Shows / Africa Today
Africa Today
Africa news and analysis from the BBC's Focus on Africa. The Africa Today podcast contains the day's top stories from African news - available to download Monday to Friday from 1630 GMT.
Episodes
Africa TodayDjibouti shipwreck survivors recount ordeal
Survivors of the boat accident where 139 migrants died off the coast of Djibouti have recounted their ordeals to the BBC. The International Organization for…
Africa TodayNobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay speaks to the BBC
Nobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay has defended international justice institutions and responded to criticism from US President Donald Trump, saying the true…
Africa TodayIs remote working really the dream?
For many young Africans, working remotely for an international company sounds like the dream: no daily commute, greater flexibility and, in some cases, the…
Africa TodaySearch operations continue after Nigeria plane crash
Thursday marks the end of the three-day national mourning period in Nigeria after a military aircraft crashed in Southwest Ondo state, killing all 25 people on…
Africa TodayEbola reaches Kenya. What's the response?
Kenya has allocated $538 million to its Ebola response after confirming the country’s first case, linked to the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of…
Africa TodayBurkina Faso opens landmark gold refinery
Burkina Faso's military-led government has opened a gold refinery in a bid to tighten its grip on one of the country's most important industries. The $19…
Africa TodayEthiopia conflict stirs regional tensions
Forces aligned to Ethiopia's national army have taken control of Mekelle, the capital of the northern Tigray region. This came after the Tigray People's…
Africa TodayWhere are Eritrea’s missing political prisoners?
Twenty-five years ago, a group of senior Eritrean politicians known as the G-15 called for democratic reform. Eleven were arrested and accused of treason. They…
Africa TodayWho is Morocco's first woman prime minister?
Fatima Zahra El Mansouri has been named Morocco's first female prime minister, after her Authenticity and Modernity Party (Pam) won the most seats in last…
Africa TodayNigeria's Dangote Kenya refinery breaks ground
Kenya has broken the ground for a new oil refinery backed by Nigerian industrialist and Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote. The 700,000 barrels per day…
Africa TodaySouth Africa reels from spate of mass shootings
South Africa is reeling from a series of mass shootings that have left dozens of people dead in less than a week near three of South Africa's biggest cities…
Africa TodayEthiopia accuses Sudan, Eritrea of backing armed groups
As heavy fighting resumes between a coalition of armed opposition forces and Ethiopia's federal government, the country's army commander has accused Sudan and…
Africa TodayJAPA: Does migrating pay off?
For millions of young Africans, leaving home in search of better opportunities has become an increasingly attractive option. A recent Afrobarometer survey…
Africa TodayEthiopia Tigray fighting sparks fears of new war
Renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia between Tigrayan forces and the national army is threatening a return to civil war after four years of peace. On…
Africa TodayChad faces growing Sudan refugee burden
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR says Chad is now hosting around 1.5 million refugees and asylum-seekers from Sudan. And despite the war entering its fourth year…
Africa TodayNigeria probes the deaths of miners in custody
BBC reporter Madina Maishanu takes us inside the cells where 37 artisanal miners died last week. Nigeria’s Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo says a panel…
Africa TodayGambia in crisis as blackouts persist
For months now, power blackouts have been disrupting life and business for thousands of people in Gambia. The crisis has recently sparked protests in the…
Africa TodayIs Nigeria ready for a female leader?
In January 2027, Nigeria will be heading to the polls. But there’s one thing still largely missing from the ballot, women. According to Nigerian civil society…
Africa TodaySouth Africa probes discovery of women bodies
South Africa has been shaken by a string of unexplained deaths, with nine women found dead in and around Kempton Park, northeast of Johannesburg, over the past…
Africa TodayThousands flee to Djibouti amid Yemeni fighting
More than 2,000 people have fled across the Red Sea into neighbouring Djibouti as fighting in Yemen escalates. The renewed conflict between the Iran-backed…
Africa TodayWhat does Dangote's IPO mean for young investors?
Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote has launched Africa's largest-ever share sale, offering a stake in his oil refinery to the general public. The initial…
Africa TodayIMF talks amid Senegal debt crisis
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye is expected to hold talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington this week as Senegal seeks a new…
Africa TodayWas my university degree worth it?
Earlier this year, a young Nigerian went viral after saying he would rather be a donkey in Malawi than a graduate in Nigeria. And he wasn't alone. Another…
Africa TodayControversy Over Ugandan Kingdom's Royal Succession
A succession battle is intensifying in Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom ahead of the late king’s burial. Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma has been named the next…
Africa TodayIs Cameroon doing enough on femicide?
The recent killing of eight women across Cameroon in a single week has sparked outrage and renewed calls for specific legislation to tackle gender-based…
Africa TodayKenya gives foreign traders 90-day ultimatum
Undocumented foreign traders in Kenya have 90 days to legalise their status. This follows a directive from President William Ruto that they should not compete…
Africa TodayWhy maps make Africa smaller
The United Nations has endorsed a new map projection that more accurately represents Africa’s true size. The "Correct the Map" resolution, sponsored by Togo…
Africa TodayJZyNO on taking Liberia’s sound global
From selling charcoal, firewood and a popular West Africa staple food locally known as garri, to making waves on the global music scene. Liberian superstar…
Africa TodayIs Africa ready for a stronger El Niño?
From devastating floods in Nepal to growing weather concerns across Africa, extreme weather is once again putting communities at risk. The United Nations warns…
Africa TodayUS pushes for Sudan arms embargo
The senior adviser to US President Donald Trump on African and Arab Affairs, Massad Boulos, speaks exclusively to the BBC about why the US is asking the UN…
Africa TodayGuinea-Bissau votes to reshape presidency
Guinea-Bissau awaits the results of Sunday's referendum on a proposed new constitution which aims to increase presidential powers. The vote is seen as an…
Africa TodayNiger arrests soldiers behind failed mutiny
Last Saturday, gunfire and attacks near the airport were witnessed in Niamey, Niger's capital city. Defecting soldiers known as the Armed Forces for the…
Africa Today'My journey with postpartum psychosis'
Now, you may have heard about a trial currently happening in the US, it’s a tragic case where a mother has been charged for killing her three children…
Africa TodayAfrican fans pay tribute to Dolly Parton
American country music star, Dolly Parton passed away this week and her fans across the continent have felt the loss greatly. Her songs, such as Jolene, 9 to 5…
Africa TodayUS calls for Sudan arms embargo
US President Donald Trump's senior Africa envoy has asked the UN to extend its arms embargo from Darfur to all of Sudan, amid a recent escalation in the…
Africa TodayPirate attacks on Somalia's shipping lanes
Somali piracy is rising again. The buccaneers capitalize on security gaps, targeting cargo ships and demanding multi-million dollar ransoms. On Sunday, nine…
Africa TodayNigeria plans to decriminalise attempted suicide
The Nigerian government plans to decriminalise attempted suicide. It is currently an offence punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine or both. Suicide is…
Africa TodaySurviving an acid attack
Imagine living with the lifelong physical and psychological scars of an attack fuelled by misogyny or romantic rejection. It’s the brutal reality for many…
Africa TodayMoroccan Influencer jailed over public indecency
A Moroccan influencer is serving a ten month jail sentence for violating public decency laws. Soukaina Janah was found guilty of inappropriate behaviour while…
Africa TodayUganda to send troops to Gaza
Uganda's parliament has approved plans to deploy it's troops to Gaza under a U.S.-backed International Stabilization Force mission. This is an invitation from…
Africa TodaySomalia: Humanitarian agency warns malnutrition
An international medical charity is warning that children in southwest Somalia face alarming food shortages. A survey by Doctors Without Borders found half the…
Africa TodayVote counting underway after Zambia election
Security officers in Zambia have arrested 11 people including opposition candidate Brian Mundubile. The government claims that they could be planning a revolt…
Africa TodayAre placenta practices changing in Africa?
A recent report by Cognitive Market Research says the global placenta powder market is expanding rapidly, driven by growing demand for placenta-based cosmetics…
Africa TodaySouth Africa seeks reimbursement for migrant deportations
South Africa says it is asking Nigeria, Malawi and Ethiopia to share the cost of deporting tens of thousands of illegal immigrants to their home countries. The…
Africa TodayConflict, health gaps fuel DRC's Ebola surge
Deaths from the Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo have crossed the 2,000 mark. Officials have described the outbreak as the fastest spreading in the country’s…
Africa TodayBeats, ballots and Zambia's election music
Zambia's 8 million registered voters are expected to cast their ballots on August 13, when the country will hold presidential and parliamentary elections…
Africa TodayBBC investigates murder of top South African detective
BBC Africa Eye has seen evidence suggesting a South African police detective, Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa, was shot dead by the country’s special forces…
Africa TodaySouth Sudan's growing modelling industry
What do you think of when you hear South Sudan? Well, these days you might be thinking of the catwalk. The country is producing some of the world’s top…
Africa TodayHormuz attacks threaten Liberian shipping registry
As tensions between the United States and Iran continue, security in the Strait of Hormuz remains under scrutiny. On 3 August, a Liberian-flagged vessel was…
Africa TodayExclusive interview with Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema
Zambia heads to the polls next week to elect a President, lawmakers and local council leaders. The election has been widely perceived as a two horse race…
Africa TodayMorocco migrant crossings into Spain's Ceuta
A tiny enclave named Ceuta has become the flashpoint of a migration crisis between Morocco and Spain. Geographically situated in Africa, but under Spanish…
Africa TodayExclusive interview with Zambia's Brian Mundubile
Zambia voters will head to the polls on the 13th of August in what is shaping up to be one of the country's most closely watched elections. Incumbent President…
Africa TodayAfrican women turning gaming into a living
Africa's video gaming industry is booming. The sector generated more than $1 billion in revenue in 2024, with mobile gaming making up around 90% of the market…
Africa TodayBurkina Faso's Traore on religious extremism
In Burkina Faso, the military-led government has launched a controversial campaign targeting what it describes as religious extremism. Transitional leader…
Africa TodaySouth Africa proposes strategic oil reserve expansion
South Africa has announced plans to expand its strategic oil reserve for the first time since the apartheid era. this is in its response to the global supply…
Africa TodayEthiopians on death row in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has executed five more Ethiopian migrants after convicting them of smuggling hashish, a concentrated form of cannabis. The Saudi Interior Ministry…
Africa TodayWAFCON officially kicks off in Morocco
The Women's African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) has kicked off in Morocco, with an expanded 16-team tournament bringing together the continent's best sides in the…
Africa TodayYemi Alade: beyond the music
Grammy-nominated Yemi Alade is one of Africa's biggest music stars and a trailblazer who has helped take Afrobeats to audiences around the world. She's…
Africa TodayMali insecurity escalates amid jihadist attacks
At least 50 soldiers have been killed in the latest attack in Mali as insecurity mounts in the country. The ambush took place near the northern town of Anefis…
Africa TodayDeadly wildfires ravage Algeria
The Algerian government has said that six people have died in wildfires in several provinces in recent days, as a deadly heatwave ravages the country…