When a faint, fast-moving speck named 3I/ATLAS slipped into view earlier this year, it carried more than a whiff of cosmic intrigue. Only two other confirmed interstellar objects have ever wandered through our Solar System, and both left scientists with more questions than answers. The internet promptly filled the gap with theories ranging from the plausible to the eccentric. However, while the speculation churned, a quieter, methodical effort began to take shape in South Africa.

In a spectacle that underscored its technological ambitions, Rhodes University recently deployed a helicopter to transport delicate scientific instruments to its new, state-of-the-art nanotechnology facility. This operation not only highlighted the sophisticated nature of the Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation (INI) but also marked a significant expansion from its original space in the ChemPharm building due to its substantial growth.

When Rhodes University’s recent graduate Terri Harris set out to study Makhanda’s water management system, she wasn’t just conducting academic research; she was probing a question that many in the small Eastern Cape town ask daily: why isn’t the water coming?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping how the world creates, connects, and does business – and Africa’s creative industries are no exception. At the recent African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Conference, hosted by Makerere University in Uganda, artists, academics, and innovators gathered to explore how AI can unlock new possibilities for creative economies across the continent.