March 2025 news roundup — top stories from Africa Daily Spectrum

March 2025 served a mix of culture, sport, finance and energy stories that grabbed attention across the continent and beyond. You’ll find quick, clear updates here so you can catch up fast without scrolling through every article. Each piece below links back to full coverage if you want more detail.

Music & culture

Erykah Badu surprised fans by announcing work on her first album in 15 years, teaming up with producer The Alchemist. This pairing hints at a neo-soul record with experimental beats, and people are already speculating about the sound and collaborators. No official tracklist or release date has dropped, but the news reignited interest in Badu’s catalog and set social feeds buzzing. If you follow music trends, this one’s worth bookmarking — it could influence playlists and festival lineups later in the year.

Sport, crypto and energy

On the pitch, Ademola Lookman put on a show as Atalanta stunned Serie A leaders Napoli 3-0. Lookman scored twice in the first half with help from Charles De Ketelaere, and Mateo Retegui added a late goal. The win snapped Napoli’s home unbeaten run under Antonio Conte and pushed Atalanta up the table, shifting momentum in a tight title race. Fans and analysts will be watching how both teams respond in the next fixtures.

In crypto, Bybit suffered a major security breach when $1.1 billion in ETH was taken from a compromised cold wallet. The incident reportedly involved a transfer that exploited Safe.global’s multi-signature flow, and investigators are looking at possible phishing or process failures. Bybit says customer funds remain protected, but the hack raises serious questions about custody practices and multisig implementations. Traders and platforms will likely tighten procedures after this one.

Back home in South Africa, Eskom resumed Stage 3 load-shedding on February 22 after a 20-day pause, citing depleted emergency fuel reserves and ongoing power plant issues. The return of rolling blackouts underlines persistent grid fragility and the economic strain on businesses and households. Eskom says availability has improved in some areas and work continues to fix illegal connections and maintenance backlogs, but the electricity outlook remains precarious as demand grows.

Want the full stories? Each summary here links to a deeper article on our site with timelines, quotes and next steps. March showed how fast headlines can change — a music comeback, a sports upset, a massive crypto breach, and renewed pressure on an aging energy system. Keep an eye on our updates this month for follow-ups and analysis as these stories develop.