KAS Scholar Aanu Adeoye

It’s tough putting into words how difficult this time has been for all of us in South Africa and elsewhere. As a Nigerian living here in Johannesburg, home is miles away. I worry about my family and friends.

Personally, the toll has been mental. It’s lonely here in my tiny student studio. I could go days without even seeing anyone. I often joke that I’m more scared of boredom than the coronavirus.

But I have a renewed sense of purpose working for the Mail & Guardian during this crisis. As a reporter on the foreign desk, I keep an eye on happenings around the continent and participate in weekly media briefings. I also contribute to The Continent, a weekly bite-sized newspaper designed to be read and shared on social media. Our reporting has shone a light on the controversies in Tanzania, covered the China-Africa relationship and other topics. I feel extremely privileged that during these difficult times, I am playing my part to bring verified news to so many people around Africa. It has proved to be an enriching experience in my development as a journalist.

Aanu Adeoye is a Nigerian journalist who writes about politics, technology and culture in Africa. His work has appeared in the Guardian, Foreign Policy magazine, Mail & Guardian, CNN, Vice, Al-Jazeera and elsewhere. He was most recently managing editor at TechCabal, a Nigerian publication covering technology, and is currently a Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Media Africa Scholar at Wits Journalism in Johannesburg.