An African Safari is not just one of the most thrilling experiences on earth for a tourist, but also a huge revenue source for the countries involved. Some African safaris provide you with an opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the world’s rarest wildlife, encounter majestic mountains and wide skies, and completely immerse in another world. And the best part is that you can do all these without sacrificing your comfort.

If you are looking to escape the grim realities of our troubled planet, here are the top seven best African safaris to consider:

7) Segera Luxury Retreat, Kenya

Segera Retreat is a 50,000-acre luxury wildlife safari that lies on the grasslands of the Laikipia Plateau. Its accommodations are well known for their striking and elegant design. Its six timber and thatch villas are raised above a profusion of botanical life looking out to Mount Kenya. Segera is home to the Zeitz Collection, which is considered to be one of the leading collections of art from Africa and the African diaspora. Here, art and an aesthetic experience surround you at every turn.

According to their official website, every room in the retreat is solar-powered, and they also have a water bottling system for distilling still and sparkling water which significantly reduces the carbon footprint on their facility.

6) Uncharted Africa, Botswana

Uncharted Africa operates mobile safaris on the private Mapula concession in the Okavango Delta, it is a bit more rough-and-tumble than other safaris in the region. It operates luxury camps that embody classic 1940s-era safari fantasies. When the camp moves, guests can sleep under the stars in a fly camp on an island in the Delta. Wildlife that is likely to be seen includes zebra, wildebeest, wild dog, cheetah, elephant, lion, hippo, crocodile, buffalo and giraffe, not to mention a myriad of birds. Uncharted Africa’s guides are excellent and will ensure you don’t miss a thing on your journey. Fishing is also possible between March and December.

5) Singita, Boulders Lodge, South Africa

Singita is a South African company founded in 2005, which operates game lodges in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Rwanda. It owns game lodges in Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Kruger National Park, Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Grumeti Game Reserve, Serengeti National Park, and Volcanoes National Park. Its South African operation in Sabi Sand is a private game reserve. It is synonymous with environmentally conscious luxury. A standout among the lodges is Boulders Lodge, which offers niceties like glass walls, a swimming pool, a gym, and a spa. With two-bedroom suits and children’s activities, it is more family-friendly than many other safaris in the region.

4) Mahali Mzuri, Kenya

Mahali Mzuri is Sir Richard Branson’s 12-tented luxury safari camp in the Kenyan Bush. Its 12 exclusive safari tents offer you the ultimate luxury safari experience. Its futuristic architecture is defined by steel girders. Mahali Mzuri offers luxuries like refrigerators and claw-foot bathtubs. Shared spaces include a swimming pool and a spa. The camp is situated in the private Olare Motorogi Conservancy in the wider Maasai Mara ecosystem. 

3) Explore Inc. Kenya

Explore, Inc. offers personalized luxury tours and intimate wildlife encounters throughout Africa, it was a company founded by Cherri Briggs. It is well-known for its exclusive and adventurous custom safaris. The company has won over its customers by orchestrating experiences, like a flight over Mt. Kenya in the plane used in Out of Africa. Sounds exciting!

2) Micato African Safaris, 

Micato is an African safari company with operations across multiple African countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Namibia. Their Safaris expeditions are luxurious by design. They feature world-class accommodations and legendary game parks. They supply top local drivers and guides. They ship high-end duffels to guests in advance. Guests are usually welcomed with a meal or a drink. No wonder they are popular among many tourists worldwide.

1) Ol Jogi, Kenya

This is arguably the most prestigious private ranch in Africa. The Wildenstein family opened the Ol Jogi to paying guests in 2013, it was established over 60 years ago. Here, for $210,000 a week, they offer you sublimely comfortable sleeping arrangements for 14, doting service from staff members, endless sumptuous details, and private access to one of Africa’s most wildlife-rich areas. The 58,000-acre ranch is home to 15 per cent of the world’s Grevy’s zebra. Guests can stay out after dark, but it is advisable to follow their guidelines.

Places to visit on an African Safari

While having a relaxing evening in some luxury resort in the middle of the jungle might be enough for some tourists, the main purpose of an African Safari is to see the natural world as nature intended. Here are the top attractions every tourist on an African Safari should see.

Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti is without a doubt the earth’s greatest wildlife spectacle. Three million or more large mammals–elephant, cheetah, wildebeest, zebra, lion, gazelles by the gazillions, rhinos, giraffe, and going on 60 more large mammal species inhabit the great plain, its riverine forests. The Serengeti is simply a force of nature.

Mount Kilimanjaro

At 19,341 feet, Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest, and one of Earth’s most massive mountains. If you are into mountain climbing, climbing the magnificent Kilimanjaro will take you between 4 – 10 days and cost you between $1,799 and $5,799 depending on the route, season, and number of people you’re sharing the experience with.

The Maasai Mara Game Reserves

Located in Kenya, the Mara abounds with rolling grasslands, expressive acacia trees, sweeping vistas teeming with wildlife, and one of Africa’s common but unforgettable sights.

Things to do in the Maasai Mara

• Watching miles-long trains of wildebeest and zebras in their endless migration in the Maasai-Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, Earth’s largest animal homeland, and haven. 
• Enjoying early morning tea as you watch a herd of elephants patiently waits in line for a frolicking dip in the Mara River. 
• Soaking up the feeling of being in a whole landscape alert with life, and being part of it.
• Watching lion cubs play hide and seek among grassy tussocks.
• Game drives in peaceful search of the Big Five (and maybe the elusive Little Five:  rhinoceros beetles, buffalo weavers, leopard tortoises (not so mini, really; they can weigh as much as three standard bowling balls), ant lions, and extremely shy elephant shrews, which weigh not much more than an elephant’s tear.   
• Quad biking and horsebacking on the acacia-accented savannah.
• Camel treks in the Mara’s hills. 

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Located in Tanzania, the Ngorongoro Crater is one of our solar system’s greatest geographic ornaments, a gorgeous natural Eden the size of 75 Central Parks, home to 30,000 free-roaming animals. All-in-all, a superlative safari destination.

Things to do in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area

• Reveling in the world-uniqueness of the 100-square mile crater, standing on its grassy floor realizing that a couple of million years ago we’d be stuck in a fierce volcano with thousands of feet of rock over our heads.
• Watching hippos galumph in waterholes, wondering, like Peter Matthiessen, how the huge beasts could have found their way into the crater.
• Horsebacking and mountain biking on the crater’s lush slopes, based on the idyllic Manor at Ngorongoro, followed by a vitalizing swim in its pool.  
• Standing on the deck at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge on the crater’s rim, looking 2,000 feet down at elephants ambling and beautifully designed zebras flowing across the acacia-dotted landscape.
• Breathing in the pure air of the African highlands.

Kruger National Park

Kruger is South Africa’s most famous and its largest park—almost 5,700 Central Parks would fit neatly into its classic, golden veldt, river-crossed, acacia-dotted African landscapes. Classic is a good umbrella word for Kruger. Founded in 1926, it’s a source of great South African pride, a conservation model, and as the beautiful home of all the Big Five, along with 142 other mammal species, quite probably the most of any African park.

The Okavango Delta

If we had to pick the most miraculous African place of all, it might well be the Okavango Delta, where the 1,000-mile-long Okavango River gives up on its search for an outlet to the sea and seeps life-givingly into the sands of the Kalahari, one of the world’s most uncompromising deserts, creating a vast and mesmerizing oasis.

The Okavango Delta is a unique pulsing wetland that covers between 6 and 15 000 square kilometres of the Kalahari Desert in northern Botswana and owes its existence to the Okavango (Kavango) River which flows from the Angolan highlands, across Namibia’s Caprivi Strip and into the harsh Kalahari Desert.

Tourists hoping to see the natural world will not lack for attractions on an African Safari, other places worth seeing include Yankari Games Reserve and Obudu Cattle Ranch in Nigeria, the Victoria Falls shared between Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Kalahari desert in Botswana and Mount Kenya which the locals refer to as the seat of Ngai, God himself due to its sheer magnificence.

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This data is from the Speedtest Intelligence which analyzed the internet speed performance of four mobile service providers across 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and published by Ookla Insights.

The four operators singled out for the tests – Airtel, Orange, MTN and Vodacom command a combined majority of 62% of total subscriptions in sub-Saharan Africa. While the select 10 countries account for 59% of the region’s connections.

• East Africa: Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda;
• Southern Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, and Botswana;
• West Africa: Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Nigeria.

The data showed that MTN South Africa delivered the fastest internet speeds in Africa, with median download speed of 65.95 Mbps, followed by Vodacom South Africa with a median download speed of 48.70 Mbps. These speeds where achieved in large parts due to the availability of 5G Network. Cities like Lagos and Abuja can expect faster internet speeds as Mtn deploys its 5G network in those cities.

Head-to-head performance between Airtel and MTN across the three countries they operate in, put Airtel ahead in Nigeria, both in terms of median download and upload speed in Q2 2022, while in Uganda and Rwanda there were no winners.

As of Q2 2022, MTN Nigeria commanded 38.9% of Nigeria’s mobile users, with its 74.1 million subscribers almost double that of Airtel’s 46.0 million.

Yet, when it comes to mobile performance, Airtel Nigeria was ahead of MTN. In Q2 2022, Airtel Nigeria recorded a median download speed of 30.35 Mbps and a median upload speed of 10.28 Mbps, both of which topped those of MTN (26.30 Mbps download and 9.13 Mbps upload).

Those speeds are set to increase as both companies have invested heavily into network infrastructure, with a combined investment of N208.5 billion ($502 million). The investment translates into an increase in 4G Availability as well. In Q2 2022, MTN had 83.8% 4G Availability compared to Airtel’s 77.9%.

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Lord Slynt, meet the “ghostly giants” of Africa.

Here are 10 interesting facts you should Know about the Dinka tribes of South Sudan.

1. First of, you are mostly likely pronouncing the name of the tribe wrong, it is pronounced DEEN-kuh.

2. The Dinka are one of the largest ethnic groups in the Republic of Sudan. They belong to a group of cultures known as the Nilotic peoples, all of whom live in the southern Sudan.
In 1983, a civil war erupted in the Sudan, pitting the largely Arab and Muslim northern Sudan against the black African peoples of the south. Lasting into the 1990s, the war has had dire consequences for the Dinka and other Nilotic peoples. Tens of thousands of Dinka have died; countless others have become refugees. Rebel groups and international human rights organizations have accused the Sudanese government of attempting genocide against (extermination of) the Dinka.

3. The Dinka culture revolved around their cows. It is estimated that they have more than 400 words to refer to cattle alone—their movements, their diseases, and their variety in color and form.

4. Dinka herdsmen receive a bull when they come of age. They often give up their birth names and take the nickname of the cow, the beast is known as namesake ox. The herdsman identifies with the bull, emulating it to the point where he believes that he and the animal are one.

5. Dinka religion may be regarded as monotheistic (believing in one deity). Nhialic (creator) is thought to be the source of all life and death. Lesser manifestations of the creator’s power are honored by the Dinka through ritual sacrifices. Rituals are performed at births, deaths, to cure disease, and in times of crisis.

6. Beautifying with Ash
Ash from dung fire is used to beautify and protect the body. Covered with Ash, the Dinka, who are up to 7’6″ tall were referred to as “gentle giants” or “ghostly giants” by the early explorers.

7. FAMILY LIFE
Polygamy (multiple spouses) is common among the Dinka. Men of high social standing may have as many as fifty to one hundred wives. In polygamous marriages, wives cooperate in performing household duties, although each rears her own children. Much of Dinka public life is dominated by men. However, women play a significant and even powerful role in local life.

8. Tho the Dinka wear very little clothing and no shoes. Men go naked, and the women may wear goatskin skirts. Pregnancy out of wedlock is absolutely taboo and damages a girl’s prospect of finding a good husband.

9. Traditionally Dinka men marry at 30 years old and girls between 17 and 20 years old.

10. Dinka have traditionally produced all the material resources needed to sustain their livelihood via a combination of horticulture (gardening) with pastoralism (nomadic herding), fishing and occasional hunting. Millet is the mainstay of the Dinka diet. Depending on the season, it is supplemented with cow milk, fish, meat, beans, tomatoes, or rice.

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This myth probably began from the bird’s defensive way of lying low at the approach of trouble and pressing themselves to the ground to try to be less visible. Their feathers blend well with sandy soil and, from a distance, they may look like they’ve buried their heads in the sand.

10 Interesting Facts About Ostriches

Seeing a wild ostrich in its natural environment is one of the pleasures that await anyone on an African Safari. Here we will look at some interesting facts about Ostriches to help us understand them deeply.

Ostriches Are the World’s Largest Bird

Towering over other birds, ostriches can grow up to nine feet tall, with their necks accounting for almost half that height. Male birds can weigh more than 330 pounds, while females are slightly smaller and top out around 320 pounds. And, while ostriches have large, round bodies, their heads are much smaller, with a short, wide bill.

Ostrich Eggs Are the Largest of Any Bird

In addition to being the largest bird on Earth, ostriches also have the largest eggs of any bird. Their eggs — which have thick, glossy, cream-colored shells — have a diameter of about 6 inches and weigh up to 3 pounds. That said, their eggs are actually the smallest relative to the size of the birds. The incubation period of an ostrich egg is between 35 and 45 days, but despite this short period of time, less than 10% of nests survive this long.

Ostriches are Territorial

Territorial fights between males for a harem of two to seven females usually last just minutes, but they can easily cause death because they slam their heads into their opponents.

Ostriches Don’t Have Teeth

Like other modern birds, ostriches don’t have teeth. However, because they are omnivores, they eat everything from roots, plants, and seeds, to lizards and insects. To digest their broad diet, ostriches have to swallow grit and rocks to help break down food. This unique digestion is further assisted by a number of other adaptations, including three stomachs and intestines that stretch about 46 feet in length.

They have 3 Stomachs

Each of the 3 stomachs serves a different function. The glandular stomach takes the role of missing gall bladder and empties into a muscular stomach. The third stomach, Ventriculus is where the stones and pebbles they eat to break down food are stored.

The Male and Female Helping Incubating Eggs.

The eggs are incubated by the dominant female by day (her feathers colors blend in with the sand and camouflages well with the surrounding) and by the male at night (his black feathers make him blend well with darkness and not seen easily). The nest where the eggs are incubated can contain 50+ eggs.

They Can Sprint & Run Faster Than 45 Miles per Hour

With the help of their long, muscular legs, ostriches can sprint over 45 miles per hour when frightened or fleeing a predator. On average, the birds can run at sustained speeds of about 31 miles per hour. Their legs are so long, in fact, that a single stride can span between 10 and 16 feet. In addition to their legs, ostriches can run faster because they have two toes — instead of the three to four toes that most birds have — one of which acts as a hoof that increases speed.

The Wingspan of an Ostrich Is Over Six Feet

Ostriches’ wings reach a span of about two meters, and are used in mating displays, to shade chicks, to cover the bare skin of the upper legs to conserve heat, and as ‘rudders’ to help them change direction while running.

They Can Survive Up to Two Weeks Without Water

Like many other animals that live in the savanna, ostriches can go several days without drinking water. Ostriches do drink from watering holes when they’re available, but they can get most of their water from the food they eat. They are also able to survive without water because of the ability to raise their body temperature and limit water loss. Finally, unlike other birds, ostrich urine is secreted separately from their feces, which allows them to conserve water.

An Ostrich’s Eyelashes Protect It From Sand Storms

The Eyelashes help them avoid dust and protect their eyes. Ostriches have the biggest eyes of any land mammal – almost 5cm across – and three sets of eyelids. The size of their eyes helps them to easily see predators like lions from a long distance.

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Ethiopia is a fascinating country with lots of rich history, locals here boast that their country is the only one not to be colonized by Europeans during the scramble for Africa. The country has been at peace for more than 15 years and its economy is one of the fastest-growing on the continent.

Add all these to Ethiopia’s staggering diversity of landscapes, a kaleidoscope of cultures and history that tracks back possibly to the beginning of human civilization, – and suddenly you realize how amazing this country is. And just to push the point further, here are 7 facts about Ethiopia you probably don’t know:

Thirteen months to the year

Plenty of cultures around the world have their own calendars that they prefer to follow over the Western Gregorian one, like the Islamic Hijra calendar, but most still abide by the unspoken ’12 months to a year’ rule. Not Ethiopia. The Ethiopian calendar has 13 months in a year, 12 of which have 30 days. The last month, called Pagume, has five days, and six days in a leap year.

Ethiopian time

Ethiopians also measure the hours of a day to a different schedule. In a piece of logic that’s kind of hard to argue against, they believe it’s less confusing if the clock starts when the day does. Thus, sunrise is 1 o’clock and sunset 12. Then the 12-hour night clock sets in.

Complete independence

Ethiopia is the only African country that escaped colonization during the European scramble for African – a fact that locals will never tire of informing you. And fair enough too. The Italians did give colonization a crack in 1935 – and succeeded in militarily occupying the country for six years – but Ethiopian forces were waging military opposition the entire time and the whole country was never brought under control. As some of the locals put it, “we waited until they had built us railways and nice buildings… and then kicked them out.”

The birthplace of the Rastafarian movement

Thought it was Jamaica? Nope. While much of the Rastafarian movement did evolve in Jamaica, the spiritual homeland of it is in actual fact Ethiopia. In Amharic, ‘ras’ is a title similar to the chief, and ‘Tafari’ the first name of Emperor Haile Selassie I – essentially the movement posits Selassie as an incarnation of God. Need further evidence? Just check out the colors on the Ethiopian flag.

The Ethiopians discovered coffee

As the story goes, a goat herder way back when noticed his flock’s fondness for a certain bush and decided to give one of the fruits a nibble himself. The fruit was a coffee beans – and the coffee industry took off from there.

The oldest people in the world

Several archaeological findings in Ethiopia’s Afar region go quite some way in suggesting that the country may be where civilization all started out from. In 1972, Donald Johanson and Tim D. White discovered Lucy, a 3.2 million-year-old hominid skeleton. For years, Lucy was all the rage, embarking on a nine-year worldwide tour and enjoying widespread fame. Then another skeleton Ardi was discovered, also from the Afar region but one million years her senior.

Abebe Bikila

In 1960, an Ethiopian named Abebe Bikila became the first black African to win gold in the Olympics. Only making the team selection at the last minute due to another athlete’s broken foot, Bikila opted to run the marathon barefoot, pipping hot favorite Moroccan Rhadi Ben Abdesselam by a full 25 seconds. Four years later, Bikila won the Tokyo Olympics, setting a world record and becoming the first-ever person to win the Olympic marathon twice.

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But Somalia is also a beautiful country with a rich and ancient history to be proud of.

Here are 5 interesting facts about Somalia you should know

4. According to most scholars, Somalia is among the most probable locations of the fabled ancient Land of Punt. Punt was an ancient Kingdom that existed about 3,500 years ago and in its heydays, traded and rivaled with ancient Egypt in glory.  

5. All food in Somalia is served halal, almost 99% of the country’s 16 million people are Muslims.

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The city of Johannesburg in South Africa has some of Africa’s most interesting and iconic scenes. The city is one of Africa’s major financial and tourist center.

here are 12 interesting facts you should know about Johannesburg

It’s been Rebuild four times

– Within the last century, Johannesburg has been transformed from a tented camp, a tiny shanty town, four-story Edwardian brick buildings and now, a city of modern Skyscrapers.

Johannesburg is the Richest city on the Continent

– the total wealth held in Johannesburg amounts to USD 248 Billion, the city also boasts 18,200 dollar millionaires, far more than any other African city.

It boasts the Tallest Buildings in Africa

– The Leonardo Building is the Tallest in Africa followed by Carlton center also in Johannesburg.

It has Africa’s largest hospital

-The Chris Hani – Baragwanath Hospital has the ability to Serve up to 3.5 Million people in Johannesburg, a staff strength of 6,660 people, a total of 3,400 beds and covers an area of 70 hectares. More than 2,000 patients are received daily,

Johannesburg has the Busiest Airport In Africa

– OR Tambo International Airport serves an estimated 28 million passengers every year, more than 50 percent of South Africa’s air traveling passengers are processed through this airport.

University of Johannesburg

It is home to one of the best Universities on the Continent, UJ – University of Johannesburg. This university is ranked fourth-best on the continent and 439 on the QS World University Ranking for 2021.

There’s Johannesburg in California

– There is a small town in America named in Honour of the gold miners who worked in Johannesburg, the town has approximately 172 inhabitants.

It Has the World’s Largest Man-made forest

– Johannesburg has over 10 million trees and is touted as having World’s largest Man-made urban Forest, it helps the city cope with greenhouse effects and also lowers the noise levels within the city.

It has the Richest Square mile in Africa

– Sandton City in Johannesburg is Africa’s Richest square mile.

It’s Earned the title City Of Gold

– the city of Johannesburg was formed by a gold rush in the 19th century – 4 October 1886 to be exact.

It’s also home to almost half of the World’s human fossils.

– The cradle of Human-kind is home to 40% of the planet’s human fossils, making it one of the richest Archaeological Sites in the World.

It earned the title Economic Powerhouse Of Africa

– Johannesburg is the most powerful commercial center on the African Continent.

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Uganda has a population of about 42 million people and a GDP of around $30 billion, here are 10 other facts you should know about Uganda.

1 the president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni has been in power since 1986 when his forces toppled the previous regime. Museveni came to power as a dictator, restricting political activities in a measure he said was designed to reduce sectarian violence. A constitutional referendum canceled this nineteen-year ban on multi-party politics in July 2005.

2. In 2005, parliament abolished the presidential term limit, allegedly because Museveni used public funds to pay US$2,000 to each member of parliament who supported the measure.

3. Between 2006 and 2016, Museveni ran in three presidential elections against his main challenger, Kizza Besigye. Besigye used to be Museveni’s personal physician!

4. Transparency International has rated Uganda’s public sector as one of the most corrupt in the world. In 2016, Uganda ranked 151st worst out of 176 and had a score of 25 on a scale from 0 (perceived as most corrupt) to 100 (perceived as clean).

READ: The 10 Oldest Universities in Africa

Remember Idi Amin?

5.  He used to be Uganda’s president when he ruled the country for eight years between 1971 and 1979. An estimated 80,000–500,000 Ugandans lost their lives during his regime, and he gave himself the title His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, CBE, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular.

6. In Uganda due to high levels of malnutrition and starvation, If someone says “you’ve grown fat”, it’s a compliment.

7. Every society has its idiosyncrasies. Try not to get offended when you’re invited to someone’s home for fried grasshoppers; It’s a sign of endearment because this cuisine is a delicacy in Uganda.

8. Just like in most parts of Africa, the electricity can go out at any time for 4 to 24 hours. they call it load-shedding.

9. Cover your legs to avoid trouble, if you’re a tourist, you may get away with a warning, but it’s customary for men to wear trousers. Even in the heat, they wear them because shorts are only for the immature.

Additionally, you won’t see women wearing shorts or short skirts. They cover as much of their legs as possible to avoid being mistaken for a prostitute.

10. Baganda women and girls kneel when greeting.

like most people I know very little about Uganda, save for it is a small African country ruled by a long-term dictator, until the recent arrest of two Nigerian artists.

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Here is a quick look at the rise of this boxing superstar and a few facts you should know about Anthony Joshua.

1. Anthony Oluwafemi  Joshua was born October 15, 1989, in Watford Hertfordshire England to both Yeta Joshua and Robert Joshua. Joshua lived his childhood life in Nigeria as a student in boarding school. He attended Mayflower School, Ikenne, Ogun State, Nigeria. Subsequent to his parent’s divorce at age 12, young Joshua returned to the UK.

2. Joshua did not start boxing until 2007 when he was just 18. His cousin had actually proposed to Joshua to give it a try of which he did in due course.

3. In the buildup to the 2012 Olympics in London, Jushua was obsessed with representing Nigeria but was turned down by the Nigerian Olympic Committee, he would go on to represent Britain and eventually won a gold medal at that Olympic games.

Joshua’s time in prison

4. Joshua had a rough life as a teenager. In 2009, he spent two weeks on remand in Reading Prison for what he would only say was for “fighting and other crazy stuff.” Joshua faced 10 years in prison. He ended up not spending more time in jail and was sentenced to a year of house arrest instead. Joshua has said the experience was a wake-up call, and he has credited boxing for keeping him on the right path since.

Read: 17 Unbelievable Facts About Muhammadu Buhari

Lost first bout outside the UK

5. Of his 22 fights before his 2019 fight with Andy Ruiz Jr. at Madison Square Garden, Joshua had never fought outside of the United Kingdom. He lost his first fight outside the UK although he won the subsequent rematch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

6. Joshua’s Nigerian mother, Yeta Odusanya, has not been at any of her son’s bouts since he lost the final of the 2011 World Amateur Championships to Magomedrasul Majidov as an amateur boxer.

A game of chess

7. The board game is one that tests the brain. It’s all about strategy and forces you to think ahead and not just what’s in front of you. A couple of years ago, Joshua was introduced to chess by former undisputed heavyweight champion and fellow Englishman Lennox Lewis.

“Chess, it’s the same type of thing in the ring, like taking one of your opponent’s pieces and then counter-attacking,” Joshua told Stubhub.co.UK in 2018. “You need to be two moves ahead all the time.”

Anthony Joshua used to be a bricklayer

8. Before he put on the gloves full time, Joshua worked at a series of construction sites during his amateur career, where he was a bricklayer. Joshua said if boxing didn’t work out, he would lay bricks for a living.

9. Joshua said he doesn’t identify neither as Christian, Muslim nor faithful of any other religion, but is “interested in religion in general.”

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Here are some of the oldest universities in Africa with some of them dating back centuries before the middle ages in Europe.

10. University of Algiers (1909)

Located in Algiers, Algeria, the University of Algiers was established in 1909. It stemmed out of different higher education institutions created in the 19th century under French colonial rule. Today it is organized into seven faculties. There were some 30 indigenous Algerian students back in 1914. The university currently tutors more than 100,000 students in law, medicine, and Islamic sciences.

9. Cairo University (1908)

Located in Giza, Egypt, the University of Cairo was established in 1908. Its student population is about 280,000 students and has 18 faculties.

Read Also: Top 7 Best African Safari Parks of 2020 & 2021

17 Unbelievable Facts About Muhammadu Buhari

8. University of Khartoum (1902)

University of Khartoum (UofK) was founded as Gordon Memorial College in 1902 and established in 1956 when Sudan gained independence. It is the largest and oldest university in Sudan.

7. Stellenbosch University (1866)

The university’s origin can be taken back to the Stellenbosch Gymnasium, which opened in 1866.  It became the Stellenbosch College in 1881. In April 1918, it was awarded university status and became Stellenbosch University. Its student population stands at 30,000. Located in Stellenbosch, South Africa this university was the first African university to sign the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities.

6. University of Liberia (1862)

Authorized by the national government in 1851, the University of Liberia opened in 1863 as Liberia College and became a university in 1951. The school is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in West Africa.

5. University of Cape Town (1829)

The University of Cape Town located in Cape Town, South Africa is without doubt one of Africa’s oldest universities. It currently admits about 27,000 students.

4. Fourah Bay College (1827)

Fourah Bay College, also referred to as the University of Sierra Leone, was established by the Church Missionary Society in 1827.  It started as an Anglican missionary school to train Africans as schoolmasters, clergymen, and catechists.

3. Sankore University, Timbuktu (1300)

Sankore University was founded by Mansa Musa, and unlike most modern universities there were no organized courses of study. Instead, the university primarily focused on the study of the Quran and other Islamic subjects. Other academic subjects such as medicine and surgery, anatomy, botany, evolution, physiology and zoology, astronomy, anthropology, cartography, geodesy, geology, mathematics, physics, chemistry, philosophy, language and linguistics, geography, history, as well as art were also thought.

At its peak, the university of Sankore boasted up to 25,000 students out of a total city population of 100,000.

2. Al-Azhar University (970 AD)

Al-Azhar University is Egypt’s oldest university and is located in Cairo, Egypt. Currently, more than 90,000 students are enrolled there.

1. University of Al Quaraouiyine (856 AD)

Located in Fes. Morocco, the University of Al-Karaouine or Al-Qarawiyyin is said to be the oldest continuously operating institution of higher learning not just in Africa but also in the world. It was founded in 856 AD and is one of the leading spiritual and educational centers of the Muslim world.

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