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The biggest reality show in Africa is back and Africa Magic can reveal that Season 8 of Big Brother Africa has been dramatically titled The Chase. 28 housemates from 14 countries will not only be chasing after the $300 000 cash prize but the chance of becoming a household name and perhaps even finding romance.

Launching on Sunday 26 May, Big Brother The Chase will combine electrifying twists and big surprises that will require housemates to use their charm to get ahead, possibly leaving room for cupid’s arrow to connect two hearts or more.

Setting the tone and in-line…

This Friday 17-05-2013 on Al Jazeera’s new global talk show South 2 North, Redi Tlhabi interviews two remarkable African leaders: Joyce Banda, Malawi’s first female president, and Dr. Mamphela Ramphele, founder of Agang, South Africa’s new party political platform.

President Banda became only the second woman to lead an African country in April 2012, following the example of Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Time Magazine recently named Banda one of the most influential people in the world, while Forbes called her the most powerful woman in Africa in 2012.

Ramphele, a former vice-chancellor at The University of…

Malawi’s President Joyce Banda has had 12 tumultuous months since she took office in April last year.

She has attempted to right Malawi’s economy by devaluing its currency, giving herself a 30 percent pay cut and proposed to offload a fleet of Mercs for her 35 member cabinet.

But the economy has continued to sputter despite the reforms although central bank Governor Peter Chuka has remained optimistic that the economy will start to stabilize from mid 2013.

Commodity prices have gone up and pushed inflation to 36.5 percent in March; higher than the IMF forecast.

Since she took over, the cost of living in urban Malawi for a family of six now needs…

Joining a village savings and loans group called “Buyu” has made Malawian women achieve things they had never even dreamed of. Their lives have improved significantly and they are now positive about the future for themselves and their families.

Since she was a little girl Elizabeth Lughali, 32, dreamed of sleeping in a real bed with a mattress. Today her dream has come true; she has managed to save enough money to buy a bed, a mattress and some nice linen through a DanChurchAid supported village savings and loans project.

“I joined Buyu savings club last year and saved enough to buy the bed and a plot of land. In total,…

Barely hours after MV ILALA hit the waters of lake Malawi after over a 10-months absence, the vessel has once again broken down at Chipoka Harbour in Salima due to engine failure.

The new manager of Malawi Shipping Company-MSC to which ILALA belongs-Motal Engil claims to have spent millions of Kwacha to provide full maintainance of the ship.

When MBC crew visited Chipoka in Salima on Sunday the very day it got stuck with passangers on board, the ship appeared to have been refurbished  with new painting and furniture.

Asked as to…

CAIRO – Seeking to promote modern education among Muslims and reduce stampede for university places, Malawi is planning to open the country’s first Islamic university for students interested in studying Islam.

“We all have the common purpose of seeing Malawi as a country develop and through the right leadership this is possible,” Sidik Mia, Minister of Transports and Public Works, told Nyasa Times on Monday, April 29.

“Leaders need our support.”

Meeting with Muslim leaders at Mangochi Boma Sub mosque, Mia announced plans to open an Islamic university to promote modern education among Muslims in Malawi.

The…

This past week marked the final training sessions for a whole new group of Peace Corps volunteers coming to Malawi.  They will begin their two year stint working in either health or environment jobs.

Some of us were…

MALAWI will lobby for the removal of the illegal Western sanctions regime that is affecting ordinary people, the nation’s President Dr Joyce Banda has said. Officially opening the 54th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair here

yesterday, Dr Banda said her country would “blow the trumpet”. “My visit to Zimbabwe has provided me with a rare opportunity to see what is emerging in Zimbabwe. “It gives hope to see that the destiny of Zimbabwe remains in the hands of Zimbabweans.

“We will march with you and the rest of us shall blow the trumpet: ‘lift sanctions, they are hurting…

Kenya Airways (KQ) has received approval from the government of Malawi that will see the airline operate between the capital Lilongwe and Lusaka in Zambia from June 3.

This is after it was given the Fifth Freedom Traffic Rights which allows an airline to carry revenue traffic between foreign countries as a part of services connecting the airline’s own country.

That means KQ will now have the unique role to pick up passengers in Lilongwe and drop them in Lusaka and vice versa.

Currently, Malawi has…

Construction of a multi-million dollar secondary school in Kasungu with funding from the Royal Jesuits of the Roman Catholic Church is progressing well, to the satisfaction of the church.

Loyola Jesuit Secondary School which will cost the Jesuits US$9 million is expected to enroll 500 students once completed in 2016.

The first phase of its construction is due to finish in 2014 and will be ready for its first intake of form 1 students.

Roman Catholic Church Jesuits Superior General Father Aldofo Nicholas expressed the sentiments…