Sinopsis
News and analysis from the BBC's Focus on Africa. The Africa Today podcast is published from Monday to Friday. It contains the day's top African stories.
Episodios
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Can Mali's Junta withstand a jihadist blockade?
11/11/2025 Duración: 35minCan Mali's military junta maintain its hold on power despite a jihadist blockade? What role are mercenaries playing in Africa's current conflicts. And the genesis of a new type of Algerian rai protest music known as "Way Way" Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Patricia Whitehorne, Bella Hassan and Mark Wilberforce in London with, Madina Maishanu in Abuja. Technical Producer: Jack Graysmark Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Editor: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
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Can Johannesburg reclaim 'hijacked' buildings?
10/11/2025 Duración: 32minThe South African city of Johannesburg has well over 100 abandoned and derelict buildings plagued by rubbish and open sewage and some have been taken over by criminal gangs. Many are also home to some of the city's most vulnerable residents. As Johannesburg gears up to host leaders from the world's major economies for the G20 summit, what is being done to address the issue of 'hijacked' buildings? BBC Africa Eye has been there to investigate, and we hear more from their reporter. For nearly five years, Burundians have endured crippling shortages of fuel, electricity, and clean water. What is behind the triple crisis that is paralysing most of the country?And why have protesters targeted the new multi-million dollar Museum of West African Art in Nigeria, forcing organisers to cancel preview events ahead of its grand opening.Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Todah Opeyemi in Lagos. Mark Wilberforce, Sunita Nahar, and Alfonso Daniels in London Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne Technical Producer: Jack Graysm
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What will COP30 change for Africa?
07/11/2025 Duración: 31minWhat can Africa expect from the COP 30 climate conference? Sudan's paramilitary RSF agrees to a humanitarian ceasefire, but the government wants guarantees from the international community And why are marginalised cultures being celebrated during Fashion Week in Namibia? Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Tanya Hines and Yvette Twagiramariya in London. Todah Opeyemi is in Lagos and Madina Maisanu in Abuja Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Technical Producer: Jonathan Greer Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
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Nigeria pushes back on 'Christian genocide' claims
06/11/2025 Duración: 33minNigeria rejects claims of a “Christian genocide,” saying violence stems from terrorism and land disputes, not religion, and that both Christians and Muslims have suffered attacks. Some Christian leaders however say there have been instances of Christians being specifically targeted.Also in the programme: Malaria elimination is stalling in southern Africa as cases rise due to climate change, resistance, and reduced funding. And Ghana is sending relief packages to Jamaica following the devastation of Hurricane Melissa. It's more than relief, it's reinforcing historical and cultural connections between the two countries.Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Stefania Okereke, Sunita Nahar and Mark Wilberforce in London Senior Producer: Yvette Twagiramariya Technical Producer: Philip Bull Editors Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
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Nigeria : Was there an alleged coup plot?
05/11/2025 Duración: 31minThe arrest of senior Nigerian military officers and the sacking of security officials fuels speculation of an alleged coupUgandan born Zohran Mamdani wins New York City mayoral electionPlus the AI aunty helping to fight gender based violence.Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Todah Opeyemi in Lagos. Yvette Twagiramariya, Sunita Nahar, Bella Hassan and Mark Wilberforce in London. Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Technical Producer Craig Kingham . Editors Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi.
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After the oath, can Tanzania heal its divisions?
04/11/2025 Duración: 32minTanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been sworn in after the deadly protests that followed her election victory. Can she use her second term to unite the country? At least 40 people have died in multiple landslides that struck Kenya and Uganda's mountainous border region in the Great Rift Valley. What makes that belt susceptible to such calamitous events and are they happening more frequently? And after two decades and an estimated cost of nearly $1bn, Egypt’s Grand Museum has opened its doors. One of the most anticipated exhibits is the tomb of Tutankhamun which is displayed in full for first time. But who was the young pharaoh, often referred to as the ‘boy king’?Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Sunita Nahar, Mark Wilberforce, and Stefania Okereke Technical Producer: Craig Kingham Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne Editors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
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South Africa’s expropriation test case
03/11/2025 Duración: 36minSouth Africa's municipality of Ekurhuleni's attempt to expropriate land without compensation is under mediation after the private owners of the land sought compensation. The outcome of this landmark case will shape the future of land ownership and property rights across South Africa. Why illegal mining is a public health concern in Ghana. Are young Africans really among the most lonely on the planet?Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Elphas Lagat ,Mark Wilberforce, Bella Hassan and Makouchi Okafor in Lagos. Technical Producer: Jonny Hall Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Editors Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
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Women in Kenya are facing increasing online abuse, says new report
31/10/2025 Duración: 34minNew research reveals how digital platforms are being weaponised to abuse and exploit women in Kenya. We hear from a victim of online sexual abuse who gives a harrowing account of her experience, and also speak to a Digital Rights adviser on what needs to be done to protect women. Plastic waste is not only bad for the environment but can also be harmful to human beings. We hear about the risks, and also how one project in Lagos is turning discarded plastic into fashion.And we hear more about the Seychelles' Kreol Festival, which celebrates the nation's creole heritage and is now in its 40th year.Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Mark Wilberforce, Stefania Okereke, Sunita Nahar, Yvette Twagiramariya, and Tanya Hines Technical Producer: Jack Graysmark Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne Editors: Alice Muthengi, Maryam Abdalla and Sam Murunga
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The Gambia: Can ex-President Jammeh return home?
30/10/2025 Duración: 30minWhy has the Gambian government issued a strong warning to ex -President Yahya Jammeh following his announcing plans to return from 9 years in exile?. Nigeria, South Africa, Mozambique, and Burkina Faso removed from a global money-laundering watchlist. How can they benefit? And how years of drought is decimating wealth, and thousands of lives in the self-declared Republic of Somaliland. Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Stefania Okereke and Mark Wilberforce in London. Technical Producer: Chris Kouzaris Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Editors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard.
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Kenyan authorities seize a tonne of methamphetamine
29/10/2025 Duración: 27minAuthorities in Kenya intercept more than a tonne of methamphetamine in the Indian Ocean as part of the country's ongoing fight against narcotics trafficking and addiction Thousands of Tunisians protest in the southern city of Gabes, calling for a chemical plant to be shut down because they say it's ruining their children's healthAnd three Sudanese football clubs are hoping to find refuge in Rwanda from the ongoing civil war in Sudan. Fierce rivals Al-Hilal and Al-Merrikh, as well as Al-Ahli Wad Madani have been welcomed into the Rwandan league this season, a move that the Sudanese clubs say will keep their players active and their fans hopefulPresenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Mark Wilberforce, Stefania Okereke, Alex Lathbridge, and Charles Gitonga Technical Producer: Pat Sissons Senior Producer: Sunita Nahar Editors: Maryam Abdalla and Sam Murunga
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Will el-Fasher's fall change Sudan?
28/10/2025 Duración: 31minAs the strategic city of el-Fasher finally falls to the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, we analyse what it means in Sudan’s ongoing civil war. How the world’s oldest president, Paul Biya of Cameroon, is set to change things as he wins a disputed eighth term that could keep him in power until the age of 99. And why are South Africans trying to save an ancient language, which has just one speaker? Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Mark Wilberforce, Stefania Okereke, Sunita Nahar and Yvette Twagiramariya Technical Producer: Pat Sissons Senior Producer: Piers Edwards Editors: Maryam Abdalla and Sam Murunga
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Tanzanian elections: What issues are young people concerned about?
27/10/2025 Duración: 33minAs 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 Okereke, Sunita Nahar and Yvette Twagiramariya Technical Producer: Craig Kingham Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne Editors: Maryam Abdalla and Sam Murunga
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The landmark event in Manchester that changed Africa
24/10/2025 Duración: 34minWe mark the 80th anniversary of the Fifth Pan-African Congress- a landmark event in Manchester, England that changed Africa Why people with albinism in Tanzania face rising fear ahead of electionsThe plight of Cameroon's female gold miners Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Mark Wilberforce, Stefania Okereke, Sunita Nahar and Yvette Twagiramariya in London. Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Technical Producer: Craig Kingham Editors: Sam Murunga and Maryam Abdalla.
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Hundreds of stolen social media identities used to spread propaganda
23/10/2025 Duración: 32minA 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 to introduce a new brand of altar wine.Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Mark Wilberforce, Stefania Okereke, Sunita Nahar and Elphas Lagat Technical Producer: Gabriel O'Regan Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne Editors: Maryam Abdalla and Sam Murunga
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Drone attack on Sudan's Khartoum Airport
22/10/2025 Duración: 28minSudan war: Can Khartoum airport reopen just hours after a drone attack? 15 years after Boko Haram militancy started, why does a jihadist threat still remain in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state Ivory Coast: With the main opposition candidates barred from running, is President Alassane Ouattara set for a controversial fourth term? Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Stefania Okereke, Alfonso Daniels, Mark Wilberforce and Yvette Twagiramariya in London Technical Producer: Chris Ablakwa Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Editors: Sam Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
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Can DRC be declared ebola free?
21/10/2025 Duración: 29minThe 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 them more resilient.Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Mark Wilberforce, Yvette Twagiramariya, Stefania Okereke and Alfonso Daniels Technical Producer: Chris Kouzaris Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
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Who is Madagascar’s new military leader?
20/10/2025 Duración: 32minCan Madagascar's new president, Col Randrianirina, deliver change demanded by Gen Z Mada?Are West Africa’s illicit economies fueling the region’s wars and causing instability ?And a look at plans by the WHO to integrate traditional and modern medicine.Presenter: Nyasha MichelleProducers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Mark Wilberforce, Stefania Okereke and Saleck Zeid in London.Senior Producer: Paul BakibingaTechnical Producer: Frank McWeenyEditors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi.
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Raila Odinga's influence beyond Kenya
17/10/2025 Duración: 35minKenya's opposition leader, and former prime minister, Raila Odinga, has died suddenly at the age of eighty. We explore his legacy in Kenya and the rest of Africa.The world's largest producer of cobalt is the Democratic Republic of Congo. It replaces the ban with quotas but what does that mean for the DRC economy and its local mining communities?And did you know that young women can get perimenopause. We ask what it is?Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Mark Wilberforce, Yvette Twagiramariya, Stefania Okereke Technical Producer: Craig Kingham Senior Producer: Sunita Nahar Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi.
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Nigeria's presidential pardons spark controversy
16/10/2025 Duración: 34minNigeria's president Bola Tinubu pardons many individuals-some posthumously. How were the decisions arrived at? Why are marriages and births declining in Tunisia? And are journalists in Tanzania exercising a lot of caution ahead of the general elections? Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Sunita Nahar, Patricia Whitehorne and Bella Hassan in London. Technical Producer: Chris Kouzaris Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi.
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What led to the downfall of Madagascar's president
15/10/2025 Duración: 32minAn 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 kente cloth has been officially recognised and granted protected status as a national heritage fabric.Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Mark Wilberforce, Alfonso Daniels and Ryan Johnson Technical Producers: Chris Kouzaris and Sarah Kimberley Senior Journalist: Patricia Whitehorne Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi