(MENAFN - ufs) BLOEMFONTEIN, 11 February 2021: According to United Nations data projections for 2100, sub-Saharan Africa is set to experience a demographic explosion. The most rapid population growth zones in Africa are in or around mountains and the importance of managing these mountain ecosystems sustainably in order to maintain the benefits to such a growing population is critical, says Dr João Vidal, a research fellow at the Department of Plant Sciences and the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) at the University of the Free State (UFS).
The link between human population growth and the demand for water will impact these mountain grasslands. All of Africa’s important rivers originate in mountainous areas. The sustainable management of African mountain landscapes is thus vital for the sustained provision of quality water in suitable quantities.
Feb 12, 2021
2020 was a rollercoaster of a year filled with twists, turns, ups and lock-downs, which threw any semblance of normality out the window.
But, despite this uncertainty, last year made one thing clear for retailers and consumers alike ecommerce is the future, and it has quickly become an essential part of the new normal.
A recent survey by Mckinsey & Company revealed that there is a 90% growth in South African consumers who use ecommerce since lockdown began in March 2020. Along with this meteoric growth, came another rising star in the form of Click & Collect, which according to the same Mckinsey survey has become habit-forming.
Vaccinating as many people as possible is key to saving SA s recovery 11 February 2021 - 07:00 Speakers in the multi-stakeholder webinar around the role of vaccines in SA’s economic and social recovery included Discovery Health CEO Ryan Noach, Afrika Tikkun Group CEO, Marc Lubner and Professor Bonang Mohale, Chancellor of the University of the Free State. Image: 123RF/Feydzhet Shabanov
Vaccinating as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, is critical for saving SA s economy, businesses, and livelihoods all while boosting social development.
This is according to speakers at a multi-stakeholder webinar on the role of vaccines in economic and social recovery.
The search for a cure for mental illness
ROMA-DR Mohale Mabaleha started with 42 different plant species that are used by Lesotho’s traditional healers to treat mental illnesses.
He ended up with one plant that had a huge potential.
He and his team proved that potential in the laboratory using frog’s eggs (oocytes).
Dr Mabaleha from the National University of Lesotho (NUL) is working with scientists from the University of the Free State (UFS), South Africa, and the University of Vienna, Austria, to find out what makes these plants useful in the treatment of mental illnesses.
Let’s get to the fascinating story (but never underestimate frogs – “nketjoane o tumme a ntse a le metsing”).