While vaccine equity remains a challenge in Africa, lack of confidence in COVID-19 vaccines is also an increasing issue. In this OpEd, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, and Chebet Chikumbu, Global Citizen Regional Director for Southern and East Africa,  discuss the importance of driving citizen advocacy, in building COVID-19 vaccine confidence in Africa.

“My family’s source of information is the news and the internet, but the main problem is the fake news they get on social media. They have no confidence in getting a vaccine once it becomes available to them.”

These are the words of Nomthandazo Xaba from Johannesburg, one of a group of young people taking part in a Fellowship Programme in South Africa with international advocacy organisation Global Citizen.

The views held by Nomthandazo’s family are reflected in families and communities throughout the continent, amid a spiralling “infodemic” which is seeing fake news and misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines sweeping across Africa and sparking scepticism about the vaccines that are, ultimately, our best way to end the pandemic and save lives.

According to the World Health Organization, just 1% of Africa’s population has received a COVID-19 vaccine to date. When it comes to vaccinating Africa, there are two key issues: vaccine equity, meaning ensuring the vaccines reach Africa’s population; and vaccine confidence, meaning making sure people want to get the vaccine when it’s available to them.

“Infodemic” is seeing fake news and misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and sparking scepticism.”

Until recently, our focus has been on vaccine equity, after much of the world’s global supply was bought up by European countries, Canada, and the United States. But, while vaccine equity remains a challenge for our continent, the ongoing lack of confidence in COVID-19 vaccines is increasingly an issue.

WHO’s health experts say people’s worries about COVID-19 vaccines are driven by a variety of factors, from concerns about the quick development of the vaccines and potential side effects, to confused messages over vaccine expiry dates, to misinformation fuelled by the internet and social media.

Myths & misinformation

Inaccurate, misleading information about COVID-19 vaccines has spread like wildfire online and this has been hugely damaging to our vaccine efforts.

Tracking the spread of misinformation on social media is difficult, but African fact-checking organisations say they have debunked over 1,300 misleading reports since the onset of the pandemic.

Widely shared misinformation includes conspiracies around unproven treatments and false cures, inaccurate information about the vaccines themselves, and more. This has created a hesitancy complex within our local communities, a hesitancy that has the power to cost lives.

There are a lot of people already working across Africa to build people’s confidence in the vaccines. But what more can be done to help people feel confident in getting the vaccine?

How do we overcome this challenge?

Building our confidence in the vaccines is ultimately key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa, and this needs to be addressed through a clear, concise, factual communications strategy driven by our leaders — not just political leaders, but social, religious, and community leaders too.

Clear messaging

Clear, concise medical information needs to be communicated across our communities.

As another of Global Citizen’s Fellows, Sengie Shabalala, said: “I don’t think the information is missing. I just think it’s not been disseminated properly. It should be simple and straightforward and speak to the masses.”

Increased access to health information

Ensuring populations can access answers to the questions they have about vaccines is also essential.

One platform working on making sure factual information accessible is the Africa Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA), a first-of-its-kind African initiative to combat health misinformation online.

Launched by WHO and a network of fact-checking organisations and leading public health bodies, the initiative’s digital brand Viral Facts Africa^[3] creates health fact checks, explainers, myth busters, and more, all of which are specifically designed to share on social media.

Strong leadership

When uncertainty is rife, strong leadership is key. The majority of Africa’s leaders have aligned with and driven the African Union’s continental strategy on COVID-19.

What’s needed is a united front from leaders across all areas of society — political, social, community, and religious — that agrees on the need for vaccines to reach all of Africa’s people, and for all people to take up the vaccine when it’s offered.

A number of leaders have been doing this — including South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa; Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame; Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo; Cote d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization; Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, and more — and there is need for greater support for vaccines from all of Africa’s leaders.

Community engagement

Vaccine communication should focus on community structures and engaging key members of the community, as has been shown before with the successful rollout of other vaccines.

Another area where community involvement is very-much needed, is in sharing personal experiences of getting vaccinated to help reassure those on the fence.

“I think people only want to see people who have been vaccinated tell their stories,” continues Nomthandazo.

The Global Citizen’s Vax Because, platform seeks to help people do just that, via a website where people globally can share their own and read about other’s vaccine experiences, as well as ask and find expert answers to their questions about vaccines.

The pandemic has once again exposed the inequalities in our global healthcare system. Yet when it comes to a lack of vaccine confidence, this is an issue that we can beat. It’s up to every one of us to ask our questions and share accurate information with our loved ones and communities.

If this isn’t urgently addressed, alongside ensuring equitable vaccine access for all, then there will be no end to the pandemic in the immediate sight.

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The inimitably multi-talented Michaela Ewuraba Boakye-Collinson (Michaela Coel professionally) took home two coveted BAFTAs – Leading Actress and Mini-Series for I May Destroy You – at last night’s British Academy of Film and Television Arts 2021.

Michael triumphed over other big name nominees such as Black Panther’s Letitia Wright and Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer. Her win comes on the heels of her three wins at the British Academy Television Craft Awards in May.
Over the past few years, Michaela has grabbed British television by the scruff of the neck and shaken it awake to the realities of a multicultural and global world.
Michaela is indeed blessed with an abundance of talent – she’s a director, screenwriter, producer and singer in addition to being perhaps the most outstanding actress of her generation. Her presence on the screen has been described as “a smouldering volcano about to erupt”.
The BBC/HBO comedy-drama series, I May Destroy You, which she wrote, co-directed and executive-produced, was perhaps 2020’s most talked about – and praised – series. In it, she plays a writer who is raped after being given a spiked drink. As she tries to piece together what happened to her, she takes the viewer on a complex and funny journey, questioning the concept of consent, power relations, and dealing with bad experiences.
The UK Guardian TV critic, Lucy Mangan wrote of the series: “It is, in short, an extraordinary, breath-taking achievement without a false note in it, shot through with humour and with ideas, talent and character to burn at every perfectly plotted turn.”
Michaela had previously already shaken the TV establishment by creating and starring in the hugely popular comedy Chewing Gum, for which she also won a BAFTA award. She followed this with a staggering performance in Black Earth Rising and the musical Been So Long.

Given her dominance on both the big and small screens – on both sides of the Atlantic – it is no wonder she appeared in the 2020 Most Influential Lists of New African, Time magazine, British Vogue as well as our very own Women of the Year and Cover (above)

More black talented

This year’s BAFTAs, which some British media outlets described as “giving a nod to diversity”, also saw other black talents honoured, including Welsh-born black actress Rakie Ayola who won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in Anthony, a movie about the murdered black teenager Anthony Walker. Walker, who was just 18, was murdered with an ice axe by Michael Barton and Paul Taylor, in an unprovoked, racially motivated attack on 29 July 2005 in the area of Huyton, Liverpool.
In an article headlined “ The killing of Anthony: The boy who died because of the colour of his skin,” the Independent reported how the Walker family were the first black family to live in Huyton, and were subjects of relentless racial abuse and name-calling, including at the children’s school. Rakie Ayola plays Anthony’s mother Gee in the movie.

The series, Sitting In Limbo, which tells the story of the Windrush scandal, took the gong for best single drama. Malachi Kirby, took home the best-supporting actor BAFTA for his role as civil rights activist Darcus Howe in the Mangrove instalment of Steve McQueens Small Axe.
But perhaps the shock winner of the night was the spoken word series Life & Rhymes (fronted by poet Benjamin Zephaniah) which trounced renowned heavyweights such as Strictly Come Dancing, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and The Masked Singer, to win the BAFTA for best entertainment programme.
According to DEADLINE, Michaela Coel is working on a new series for the BBC.

“Ma Pinky’s incredible passion for farming has spread from Mzansi to the world, to the next generations,” said Lindiwe Sithole new presenter of the agricultural television show, African Farming. The second season of the series has started on Thursday 24 June at 18:30 on Mzansi Wethu (channel 163, DStv). In this episode Sithole visited Selina Pinky Hlabedi at Ba Kwa-Hlabedi Farming in Gauteng to hear about her cattle and maize operations.

“I had the opportunity to plant on 2,5 hectares. That 2,5 hectares took me to where I am today and that is how I acquired this farm,” Hlabedi said of her road to success.

“Today my farm is 498 hectares and we farm with maize, cattle, and small vegetables. We also had sheep, before they were stolen.”

The road to success was hard but Ma Pinky soldiered on. “Our mom is a very driven person, and it has helped us to get to this farm,” said Dineo Hlabedi, Pinky’s daughter. Pinky’s son, Thabang, is the farm manager. 

During the episode Pinky told of past ventures that had failed, such as vegetable gardens not being profitable and a poultry farm not making it. She also recounts the time her sheep were stolen: “I had 100 sheep and 78 were stolen.”

Later in studio Sithole asked panel expert Keneilwe Nailana, Senior Manager for Agribusiness at Standard Bank, how farmers can plan better for unforeseen events and disasters.

“We cannot overemphasise planning,” said Nailana. “Like they say, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” 

According to Nailana you should start your planning with a budget. “It will show you your expected income and expenses, this way you won’t be caught off guard.”

However, she warned that if you make a mistake with your budget it will show in your cash flow. “You cannot afford to run out of cash when you have a business, because you need cash for everyday activities to stay operational. If you cannot pay for operating expenses, then you will have to close up shop. Trust me, I have seen profitable businesses close down because of cash-flow problems. So, you really need a financial advisor to help you manage and understand your cash flow cycle.”

She also advised farmers to prepare for risk by setting up a risk plan. “We have products that can help you in that regard, such as crop insurance and livestock insurance. Therefore, make sure you are informed and get a reliable banker to help you through tough times.”

For Nailana planning is key to any successful farming operation and she said she will always advise new farmers to plan, plan, plan.

For more information: Agribusiness Desk, 011 344 5143 / 011 721 9089, email:

SBSA.Agricultural@standardbank.co.za, website: www.standardbank.co.za.

Linda Mabhena-Olagunju is an exceptional power woman breaking ground in one of Africa’s most male-dominated fields – renewable energy.

“Without power Africa cannot grow. Electricity is the backbone of any modern economy and my business is at the forefront of providing access to power, in the most cost effective and clean way,” Linda Mabhena-Olagunju, tells New African Woman. And that is a loaded truth.

As founder and CEO of DLO Energy Resources Group,  an Independent Power Producer (IPP) based in South Africa, which is wholly driven by black women, Linda Mabhena-Olagunju not only owns, but develops, builds and operates renewable energy power plants, which generating electricity from clean natural resources such as the sun or wind.

She runs one of the largest wind farms in Africa, which operates at a 244MW capacity and  also delivers carbon free solar power to over 160,000 homes in South Africa. An extraordinary feat in a field which is mainly male-led and owned.

It’s not surprising therefore that ( among other accolades) Linda has been listed on the 20 most powerful women in Africa on Oprah’s Winfrey Power List, as well as being honoured with the Best Emerging Entrepreneur Award by Forbes Woman Africa.

The New African Woman caught up with this trailblazing entrepreneur and here, in her own words, she shares her inspirational journey:  

Early Beginnings & Family

I grew up in the Eastern Cape in a small town of Umtata until 1993, when I moved to Johannesburg with my parents. So the formative years of my life were in Johannesburg.

I have 2 brothers one older and one younger. My dad is an attorney by profession but subsequently he started his own business and my mum is a teacher by training and she also joined my dad in his company.

My mum’s side of family was actively involved in the struggle against apartheid, I remember my uncle constantly being chased by the police and I remember some of them fleeing into exile as a result. My most significant memory was when the police came to raid my grandmother’s house to search for my uncle. I remember feeling completely vulnerable and scared.

Growing up experiencing racism even at school taught me to be vocal, I always fought for the students that were too afraid to speak up for themselves. I learnt to be super independent because I had no choice but to be, I also learnt the essence of education as a ticket to a better life. So I took school seriously, I was always the top student.

I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. My first business was at the age of six, when I used to sell sweets to other students at school. But the seed for the work I do today got planted when I saw a map of Africa listing all of its natural resources and I was baffled as to why we remained poor. I wanted to get involved in the management of our resources and see whether I could contribute to doing things differently.

I studied oil and gas law and at the time there was a downturn in oil prices, so I got a job working for the Aberdeen Council in Scotland, (the United Kingdom)  which was developing the city’s first offshore wind farm. I started there as an admin assistant, but the CEO saw great potential in me and within a few months I was the project officer for this offshore wind farm development.

The seed for the work I do today got planted when I saw a map of Africa listing all of its natural resources and I was baffled as to why we remained poor.

At the same time my home country South Africa was experiencing rolling blackouts and I wanted to see how renewable energy could be used to address the energy deficit back home especially because unlike our other African counterparts we were not an oil producing country.

I came back to South Africa practiced law for a bit and decided that I wanted to be on the other side of the negotiation table, and it is from there that DLO started.

Many studies have shown the direct link between the lack of access to power and economic performance. I wanted to be part of equalizing the playing field for Africans and creating an enabling environment for small business to thrive.

Without power the continent’s potential will forever be hindered.

Career In Business

In 2006 I obtained my LLB from the University of Cape Town, followed by my Masters in International Commercial Law from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. In 2010 I was admitted as an attorney of the high court of South Africa in the South Gauteng division.

I practiced as a project finance attorney for a number of years prior to starting DLO and this inspired me in the sense that it gave me a bird’s eye view to the sector and I was able to learn a lot from the transactions I participated in.

After leaving legal practicing and becoming in-house counsel for an energy firm, I learnt to look at risk differently and form the viewpoint of an entrepreneur. This experience was what I call a real time MBA. I was learning all I needed to learn from some of the best developers in my sector, I also learnt what not to do, which in itself is a valuable lesson.

The Launch of DLO

In 2011 DLO was established. In 2013 we submitted our bid proposals for the development of a 244MW wind farm under South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). This programme was designed to procure power from private producers and we were successfully selected as one of the companies to provide power to the national grid and soon after DLO officially became a utility scale power producer and owner in one of Africa’s largest wind farms.

I went from being a startup, to becoming the largest female shareholder in one of Africa’s largest wind farms. I was 29 at the time. It was honestly a whirlwind experience.

One of the key challenges I had to overcome, was access to finance especially as a young woman in this space with no substantial assets base. We applied for funding from the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa Ltd and we also put in our own equity.

On Solar Power & Energy

Without power Africa cannot grow. Electricity is the backbone of any modern economy and my business is at the forefront of providing access to power,  in the most cost effective and clean way.

We use clean energy sources such as the wind and sun as such we are bringing down the emissions and assisting in the fight against climate change. It assists Africa and Africans by creating more access to clean power to enable African businesses to functions and the continent at large to educate its people, take care of its ill and feed its hungry.

One of the key challenges I had to overcome, was access to finance especially as a young woman in this space with no substantial assets base

On the power of women in power

For me it starts with spreading knowledge around the sector and having positive female examples to inspire others to join. Often people are very intimidated by our sector but there are so many opportunities across the skills set. I have found that people with a background in finance, legal, engineering, asset management, business management have gone on to do great things in the energy sector.

There are so many online tools right now, more so than when I started. I would encourage people to visit the Power Africa website as a start to understand what is going on with the power sector on the African continent at large and encourage joining local renewable energy focused organisations, attending some conferences in this field, researching the sector and identifying where best your existing skill set could be useful in the sector.