From Senegal to South Africa, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania, African nations are upbeat about 2026, as they welcome the new year with renewed hope.
South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa is concerned about unemployment, poverty and inequality, femicide and gender-based violence that persist in the country.
While acknowledging the complex challenges facing the country, Ramaphosa says his government is taking a “variety of actions to address these challenges” as he looks forward for the year with “greater purpose and greater confidence.”
Not a year for ‘quick assurances’
Sierra Leonean president and Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Julius Maada Bio believes 2026 is not a year for “easy words or quick assurances,” but a year that requires “steady leadership, careful decisions and a shared effort.”
However, some presidents like Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan have begun making promises. In an end-of-year message, Suluhu Hassan assured that her government is committed to working with all stakeholders in the formation of the planned reconciliation commission to address grievances from the fatal 2025 presidential elections.
As the new year dawns, a wave of optimism sweeps across the continent with a clear message: 2026 is a year of resolve, responsibility, and renewed hope.
