STRANGERS X

Is there a "Third Way" for African technology that avoids the binary choice between the US and China? In the wake of the 2026 India AI Impact Summit, I sit down with Africa Tech Policy expert, Dr Jane Munga, Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to unpack the shifting power structures of the global digital economy. This episode explores why the future of African sover...

In this episode of StrangersX, Zainab Taonga Chirwa speaks with maritime security researcher David Willima from the Institute for Security Studies. We discuss how Africa’s coastal cities are facing growing insecurity, the opportunities and challenges in the blue economy, and how the BBNJ Treaty intersects with African sovereignty and digital infrastructure.

Zambia is a country of many peoples, languages, and histories. That diversity is often described as our strength. However, it also places a responsibility on how we speak about one another, especially in moments of political competition. In this episode of StrangersX, Zainab Taonga Chirwa sits down with writer, communications specialist, and journalist Moono Chungu for a reflective conversation on...

What does it mean to build artificial intelligence that genuinely serves the public good and who gets to decide? In this episode, I sit down with Philani Mdingi, Executive Director of Tech for Good and a seasoned technology leader known for delivering mission-aligned digital solutions for civil society and philanthropic networks. We explore the civic potential and political risks of AI in African...

The U.S.-brokered peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda isn’t just about ending war, it’s about gaining access to the critical minerals that power artificial intelligence. From cobalt and coltan to lithium and gold, Africa’s mineral wealth has become the battlefield in a global race between China, the U.S., Europe, and tech giants like Tesla and Nvidia. In this episode of Not Just Observers, Zaina...

I sat down with Wasseem Emam, the founder, director and Head of Research at Ethical Seafood Research. A man who calls many places home who has dedicated his life to advocating for aquatic welfare. Hailing from Egypt, but steadily making an impact across the African continent with his work, this is a special episode filled with many nuggets of information and policy insights in the aquatic welfare...

We're Not Offline. We're Overexposed. Dear fellow Strangers, Today marks a milestone I've been building toward for months. Not Just Observers , the AI governance series I've been teasing and working on is finally here. Episode 1: "Copper Kings and Cloud Lords" is now live. In this first episode, I dive into something I call the "dual extraction" happening across our continent: * Physical extractio...

In this episode of StrangersX, I sit down with Dumoluhle Mazwemzini Moyo. A writer, scholar, and artist, to explore what it means to grow beyond inherited models of masculinity. Together, we unpack how mental check-ins can be acts of resistance, why parenting must not be confused with control, and how political leadership across the continent still clings to the myth of the "father of the nation."...

In this episode I sit down with Takudzwa Zoe Chitare, a Zimbabwean-Irish scholar to reflect on emigration, identity, and her PhD research on land tenure and rural women's rights in South Africa. A conversation on migration, memory, and land justice. Takudzwa Zoe Chitare was is a doctoral candidate at the University of Westminster, UK dedicated to advancing the discourse on land rights, gender...

What does it mean to be Black, Muslim, and female in South Africa, and to speak truth to power through journalism? In this episode of Strangers, we sit down with journalist Nontobeko Aisha Mkhwanazi to explore how identity, faith, and gendered violence shape public life, from the township to the newsroom. We unpack the realities of growing up as a religious minority, navigating life as a visibly M...

Follow and listen to the PREMIERE epsiode of StrangersX podcast as we explore themes of the growing trend of Nationalism, Belonging and Digital Democracy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zainabtaongachirwa.substack.com

In this debut episode of StrangersX, host Zainab Taonga Chirwa reflects on the meaning of belonging, nationalism, and the label “stranger” — especially as it shapes the lives of youth in the Global South. Drawing on personal experience and political analysis, she asks:What does it mean to not belong where you were born? Can active citizenship thrive where nationalism excludes? And how might strang...