Thousands of straw-coloured fruit bats congregate in swamp forest within Kasanka National Park from October to December each year. It is regarded as the largest mammal migration in Africa.

African forest elephants are under human pressure in central and west Africa. 

African penguins are at risk of extinction.

Australian energy company Invictus Energy is planning to drill oil and gas wells in Zimbabwe. The project is expected to start in October 2021.

Nearly 15 years ago, there was a major oil reserve discovery in Uganda. In September 2020, Uganda and Tanzania finally signed an agreement for a construction of crude oil pipeline from Uganda to the port of Tanga in Tanzania. This $3.5 billion dollar project is led by Total. Environmentalists and a number of local communities have been opposing the project for several years. 

According to UNESCO, biosphere reserves provide local solutions to global challenges. Biosphere reserves include terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems. There are 701 biosphere reserves in 124 countries across the globe. Africa is home to 86 biosphere reserves which are found in 31 countries. There are 10 biosphere reserves in South Africa. Vhembe Biosphere Reserve (VBR) is found in the Vhembe District of Limpopo province.

Lemurs are only found in Madagascar. There are an estimated 112 species and more than 98% are facing extinction due to deforestation and overhunting. There is evidence to suggest that wildlife trafficking is also a major threat.

The Danakil Depression is regarded as one of the main sources of salt in Ethiopia. It is an active geological depression due to the pulling apart of three tectonic plates. This area is one the hottest and driest places on earth. There is evidence that the Afar people have been mining salt for more than 2 000 years. 

Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. More than 80% of plants and animals are endemic. With a population of under 30 million, Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. Major sapphire deposits were discovered in 1998. The place of discovery is Ilakaka in the south western part of the country. In 2005 or 2006, Madagascar became the largest producer of sapphire.

The Republic of Guinea is home to the largest reserves of bauxite in the world. The touching story is that it remains one of the poorest countries. The bauxite industry was less developed between the 1970's and 2016. The country started to witness a booming bauxite industry over the last three years. However, bauxite mining is dominated by foreign companies.