Warning: Please be advised that this episode contains open and frank discussions about topic listeners might find distressing. Across Africa’s newsrooms, sexual harassment appears to be rife. That’s according to research by Women in News - a media development programme. Half of all the women surveyed said they’d been harassed at work - and only a third had reported it. So, despite all the progress with the #metoo movement, why is sexual harassment still so widespread? And what’s being done to st...
Apr 19, 2022•13 min
“You cannot rely on the rain to do farming. Either it’s recurring drought or if rainfall comes, it floods. The seasons have become unpredictable.” Last week on Africa Daily we heard about the drought in East Africa and the flooding in South Africa – both bringing misery to millions. Basic food supply becomes difficult. So today Mpho Lakaje speaks to Abdi Hashi, a farmer and entrepreneur in Somaliland who has set himself a task: to help the breakaway state – which currently imports 80% of its foo...
Apr 18, 2022•16 min
Hundreds have died in KwaZulu Natal, in what South African officials are calling ‘one of the worst weather storms in the history of the country’. In one utterly heartbreaking instance, one family is said to have lost ten members in the floods. Days of torrential rain have washed away homes, roads and bridges, prompting the government to declare a state of disaster. Mudslides have trapped people under buildings. Electricity and water have been restored to some areas and authorities say that almos...
Apr 15, 2022•12 min
We are looking at the state of comedy in Africa as South Sudan, a country ravaged by war and which since 2013 continues to deal with an ongoing conflict, stages its first comedy festival. Tired of seeing the constant one-sided images and news stories of a war torn country with millions of people who have been displaced, and hundreds of thousands of people said to have been killed in the conflict, one man set out to try and change this world view of South Sudan. Akau Jambo, a comedian based in Ju...
Apr 14, 2022•17 min
“We’re raised in a culture where these kind of things are hush hush. You don’t speak out about them. Ever since I shared my story a lot of other women I know started talking about theirs… This is exactly why I’m feeling better and I’m not feeling like it’s the end of the world.” It’s a shocking statistic: about 80% of black women will suffer from fibroids at some point in their lives. Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the uterus. They can cause a number of painful symp...
Apr 13, 2022•16 min
Somalia hasn’t seen enough rain for three consecutive seasons, and this has led to what experts are calling the worst drought in a decade. They are also warning the worst is yet to come. Hunger has been rife, as many Somalis have seen failed crops and thousands of their livestock, which many depend on for a living, dead. Hundreds of thousands people have been displaced, and the most vulnerable in society are bearing the brunt of this crisis – more than one million children are said to be sufferi...
Apr 12, 2022•16 min
Eswatini is a small country of just over a million people which is facing big problems. Last year dozens of people died after a crackdown on pro-democracy protests– and in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic led to the economy shrinking. According to World Bank estimates, nearly 40% of its population lives on less than two dollars a day. Now the government is planning the launch of a national airline – its second such venture after its previous airline folded. So will this help boost trade and tourism –...
Apr 11, 2022•12 min
Africa has relatively low rates of diabetes. But cases are rising faster than any other continent. The condition causes the levels of glucose in the body to become too high. Untreated it can damage the nerves, eyes, heart and even lead to death. So, why is it a growing problem across Africa? And what can be done to prevent further cases? The episode contains frank discussion about sexual health issues. This episode was first broadcast on 10 December 2021 Host: Alan Kasujja (@kasujja) Guests: Osa...
Apr 08, 2022•16 min
Nigerians are well used to power-cuts – they’ve lived through hundreds, many nationwide – over the last decade. Businesses and individuals who need a reliable power source turn to private generators… and the costs for running them have gone up. The World Bank says that unreliable power costs the Nigerian economy an estimated $28 billion. So when last month the national grid collapsed twice in just two days – it led to widespread anger – and a rare apology from the President. So what’s behind thi...
Apr 07, 2022•16 min
In recent months, many people around the world have seen their cost of living increase. Basics such as food, fuel and electricity are costing more than they used to in many countries. Recent research has tried to pinpoint the most expensive cities on the continent, by looking at the cost of these goods. The data suggests that life in cities like Dakar, Addis Ababa and Abidjan is nearly as expensive as some cities in Europe. But people are often earning much less in these African cities. So, at a...
Apr 06, 2022•16 min
We'd like to warn you that this episode tackles themes that you might find distressing. It contains franks discussions of allegations of sexual assault and rape. We know water is important and we are taking you to Kenya and the informal settlement of Kibera, in the capital Nairobi where access to clean water is a daily struggle for the hundreds of thousands of people who live there. Many here are casual workers whose daily wages can barely stretch to cover the most basic needs and some spend as ...
Apr 05, 2022•16 min
The war in Ukraine continues to grind on into its seventh week. More than 4 million people are thought to have fled the country. Many African students have also been displaced from Ukrainian cities where they were studying. Ukrainians living in African countries have been faced with watching the destruction of their homeland from thousands of miles away. And Russians on the continent have also seen their circumstances change dramatically as sanctions bite. So, what is life like for Russians and ...
Apr 04, 2022•15 min
The “Fab Five” – Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia and Cameroon – will represent Africa at the World Cup in Qatar. And on Friday, we will learn who they will play, when the draw is made. This is a World Cup like no other both in terms of its location and timing: with it being played in November and December this year. The tournament will not see a man considered to be one of the best players in the world – Mohamed Salah and his side Egypt, after they were kicked out by Senegal, in what was a repe...
Apr 01, 2022•17 min
On Monday afternoon, hundreds of people boarded a train to travel from Abuja to Kaduna. But the service never reached its destination. Explosives were used to derail the train and members of armed gangs opened fire on the carriages. A number of people have reportedly been killed and there are fears that more have been abducted. For some time, train has been considered the safest way to travel between the capital and Kaduna. Kidnappings had become increasingly common on the roads between the two ...
Mar 31, 2022•16 min
A peace deal in 2018 ended the civil war in South Sudan – the world’s newest nation. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed in the war after fighting broke out in 2013 between the government forces of President Salva Kiir and those loyal to his vice president and rival, Riek Machar. So, as part of the peace deal signed to end the fighting, all these forces were to be united in one national army and police force. But this has become a sticking point – and over the past few weeks violence bet...
Mar 30, 2022•15 min
It’s over fifty years since residents of the Chagos Islands were evicted by the British government. They were removed to Mauritius, the Seychelles and the United Kingdom. In 2002, people born on the islands were given the right to apply for Biritsh citizenship and to live and work in the UK. But, that right was only extended to their children who were born between specific years. And it didn’t apply to later generations, even though some of them had lived in the UK since a young age. In the last...
Mar 29, 2022•18 min
Togo is celebrating the arrival of Google’s Equiano Cable on its shores. The sub-sea cable, which will bring in 20 times more network capacity than the previous cable built to serve the region, will then go on to Nigeria, Namibia and South Africa. Its proponents say it will speed up connections, drive down costs and create jobs. Other big tech firms are also investing in infrastructure projects in a bid to improve connectivity on the continent - and to reach the 800 million people in Africa who ...
Mar 28, 2022•17 min
The warring parties in the Ethiopian Tigray civil war have agreed to a humanitarian truce to allow aid deliveries to millions of people in urgent need of assistance. The 16 month civil war in Ethiopia’s north has left thousands killed and displaced more than two million people. More than half a million people are said to be at the brink of famine in what humanitarian groups have called the “world’s worst hunger crisis in a decade”. There are also accusations of gross abuses, including sexual ass...
Mar 25, 2022•16 min
Across Zimbabwe, politicians are campaigning hard ahead of by-elections on Saturday. Voters will choose who sits in some parliamentary and local council seats. They are being seen as a test of the political landscape ahead of national elections in 2023, which will decide if Emerson Mnangagwa remains president. There have been allegations of violence and police clashing with opposition supporters. But the government denies these reports and says that polling will be orderly. So, what’s at stake i...
Mar 24, 2022•16 min
The militant Islamist group al-Shabab has become synonymous with violence and political instability in Somalia. They have also carried out devastating attacks in surrounding countries. In response, many of Somalia’s neighbours have sent troops to help fight the insurgency. Among them are many thousands of Kenyans, some of whom have given their lives in the operation. Kenya has never acknowledged the deaths of these soldiers. And the government does not release details on how many have been kille...
Mar 23, 2022•18 min
In 2019, protesters in Sudan rose up and toppled president Omar al-Bashir after almost 30 years in power. The image of Alaa Saleh leading the protests dressed all in white became one of the symbols of the struggle. And women have continued to play an important part in the movement for freedom ever since. But some of them are now speaking out about the price they have had to pay to fight for democracy. They allege that they have been targeted in an attempt to intimidate them off the streets. And ...
Mar 22, 2022•15 min
During colonialism artworks that had been protected in Africa for centuries were looted. To this day, many of them are held by museums and universities in western countries. But in recent months, institutions in the US, UK and France have said that they will return them. However, this is only a small number of artefacts. And it isn’t fully known how many are still out there, or where they are. So, could all Africa’s looted artworks soon be returning home? #AfricaDaily
Mar 21, 2022•18 min
One year ago, Samia Suluhu Hassan became president of Tanzania, after the death of her predecessor, John Magufuli. She’s the first woman to ever hold the position. She says she’s changing how people think about women in power – by using her brain. And while at first she emphasized how she was continuing many of the large-scale projects started by Magufuli, wiithin weeks she had also changed direction on some of the biggest issues facing the country, such as the Covid pandemic. To mark the annive...
Mar 18, 2022•15 min
As much as 90% of Africa’s tobacco leaf production happens in East Africa. But some farmers there are turning their backs on the crop. In Migori County, 300 tobacco farmers are trying their hand at growing nyota beans – a food crop that is less labour intensive. They believe that the beans might be more profitable and avoid some health concerns that have been linked to tobacco farming. So, have Kenyan farmers found a better alternative to tobacco? #AfricaDaily
Mar 17, 2022•14 min
It’s one of the longest running separatist conflicts in the world that has seen the Senegalese army launch an operation against rebels in the Casamance region, in the south of the country. It’s an area that’s distinct socially and linguistically, and cut off from the rest of the country by The Gambia. The Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance – the MFDC – has been fighting the central government for the last 40 years – but the conflict is often overshadowed by more violent ones in the regio...
Mar 16, 2022•13 min
The idea of a single currency being used across the continent has been proposed for more than 30 years. However, the idea has never gained much traction. Some people believe it could boost trade between African countries and help unify the continent. Others think that nations on the continents are too different to make it work. South Africa has once again backed the idea, but is it realistic option? #AfricaDaily
Mar 15, 2022•17 min
Many Kenyans, including the president, have been left shocked by a viral video of a woman motorist in the capital Nairobi being sexually assaulted and physically and verbally abused by a group of what’s believed to be young men driving boda-bodas. Boda Bodas are the motorbike taxis often used to ferry people and goods around in East Africa. It’s estimated there are at least 1.4 million bodas in Kenya, but it’s thought there could be many more on Kenyan roads, with many still not registered. With...
Mar 14, 2022•16 min
“Katiba Banat is not just a word. We were soldiers. Even we lost some of our soldiers – women like us” During the second Sudanese civil war, a group of young female volunteers formed an all-women battalion in the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army They worked with weapons or as medics and sang songs on the radio and in the bush as part of the SPLA’s recruitment drive After a few years in combat most left to get married and have children, becoming refugees and scattering all over the world as t...
Mar 11, 2022•17 min
The war in Ukraine has now entered its third week. Millions of people there have seen their lives torn apart during that time. And we’ve heard the stories of African students who had to flee when Russia invaded. But in a less direct way, people across Africa may feel the impact of the conflict themselves over the coming weeks. We are starting to understand how the war might affect trade with the region and across the world. So, what might the economic impact be for countries in Africa? Host: Ala...
Mar 10, 2022•19 min
Kidnapping is an increasing threat for people in South Africa. The number of cases has more than doubled over the past decade and 2000 incidents were reported in the last year. Initially, criminal gangs were targeting wealthy business people – they were often snatched close to their businesses or homes. But more recently, they have become indiscriminate – going after anyone with the means to pay a ransom. South Africa’s police have said they need to double their efforts to stop these gangs. So, ...
Mar 09, 2022•18 min
