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Each week, Jennifer Zabasajja provides a deep dive into the business stories that shape Africa. Join Jennifer and our Bloomberg reporters as they lift the lid on the news driving the continent.
131 Episodes
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In a year that saw South Africa host the G20, the continent found itself coming to terms with a transformed relationship with America both in terms of trade and access to aid. In this special episode of the Next Africa Podcast, Bloomberg Opinion columnist Justice Malala joins Jennifer Zabasajja to look at the big moments of the year. They discuss the US South Africa Relationship, the roll back of democracy, and the role Gen Z has in shaping the continent. Then they look ahead to the big moments to watch in 2026 For more stories from the region, you can subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
An attempted Coup in Benin has been thwarted after an intervention from its West African neighbors led by Nigeria. The emphatic response from the regional bloc Ecowas this time was a marked change, after the bloc had been criticized for inaction during the string of coups that have struck the region since 2020. On this week’s episode, Jennifer Zabasajja speaks to Bloomberg’s Katarina Hoije, who’s based in West Africa, about how this coup was defeated, why Nigeria led the response, and what the outlook is for further coups in the region. Get more from the Next Africa newsletter, you can subscribe here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
South African financial assets -- stocks, bonds and the rand -- have surged, buoyed by soaring commodity prices and investor optimism that government reforms are reviving South Africa's economy after years in the doldrums. On this week’s episode, Bloomberg Economics Africa Economist Yvonne Mhango joins Tiwa Adebayo to explain what’s fueling this economic turnaround, and whether sustained growth could soon follow. For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
While the world’s attention was on South Africa for the G20, thousands of women across the country used the opportunity to protest South Africa’s serious issues with violence against women. Demonstrators held lie-in protests in cities across the country, including near the G20 summit itself, calling for the government to take action. According to UN statistics, South Africa’s female murder rate is more than 5 times the global average. On this week’s episode, Government Reporter S’thembile Cela joins Tiwa Adebayo to explain how serious the crisis has become in South Africa, what impact the timing of the protests had and whether declaring violence against women a national disaster in South Africa will lead to any real change on the ground. You can read our full coverage of the G20 here and sign up to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Africa is the least electrified continent in the world, where funding major power infrastructure has become far harder, grids are decrepit and state utilities are often broken. The result is that Africa cannot industrialize on a scale anywhere near what’s needed to create jobs for its young population, which by 2050 will nearly double to 2.5 billion, or a quarter of all humanity. On this week’s podcast, our energy reporter Paul Burkhardt joins Jennifer Zabasajja to talk through the data showing the scale of Africa’s energy crisis. Then Jennifer hears from Dr Owen Omogiafo, CEO of Nigerian power giant Transcorp, and one of the speakers at the Bloomberg Africa Business Summit, about what role the private sector has in turning this around.You can read Bloomberg’s Big Take on Africa’s Energy shortage here, and subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
At COP30 in Brazil, scientists have warned that the Congo Basin, a region of tropical forest larger than India, is at a point where further damage may rob the world of a crucial bulwark against climate change. On this week’s episode, Jennifer Zabasajja is joined by Senior Africa Reporter Antony Sguazzin and Bloomberg Opinion Climate Columnist Lara Williams to discuss why the Congo Basin is so important to tackling climate change, what support African leaders are calling for and whether this COP summit will actually deliver any substantial action. You can read our coverage of COP30 here, and sign up for the Next Africa Newsletter here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to freeze aid to Nigeria and take military action unless its government stops what he’s called the killing of “very large numbers” of Christians by jihadists. On this week’s episode, Deputy Managing Editor for Middle East and Africa Neil Munshi, and reporter Nduka Orjinmo join Jennifer Zabasajja to explain where this claim comes from, what the reaction has been in Nigeria, and the challenge facing the west African nation’s government as it works out how to respond to President Trump.You can read Neil and Nduka’s piece on Bloomberg now, and you can subscribe to the Next Africa Newsletter here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Election wins for incumbents in Cameroon and Ivory Coast, where key opposition figures were banned from standing, have raised warnings over the state of democracy in a number of African nations. One academic has warned of the rise of ‘democratic dictators’ which could create fertile ground for coups. On this week’s episode, senior reporter Yinka Ibukun joins Jennifer Zabasajja to talk through the latest round of elections across Africa, and how gen z voters frustrated with their lack of choices may respond. For more stories from the region, you can subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chinese tech companies Huawei and DeepSeek are teaming up to offer cloud computing and AI services. And they’re pitching African startups on using their offerings over their Western competitors like OpenAI in a bid to get an early foothold in the African tech scene. In a special episode from Bloomberg’s Big Take and Next Africa podcasts, reporters Loni Prinsloo and Helen Nyambura join hosts Sarah Holder and Jennifer Zabasajja to describe the pitch, how it’s landing and what it could mean for the global AI race. Read more: DeepSeek’s Surge in Africa Reveals China’s AI Power GrabSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We wanted to bring you one of our favorite episodes from the last few months. Each year, up to 12 million young Africans enter the workforce, but only about three million formal jobs are available. So many Nigerians have left Africa's most populous country in recent years, the Yoruba term "japa" -- or escape -- has become shorthand for young people desperate to put their skills to use. Could the west be doing more to help Africa make the most of it’s talent rather than losing it to places like the UK, US and Canada?Author, journalist and Bloomberg columnist Ciku Kimeria joins Jennifer Zabasajja to talk about her latest piece on the issue, why so many people are choosing to leave and what future she hopes her young daughter will grow in to. For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A spectacular gold-market boom is spurring a push by African nations — where the ground is rich in the precious metal — to extract more revenue. On this week’s episode, Bloomberg’s precious metals reporter Jack Ryan and our Africa Mining and Metals correspondent William Clowes join Jennifer Zabasajja to explain what’s behind the rising gold price, how African countries are trying to capitalize on the boom and what risks there might be for investors. For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
South Africa and Nigeria are poised to exit a global financial watchdog’s “gray list” as soon as this month, marking a change in fortune for two of the continent’s biggest economies. On this week’s Next Africa podcast, Bloomberg’s Africa Economics and Government Editor Monique Vanek and reporter Ben Bartenstein join Jennifer Zabasajja to explain how the countries ended up on the list in the first place, what they’ve done to improve their systems and what benefits exiting the list could bring to their economies.For more stories from the region, you can subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In parts of Africa, public opinion on China is more favorable than in many other regions, according to an Asia Society survey released this month. That enthusiasm contrasts sharply with Beijing’s standing in the West and some of Asia, where views have soured dramatically. In this week’s episode, Bloomberg’s Asia columnist Karishma Vaswani and Africa Economist Yvonne Mhango join Tiwa Adebayo to discuss just why China is winning the diplomacy war in Africa, and how good the deal is for African economies. You can read Karishma’s column here and for more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ethiopia has inaugurated Africa’s biggest hydroelectric dam, a colossal feat of engineering that could power homes and industries across East Africa. But the dam is also deepening a years-long dispute with Egypt and Sudan over the flow of the Nile. On this week’s episode of the Next Africa Podcast, Jennifer is joined by Bloomberg’s Ethiopia Reporter Fasika Tadesse and our Cairo based reporter Tarek El-Tablawy to discuss what Ethiopia hopes the dam will achieve economically and how downstream neighbours Egypt and Sudan may respond. For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Botswana became one of the richest countries in Africa because it's the world's biggest producer of diamonds by value -- but with lab-grown gems soaring in popularity, the sparsely-populated desert nation is facing a social and economic existential crisis President Boko has pledged to diversify the economy away from its over-reliance on a single resource, but the changes may have come too late. On this week’s episode, Bloomberg’s Matthew Hill and Botswana-based reporter Mbongeni Mguni join Jennifer Zabasajja to discuss their latest reporting from the region, and what the impact of the diamond slump looks like on the ground in Botswana. For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It’s the summer festival season, and while Europe and North America are seeing declining sales and smaller tours - Africa’s festival scene is on an upward trend. Eswatini’s Bushfire Festival, and Tanzania’s Sauti Za Busara are growing, bringing jobs, tourism and support for Africa’s music industry. On this week’s episode, Tiwa Adebayo speaks to Maputo based correspondent Tavares Cebola, who’s been reporting on the summer festival season. They discuss whether the African music industry is able to capitalise on its global popularity and how the region's growing younger middle class are fueling the festival industry. Jennifer Zabasajja will return next week. For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Two South African oil workers who had been detained in Equatorial Guinea prisons for two years have spoken to Bloomberg about their ordeal. Peter Huxham and Frik Potgieter were arrested on drug-trafficking charges and detained in short order in February 2023, days after a South African court ordered the seizure of a yacht linked to Equatorial Guinean Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, known as Teodorin. In this special episode of the Next Africa Podcast they talk about their arrest, what it’s like inside Equatorial Guinean prisons and how they feel now they are back with their families in South Africa. And Bloomberg’s Energy reporter Paul Burkhardt speaks to Jennifer Zabasajja about the diplomatic relations between South Africa and Equatorial Guinea, the role of the Vice President, and what this means for international investment in OPEC’s smallest member.For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A private island off the coast of Tanzania, where guests pay around $50,000 a night for an exclusive-use villa, catamaran and helicopter transfers within a protected marine reserve is the latest frontier in Africa’s booming luxury hospitality market. Bloomberg’s Prinesha Naidoo joins Jennifer Zabasajja to explain what's behind the boom in ultra luxury tourism, who’s benefiting and whether the economic boost is sustainable. You can read Prinesha Naidoo's piece here, and for more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Opposition parties are protesting in Abidjan after court rulings blocked key opposition figures from standing in October’s presidential election. The decisions paved the way for 83 year-old President Alassane Ouattara to seek a controversial fourth term. On this week’s episode, Bloomberg’s Abidjan-based reporter Kamailoudini Tagba joins Jennifer Zabasajja and talks about what’s behind the process, how President Ouattara is regarded in Ivory Coast and what hopes there are for fair and peaceful elections in October.For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Somaliland, which proclaimed independence from Somalia in 1991, is willing to offer the US a military base at the entrance to the Red Sea and critical-minerals deals in its quest for international recognition as a sovereign state. On this week’s episode - Bloomberg’s Simon Marks joins Jennifer Zabasajja to explain the history behind Somaliland and its independence claim, and whether this new plan to try and get US recognition will succeed.For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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