South African miners strike for better wages XINHUA/AFP

South Africa's labor headache

In South Africa, the year began well but ended badly.

Celebrations were the order of the day at the beginning of the year when the ruling Africa National Congress (ANC) turned 100; and in July, when Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was voted in as chair of the African Union Commission. However, the country slid into massive labor protests in August, one of which resulted in 44 deaths and 78 injuries at Marikana's Lonmin platinum mine where police had shot live rounds at miners striking for higher wages. The killing of the miners, in what the BBC described as "the deadliest police action since the end of apartheid," shocked the world.

South African President Jacob Zuma, battling to retain his position as ANC party president, put the impact of the strike, the attendant riots, and the disruption of business, at $548 million. Labor protests that are often associated with violence and destruction of property moved from platinum mines to gold mines and even to the country's farm workers.

Cause for optimism

Despite Africa being the harbinger of much doom and gloom during 2012, there were also moments of optimism.

In May 2012, the SKA Organization announced that installation and operation of Square Kilometer Area (SKA), the world's largest radio telescope, would be shared between South Africa and Australia. It represents a new era for South Africa and African partner countries where the continent is now seen as a science destination and takes its place as an equal peer in global science.

On the economic front, Sub-Saharan Africa was expected to grow at 4.8 percent in 2012, according to the Africa's Pulse analysis of the World Bank. Excluding South Africa, the continent's largest economy, growth in Sub-Saharan Africa was forecast to rise to 6 percent, bucking the world trend, while environmentally a mammoth project to plant a 6,400-km "wall" of trees and shrubs across Africa has begun in an effort to halt the southward spread of the Sahara desert. Dubbed the Great Green Wall, it will be 6-km wide and will cross 11 countries in the Sahel zone of Sub-Saharan Africa aimed at stopping desertification and retaining moisture for water sources such as Lake Chad - a positive green continental footprint.

Africa continued to try to hold its head up high during 2012, despite much change, doubt and conflict and with a new leader of the AU and an ongoing push for better governance, hopes are high that 2013 brings a positive contribution to and from all Africans.

(Reporting from Kenya)