Africa; A place I want to be is the world’s second-largest and second most populous continent, covering about 20% of Earth’s land area with over 1.4 billion (as of 2021). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa#:~:text=Africa%20is%20the%20world’s%20second,large%20quantity%20of%20natural%20resources.)

A post on X which sort to find out from various users in the world about a lesser known fact they know about Africa and this really got us curious to know more about Africa that some Africans and the world at large are not previewed to.

Here are some lesser-known (or at least not super commonly talked about) facts about Africa that often surprise people:

• • Sudan has more pyramids than Egypt — There are over 220–255 known pyramids in Sudan (built by the ancient Nubian kingdoms), compared to about 118 in Egypt. Many are smaller and steeper, but the sheer number makes Sudan the pyramid capital of the world.
  • Africa is linguistically the most diverse continent — Over 2,000–3,000 languages are spoken here (more than 25% of all languages on Earth), with Nigeria alone hosting over 500. This incredible diversity reflects thousands of distinct ethnic groups and cultures.

• • The continent is actively splitting apart — The East African Rift Valley is where the African tectonic plate is slowly tearing in two, eventually forming a new ocean basin over millions of years — one of the few places on Earth where this dramatic geological process is visible today.

• • One of the world’s oldest universities is in Africa — The University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco, was founded in 859 CE and is widely recognized as the oldest continuously operating degree-granting university in the world, predating many European institutions.

• •  Africa spans both temperate zones uniquely — It’s the only continent that stretches from the northern temperate zone all the way to the southern temperate zone, crossing the equator and featuring everything from glaciers on equatorial mountains (like Kilimanjaro) to vast deserts.

• • The Sahara wasn’t always a desert — Just a few thousand years ago (during the “African Humid Period”), the Sahara was a green, lush savanna with lakes, rivers, wildlife, and human settlements — dramatic climate shifts turned it into the world’s largest hot desert.

• • Timbuktu was a legendary center of learning — In the Middle Ages, Timbuktu (Mali) housed one of the world’s great intellectual hubs, with libraries containing hundreds of thousands of manuscripts and the Sankore University attracting scholars from across the Islamic world.

• • Africa produces ~70% of the world’s cocoa — Most chocolate starts here, mainly in West African countries like Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon — yet the vast majority of processing and profit happens outside the continent.The continent has incredibly young demographics — Over 50% of Africans are under 20 years old (compared to a global median age around 30), making Africa the youngest continent and giving it the world’s highest child-dependency ratio.

• • Ancient mining started here very early — Evidence shows Africans were mining hematite (for red ochre) as far back as ~43,000 years ago in what’s now Eswatini (Swaziland) — one of the earliest known mining operations in human history.

Africa’s depth and diversity keep revealing surprises — it’s far more than the stereotypes suggest.

Ghanaian businessman mogul Ibrahim Mahama, the CEO of Engineers & Planners with net worth estimated at $750 million to $860 million and a prominent figure in mining, construction, and other industries, has reportedly added a Bombardier Global 6500 to his private jet fleet. This news broke on March 3, 2026, and has generated significant buzz on social media in Ghana.

The Bombardier Global 6500 is an ultra-long-range business jet known for its luxury, with a range of about 6,600 nautical miles, allowing non-stop flights across continents (e.g., Accra to London or farther).

It features spacious cabins, high-speed connectivity, and advanced performance. New models typically list around $56–73 million depending on customization, configuration, and market conditions—reports vary, with some citing $56 million and others around $70 million for this acquisition.

The jet is customized with a sleek grey and white livery and prominently features his signature “Dzata” branding (meaning “lion” in a local Ghanaian context, tied to his business empire).

Social media posts showed him boarding or posing with the aircraft, with captions celebrating the upgrade as a symbol of success. This appears to be an addition or upgrade to his existing fleet—he previously owned a Bombardier Challenger 604 (often referred to as “Dzata”) and possibly others, with some sources calling this his third private jet.

Reactions are mixed: admiration for his wealth and business achievements (“money na water,” “Dzata sika”), alongside typical online debates about extravagance in Ghana’s economic context.

Ibrahim Mahama is the brother of Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama, which has fueled past discussions about private jet use (including; presidential travel borrowing family aircraft), but this purchase seems personal/business-related with no direct public funds link mentioned

Denmark has become the first country in the European Union to achieve the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (also known as vertical transmission) of HIV and syphilis, as certified by the World Health Organization (WHO).

This milestone was officially announced by WHO on February 27, 2026. The certification recognizes Denmark’s sustained efforts to ensure every child is born free from these infections, based on rigorous validation processes including:

• • A regional assessment in June 2025
  • Global review by WHO’s Global Validation Advisory Committee (GVAC) in August 2025

Denmark met WHO’s strict criteria for the period 2021–2024, including:

• • Very low transmission rates
  • High coverage (at least 95%) of prenatal testing and treatment for pregnant women
  • Keeping new infant infections below 50 per 100,000 live births consistently

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