As Tanzania gears up for elections on 29 October, we hear from two young people about the issues that matter to them and whether youth concerns have been featured in the electoral campaigns. How a young Senegalese footballer's dream of joining a professional club ended in tragedy after he was tricked and lured to Ghana by fake football agents. And how Africa is rapidly becoming a compelling destination for outsourcing services. Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Mark Wilberforce, Stefania Oke...
Oct 27, 2025•34 min
A BBC investigation uncovers dozens of social accounts using stolen identities of Somali and Muslim influencers and posting political propaganda content. We hear more about what was uncovered and who might be behind this widespread operation. Chad’s parliament has overwhelmingly approved a controversial constitutional amendment removing presidential term limits. What will this mean for 41-year-old President Mahamat Idriss Deby’s hold on power? And why the Kenyan Catholic Church took the decision...
Oct 23, 2025•32 min
The last ebola patient in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been released from a treatment centre in Kasai province. Can the country now be declared free of this latest outbreak? What is behind the escalating tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea over control of the Red Sea? And we hear from the Nigerian scientist, who has been recognised with a global award from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, on how her pioneering work is protecting yam and cassava crops and making ...
Oct 21, 2025•30 min
An elite military unit says it has seized power in Madagascar from President Andry Rajoelina following weeks of youth-led protests. Where did it all go wrong for the entrepreneur and former DJ, who first became president in 2009 when he was just 34. Being a park ranger in Africa can be one of the most dangerous professions in the world. We hear from a ranger at Zambia's South Luangwa National Park, who, with a group of others, has picked up an international award for his work. And Ghana’s iconic...
Oct 15, 2025•32 min
Mali's military government is reportedly engaged in talks with the militant group Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) amid an ongoing blockade which has paralysed a key trade route for fuel, food, and essential goods. Could the crisis also threaten Mali’s stability and governance? A BBC Africa Eye investigation in Cape Town, South Africa, reveals how self-appointed healers and shamans are openly using psychedelic drugs as part of treatment for mental health issues. And if you are in a rel...
Oct 13, 2025•38 min
In an exclusive interview with the BBC's Waihiga Mwaura, Botswana's President Duma Boko, outlines his plan to reduce his country's reliance on the diamond industry amid falling global demand, and how he is pushing for a 0% tariff deal with the US. Guinea is showing signs of economic progress under the military-led regime. What is driving the country's economic growth? And more than 200 million people worldwide are infected by schistosomiasis - also known as bilharzia - which is a disease caused ...
Oct 03, 2025•28 min
The International Criminal Court concludes hearings into war crime charges against the Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony and will decide whether he should face trial. But who is Joseph Kony and what are the charges against him? How some South African schools are fighting childhood obesity. And as Malawi gears up for elections, how can the participation and representation of women in the country's politics be increased? Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Sunita Nahar and Priya Sippy in London Seni...
Sep 12, 2025•36 min
Ethiopia opens Africa's largest hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile river deepening a rift with Egypt and Sudan. Authorities in the US have arrested two suspected leaders of the Cameroon separatists' military wing. We find out more about the charges against the two men, and why Cameroon has been blighted by a conflict between armed separatists and government forces in the country's mainly anglophone North West and South West regions. And following the canonisation of London-born teenager Carlo Ac...
Sep 09, 2025•32 min
Zambia's former Foreign Minister Joseph Malanji has been sentenced to four years in prison with hard labour after being convicted, along with a co-accused of corruption. President Hakainde Hichilema promised to root out corruption when he swept to power four years ago, is he now delivering on that pledge? In Egypt, dozens of teenage TikTok influencers have been arrested in recent weeks on charges such as violating family values, indecency and money laundering. We hear more on why authorities are...
Sep 05, 2025•33 min
A landslide that followed days of heavy rain, has killed hundreds of people in the remote Marra Mountains in western Sudan, and many survivors may still be trapped in deep valleys. How do aid agencies help people hit by a natural disaster but also caught in the middle of a war? A new report details an increase in disappearances, kidnappings and torture in Tanzania. We hear from relatives looking for their family members. And a new study warns that people are using digital platforms like TikTok t...
Sep 03, 2025•30 min
Two years on from the devastating fire at an abandoned building in Johannesburg that was occupied by squatters, how much has changed? We revisit the scene of one of South Africa's worst tragedies, in which more than 70 people - including children - died, to find out what happened to the survivors. Scientists warn that global warming and climate change could be making flight turbulence more frequent. Will bumpier skies put people off air travel? And lawyers are arguing for easier divorce laws in ...
Sep 01, 2025•32 min
A new Human Rights Watch report says the EU's and Spain’s outsourcing of migration control to Mauritania has worsened abuses against asylum seekers and migrants heading for Europe, but the Mauritanian authorities reject those claims. Why are cybercrimes on the rise in Africa and how can you stay safe? And we find out why the population of one of Kenya's iconic tourist attractions - flamingos - is in decline. Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers: Sunita Nahar, Mark Wilberforce and Priya Sippy in ...
Aug 28, 2025•28 min
There are fears that the mass starvation cult in Kenya is still active after the discovery of new bodies in fresh graves near the site of the Shakahola forest massacre. So far, eleven people have been arrested in connection with these new exhumations. We hear from a Rapid Response Officer, working with a human rights organisation, who has been helping people track down missing relatives. Why are African students ending up on the battlefields of Ukraine after applying to study in Russia? And Fran...
Aug 26, 2025•30 min
Japan has pledged to work more closely with African countries at global summit on economic development. How can Africa benefit from stronger ties with Japan? The former prime minister of Chad is facing a 20-year prison term after being convicted of hate speech, xenophobia and having incited a massacre. Who is Succès Masra and what sparked the intercommunal violence that led to the charges against him? And did you know there are four distinct species of the African giraffe? We find out why that d...
Aug 22, 2025•32 min
Two prominent journalists in Ethiopia, Abdulsemed Mohammed and Yonas Amare, have been missing for more than a week after being abducted by what reports say, were men wearing masks and military uniforms. There has been no news about their whereabouts but their disappearances have raised concerns about a crackdown on media freedom in the country. Aid agencies warn that a surge in the number of people with the respiratory illness diphtheria is becoming 'the most urgent and dangerous threat' to publ...
Aug 20, 2025•28 min
The US government has approved a $346m arms deal with Nigeria which would include munitions, precision bombs and precision rockets. What is behind the change in a decade-long US policy about selling certain kinds of weapons to Nigeria? The mining of gold has been a key driver of Sudan's economy, and now it is a major source of funding of the two-year civil war. We look back at its history in Sudan, and its role in the current conflict. And one year on since Ghana's parliament passed its landmark...
Aug 15, 2025•33 min
Doctors Without Borders and other NGOs have raised concerns about anti-migrant groups preventing non-South Africans from accessing healthcare services. The South African government has called on all communities to uphold the rule of law, respect human dignity. So why are activists blocking health clinics and hospitals? The African Union sends a delegation to South Sudan to encourage the warring sides in the country to revive a 2018 peace deal and pave the way for elections. Can they bring both s...
Aug 11, 2025•33 min
What began as a three-day strike by taxi drivers against rising petrol prices in Angola, has escalated into one of the most widespread and disruptive waves of protest the country has seen in recent years. What has life been like in the capital Luanda, against the background of the unrest? Why do fewer than a quarter of South Africans trust their police service? A new survey shows only 22% of South Africans have any confidence in the institution. And we meet the Nigerian filmmaker, Joel Kachi Ben...
Jul 31, 2025•31 min
This week the International Criminal Court sentenced two commanders of a civilian militia in the Central African Republic to a total of 27 years in prison. One of them, Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona, had formerly been the head of the country’s football federation. What was the conflict that engulfed CAR a decade ago, and what were the crimes that led to the ICC convictions? Also in this episode, the impact that continuing aid cuts are having on women and girls in Somalia. And we uncover the melodic ...
Jul 25, 2025•34 min
The city of Goma in the conflict-hit east of the Democratic Republic of Congo was seized by the M23 armed group earlier this year after intense fighting with government forces. How has the city changed after six months under the group’s control? After retired police officers in Nigeria held demonstrations earlier this week calling for better pensions, we look at wider pension provision and ask if young Nigerians see pension planning as a secure path to protecting their retirement in the future? ...
Jul 23, 2025•29 min
Burkina Faso's military rulers have disbanded the country's electoral commission calling it a waste of money. The government says the interior ministry will handle elections in the future. Will this move by the ruling junta further delay democratic elections? Hundreds of thousands of premature deaths occur each year in Africa due to illnesses caused by cooking with polluting fuels like wood, charcoal and even animal dung. So what is being done to ensure more people have access to clean cooking? ...
Jul 21, 2025•33 min
Cameroon's Paul Biya has the distinction of being 'the world's oldest sitting president' and yet at age 92, he is seeking to run for an eighth term, that will see him serve until he is almost 100 years old. How much popular support does he have, and how strong is the opposition? Sudan's newly appointed prime minister, Kamal Idris, has named his cabinet ministers who will form his "government of hope". How will they function in the country still in the grip of war? And after the announcement by E...
Jul 17, 2025•33 min
Ghanaian authorities have rescued more than 70 young men from a trafficking ring in Nigeria. The men thought they were heading for football contracts or overseas opportunities. Why has football become a gateway for trafficking? Leaders from five African countries - Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal - have been invited to a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House. What will they discuss? And we hear how women in Morocco are keeping the art of rug-weaving ali...
Jul 09, 2025•28 min
Angola was certified as polio-free in 2015, but is now combating a new outbreak of the disease after several cases were reported in a Western province. What has caused the virus to come back? A new report says Islamist militants are using Starlink technology to ramp up operational capabilities in Niger. And why are South Sudanese women fashion's favourites and are being sought after on the catwalk? Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Charles Gitonga in Nairobi. Yvette Twagiramariya, Bella Hassan ...
Jul 01, 2025•33 min
Russia says the paramilitary group Wagner has accomplished its mission and has left Mali, although a Russian presence remains in the West African country, through the Africa Corps. So what did the Wagner Group achieve? Why has a separatist movement on the tiny, remote island of Annobón that is part of Equatorial Guinea, appealed to Argentina for support with its independence claim? And new research shows that Africa now has more Christians than any other continent, surpassing Europe for the firs...
Jun 10, 2025•33 min
A South African woman, Racquel "Kelly" Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn have been given life sentences after being convicted of trafficking her missing 6-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith. The case has captivated and horrified audiences around the world. It has also highlighted the wider issue of human trafficking in South Africa. An anti-trafficking campaigner responds to the rulling and explains the extend of problem in the country. Also, Kenya and Mayotte...
May 30, 2025•32 min
US embassies globally have halted student visa appointments, as social media vetting expands. How is Africa affected? Why is Zimbabwe's controversial radio tax now being implemented? And how can AI predict and prevent child malnutrition in Kenya? Presenter: Richard Kagoe Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya and Bella Hassan Technical Producer: Chris Kouzaris Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
May 29, 2025•27 min
Russia's 13th International Security Summit in Moscow attracts over forty African leaders. How significant is it and what does it mean for the continent, especially for the Sahel? Also, Boeing seals a deal with the US Department of Justice over the fatal crashes of two 737 Max aircraft that killed hundreds of people. One family who lost their son and daughter-in-law in the 2019 Ethiopian plane crash share their reaction with us. And the impact of the temporary closure of Ghana's embassy in US ov...
May 28, 2025•35 min
Uganda cuts military ties with Germany following diplomatic rift. Somalia's government moves to control clan militias fighting al-Shabab - after allegations of serious atrocities. And will Starlink's strategy of 'winning big by thinking small' help them cover the African continent? Presenter: Blessing Aderogba Producers: Bella Hassan, Tom Kavanagh and Yvette Twagiramariya. Technical Producer Chris Ablakwa Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi...
May 27, 2025•28 min
The big stories from across the continent and the African perspective on major global stories. Africa Daily has now closed. You will get Focus on Africa episodes here this week. For future episodes, search for Focus on Africa, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
May 27, 2025•38 sec
