality jobs constitutes the main labour market challenge. The International Labour Organization estimates that among the working youth in SSA as many as 80% are employed in the informal economy, typically considered a more vulnerable form of employment, and close to 70% are poor. Many of those young people live in rural areas.