Mandela Day & the New Botswana Notes and Records Issue
In this newsletter, we would like to shed some light on Mandela Day, celebrated annually on 18 July, as an opportunity to reflect on the enduring legacy of Nelson Mandela. People are encouraged to each dedicate 67 minutes of service to others, symbolising the 67 years Mandela devoted to fighting for service and justice for humanity. On this day, the African Journals Initiative invites you to celebrate in a way that strengthens African knowledge and scholarship. We encourage you to spend 67 minutes reading, discussing, and promoting African scholarship. You help increase the visibility, reach, and impact of African voices and ideas.
Furthermore, we are pleased to bring you three journal offerings journeying from Nigeria, Tanzania, to Botswana. They each offer a deeper insight into their countries’ current landscape, making for insightful and timely reads.
Botswana Notes and Records, Volume 58, Issue 1
Among southern Africa’s oldest journals, Botswana Notes and Records was established in 1968 by the Botswana Society. One of the latest additions to the 2026 AJI collection makes its debut with a wide range of articles — from the cooperative movement in Botswana and university alumni catalysing institutional advancement, to an election account and the life and times of President Festus Mogae, and so much more. Read the full issue for free here.
Other News: Re-discover the AJI 2025 Collection
Volume 17, Issue 2 of the Ibadan Journal of Sociology is now live!
The latest issue of the Ibadan Journal of Sociology captures Nigeria’s current political and social climate through a range of timely studies. These include examinations of the victimisation experiences of survivors of the Owo terror attack in Ondo State, the links between economic strain and kidnapping in the Niger Delta, a systematic review of time poverty and development exclusion among rural women in Northern Nigeria, and an analysis of the contributions and operational gaps in the practice of the Nigeria Police Force. Read the full issue for free here. 
Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies, Volume 2, Issue 2, is now available on ScienceOpen
The latest Zamani issue presents a rich collection of research articles on historicising Nyerere’s presidency in the Nyakyusa mythical narratives, the case of the apostolic church in Nigeria and its collaboration in the spread of Christianity in Africa, crises in the Nigerian defence sector, labour migrancy and ethnic stereotypes, and so much more. Read the full issue for free here.
The initial six 2025 AJI journals and five new 2026 AJI titles are Diamond Open Access and all articles are free to read. You will be able to see the issues as they are published on ScienceOpen and JSTOR.
We are currently considering titles for 2027 and have an exciting selection of journals from across Africa. We look forward to sharing them with you.
If you have any colleagues that might be interested, please share this newsletter with them. We will continue to highlight the latest articles from the African Journals Initiative, and they can sign up here.
