Next Africa
Next Africa
Each week, Jennifer Zabasajja provides a deep dive into the stories that shape Africa. Join Jennifer and our Bloomberg reporters as they lift the lid on the news driving the continent.Social links:
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From Trump Tarrifs to Gen Z Protests - How 2025 Changed Africa
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 t…
17:38
Why A Failed Coup Signals Escalating Risk in West Africa
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 regio…
12:59
Can South Africa Sustain its Economic Rebound?
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 …
14:26
Can South Africa Tackle Its Gender Based Violence Crisis?
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, calli…
13:47
How Africa’s Energy Shortage Holds Back its Industrial Revolution
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 populat…
14:46
Why Africa’s Rainforests Are Reaching a Tipping Point
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 Sg…
16:00
Why Is Trump Threatening Military Action In Nigeria?
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 reporte…
15:40
Can Africa reverse the trend of No Contest Elections?
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 coup…
14:53
What DeepSeek’s Competitive Edge in Africa Means for the AI Race
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 Bloom…
18:28
Replay: How To Stop Africa's Brain Drain
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" --…
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