🚨 A fence meant to protect is failing. And communities are paying the price. 👇 THREAD: Wildlife conflict on the SA–Eswatini border

#TBT: Who benefits from renewable energy land deals? #PowerTracker investigated. Read the full article on our website 👉 oxpeckers.org

Botswana is betting big on natural gas to revive its economy. But experts warn the risks could be severe - and key information is missing. 🧵👇

🌍 Coal’s slow decline in Mpumalanga is reshaping communities. Our #PowerTracker investigation explores the impact. Read the full article on our website 👉 oxpeckers.org

At the Vaal University of Technology, a hydrogen training centre is preparing students for the future. But the Hydrogen Valley it was built for hasn’t materialised - and the centre still needs more investment to scale. What happens when skills outpace delivery? #PowerTracker bit.ly/4dGQkqv

On paper: a R4.7-billion hydrogen project set to transform the Vaal. On the ground: nothing. No construction. No visibility. Little community awareness. So what happened to the plans - and the money? #PowerTracker bit.ly/4dGQkqv

A R4.7-billion hydrogen project promised to transform the Vaal. Two years later? Nothing on the ground 🧵

Wind farms in SA are required to monitor bird fatalities but conservationists say reporting gaps, limited monitoring periods, and lack of transparency mean the true impact on vultures may be underestimated. Our latest #PowerTracker investigation looks at the true state of things ➡️ bit.ly/4cRhpak

Namibia’s oil sector is growing fast - but regulation isn’t keeping up. Limited data access + centralised power = rising accountability risks. In a multi-billion dollar industry, oversight matters. Read our latest: bit.ly/3PmLox0

Namibia is on track to become an oil producer by 2030. 21 billion barrels have been discovered in the Orange Basin. Global conflict is accelerating the push to extract. But communities on the ground are seeing little benefit. And transparency is shrinking. 👉 Read our analysis here: bit.ly/3PmLox0

⚡ Investigation spotlight: Are prepaid meters creating energy poverty? #PowerTracker investigates. Read the full article on our website 👉 oxpeckers.org

In this #PowerTracker investigation, @Andee_Mat looks at how the push for renewable energy is impacting one of Southern Africa’s most important scavengers. Read more about it here ➡️ bit.ly/4cRhpak

When wind turns deadly: More than 70 Cape Vultures have died at SA wind energy facilities since 2015 – most in SA's wind energy hotspot, the Eastern Cape. Andiswa Matikinca investigates the growing tension between renewables and biodiversity protection ➡️ bit.ly/4cRhpak

How did this investigation start? A simple question about prepaid electricity affordability. Data, interviews and field reporting helped uncover the story 🔎 Read the full article on our website 👉 oxpeckers.org

WEEKEND READ Millions of South Africans are connected to electricity. But many still live in the dark. Our latest investigation reveals the hidden crisis of energy poverty. 👇 bit.ly/4aIrFQG

#ThrowbackThursday #TBT In our 2025 investigation into cross-border rhino poaching and smuggling, insiders describe how corruption at border posts can enable traffickers to move contraband between South Africa and Mozambique ➡️ oxpeckers.org/investigations

ICYMI Millions of South Africans are connected to electricity - but still living in the dark. Our investigation reveals how in some areas, households are forced to choose between electricity, water or food. Read the full investigation: bit.ly/4aIrFQG

⚡ In Khutsong, residents say high tariffs and municipal billing systems are pushing households into unsafe coping strategies. Many say prepaid electricity purchases are now split between services, leaving them with far less power than they paid for. 🔗 bit.ly/4aIrFQG

⚡ Connected to the grid. 💸 Priced out of using it. In Merafong, prepaid electricity means when money runs out - power stops. Residents call it survival. Officials call it revenue control. 🔗 bit.ly/4aIrFQG

1/2 Zimbabwe imposes immediate ban on raw lithium exports after Oxpeckers exposed transnational smuggling network: Our 2025 investigation traced illicit lithium between Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique - revealing a 147,000-tonne export surge + systemic border corruption

⚡ What’s wrong with prepaid meters? In Merafong, households are connected to the grid - but can’t afford to switch the lights on. Read our latest #PowerTracker investigation to find out why 👉 bit.ly/4aIrFQG 🤝 #NewEconomyHub @fordfoundation.org

Reporting on mining in the DRC carries risks. Jonas Kiriko secured critical information using @forbidden-stories.bsky.social’s #SafeBoxNetwork, helping ensure the investigation could continue safely Credits: @pulitzercenter.org @oxpeckersnews.bsky.social @annikamcginnis.bsky.social

IMPACT: This week, a Hong Kong man was sentenced to 2 years in prison for smuggling rhino horn from SA, after he was told it could help treat his critically ill wife. Read all about the case and access the judgment via our #WildEye mapping tool ➡️ bit.ly/4l3Px4Y

1/2 "At a time of misinformation, it is essential to keep credible, accessible, and balanced reporting on South Africa’s shift. By working with and training local journalists to monitor the transition ...

New from Oxpeckers: High-tech conservation in South Africa is pulling double duty - protecting rhinos and watching everything that moves. A digital panopticon for wildlife protection? 🔗 bit.ly/4rvOEUW ✍️ Tulani Ngwenya #ConservationTech #RhinoPoaching

📢 Meet the Oxpeckers journalists and learn about how we use data to power environmental journalism 📊📉 Hosted by @eurofsj, we'll demonstrate how to incorporate data into environmental investigations and showcase our digital tools Join here at 17:00 CET/18:00 SAST 👉 meet.google.com/scw-ueia-hry

The timeline of Namibia's oil power struggle: 2015-2024: Namcor executives allegedly capture state petroleum company Feb 2024: Pres Geingob dies; management "descends into shambles" Mar 2025: New Pres Nandi-Ndaitwah strips MME of upstream functions, moves control to her office

The Namibia oil rush in numbers: 🛢️ 21B barrels confirmed 💰 $250M potential profit from just 5% share ⚡ 800MW power plant rights awarded 🏭 3 refineries proposed 📋 0 laws governing natural gas Who benefits from the legal vacuum? 👇 bit.ly/4ai7zLG

🛢️ Namibia just confirmed 21 BILLION barrels of oil in the Orange Basin The problem? After 30 years, there's still no law governing natural gas exploitation Our latest #PowerTracker investigation by John Grobler reveals what's at stake ⬇️ bit.ly/4ai7zLG

Do you know where your power really comes from? ⚡ Environmental journalist @skylathornton.bsky.social explains how our mapping tool helps reveal power plants and mines hidden from view - and identify communities most affected 👉 bit.ly/4aw6lLf

Good decisions start with usable data ⚡ Data scientist Dr Ridhwaan Suliman explains how our #PowerTracker tool brings together energy data from across sectors into one accessible resource - helping drive research and better decision-making Track the power 👉 bit.ly/4aw6lLf

🎤 “We know nothing about the project yet…” Locals say consultations have been minimal - residents still lack clear details on how this coal project will affect their water and land. Communities want answers and respect. Read the full investigation: bit.ly/4t6i4Kt

The Lubhuku coal project has a licence — but key legal & environmental steps are missing. No public EIA; authorities say the process restarted. Residents cite poor consultation in a water-stressed area. Transparency isn’t optional. bit.ly/4t6i4Kt #PowerTracker

Eswatini committed to cutting emissions under the Paris Agreement. Two months later, it approved a 20-year coal power licence. What happened? 🧵👇 #PowerTracker #CoalComeback

Good journalism needs good data 📊 #PowerTracker journalist @marcia_breeze explains how Oxpeckers’ digital mapping tool gives reporters access to data they often can’t find anywhere else — helping make stories more compelling and credible 👉 bit.ly/4aw6lLf

ICYMI 👀 Coal’s slow death in Mpumalanga — and the town paying the price. A must-read on job losses, broken promises and what the energy transition looks like on the ground. 👉 bit.ly/4aw6lLf

Who’s really investing in renewable energy in South Africa — and are communities benefiting? ⚡ @verashni.bsky.social (founder of explain.co.za) explains how our mapping tool, #PowerTracker, can help journalists track company investments and community responsibility. 👉 bit.ly/4aw6lLf

From R50,000 a month to R10,000. From stable jobs to casual contracts. Coal retrenchments are reshaping life in Mpumalanga, long before transition support arrives. 👉 bit.ly/49MjiC3

Coal built Middelburg. Now coal’s decline is breaking it. A new #PowerTracker investigation tracks how job losses are hollowing out Mpumalanga’s coal belt ⬇️ bit.ly/49MjiC3

“How do we know if the just energy transition is really happening on the ground?” ⚡ Dr Gilad Isaacs (Institute for Economic Justice) explains how our digital mapping tool, #PowerTracker, helps track where energy projects are happening, and how communities are affected. 👉 bit.ly/4aw6lLf

Public land, corporate profit? Our #PowerTracker investigation exposes how renewable energy land deals are structured - and if communities are truly benefiting 👉 oxpeckers.org/2025/11/power-land-secrecy #LandDeals #Greenwashing

People power triumphs! Local organisations are pioneering off-grid solutions, lighting up rural homes left in the dark by Eskom 👉 bit.ly/3V14s3E #OffGridSA #EnergyDemocracy #Solutions

1/ 🧵 Politics meets trophy hunting in Botswana. A dispute over the NG13 hunting concession - worth millions - exposes contested leases, political influence and community frustration.

Critical minerals mining and a new harbour threaten KwaZulu-Natal’s tourism-heavy South Coast. @Andee_Mat tracks the growing "red flags" ➡️ bit.ly/4lwNTax

The High Court in Pretoria has ordered the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to release the full record behind local content exemptions in REIPPPP & RMIPPPP Bid Windows 5 and 6. Transparency wins 🙌 #renewableenergy

Nama people become gatekeepers of the Orange Oil Basin! A landmark ConCourt ruling grants this small tribe the key to the Northern Cape’s energy future ➡️ bit.ly/44TvT3U #NamaRights #EnergyHub #Boegoeberg

Inside Kruger’s betrayal: Rangers, sworn to protect, are turning rogue and colluding with rhino poaching syndicates. Insiders speak out ➡️ bit.ly/4mOr5VH #Kruger #PoachersPartners #RhinoCrisis

Zimbabwe's "Cyanide Queen" remains a mystery. Police are keeping mum on the extradition of Li Song, wanted for poisoning wildlife. Where is she? ➡️ ➡️ bit.ly/4m5tQS3 #Zimbabwe #IllegalWildlifeTrade

Boom in lithium exports from Southern Africa to Chinese markets! Our multi-award-winning #PowerTracker investigation exposes the hidden routes and sources used by lithium smugglers ➡️ bit.ly/3R9rIdL #CriticalMinerals #LithiumSmuggling

HOLIDAY READ: Insiders reveal official complicity in rhino horn smuggling Corrupt law enforcement are the "open doors" for cross-border wildlife crime syndicates ➡️ bit.ly/4iyTtbM #Rhinos #WildlifeTrafficking #Exposed