Africa Daily

“I think my mum’s passing was a way of bringing me back to serve humanity. Maybe that’s what she’d have wanted to do for herself. Maybe I’m doing my mum’s work.” 80 million Africans are now above the age of 60. And with improved healthcare that’s a number that’s set to climb drastically in the coming years. Traditionally, elderly people have been cared for by their families, but now more young peo...

Last week, President Bazoum, the first democratically elected president to succeed another in Niger, was detained by his own guards. A military junta is now running the country. Niger was one of the few democracies left in the Sahel. From Mali in the west to Sudan in the east, a whole swathe of Africa is now run by the military. President Bazoum was a key ally to western countries, which have deno...

“What I’m seeing is another way of Africa rushing with a begging plate, begging saucer.” Last week, President Vladimir Putin held a Russia Africa summit in St. Petersburg. Countries in attendance included Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Uganda, Senegal and Burkina Faso. African leaders had hoped to persuade Moscow to revive the Ukraine grain deal - helping millions of people who might be affected by fo...

Friends and family are often called on to donate blood to loved ones in a medical emergency or ahead of routine surgery. But across the continent, there is a shortfall in blood needed for life saving transfusions. The World Health Organisation estimates that they are only meeting half the need. Aisha Dafalla and Kennedy Sanya are Kenya’s biggest donors. Between them they have donated more than 170...

More than 40 people died in wildfires as temperatures soared in the Mediterranean last week. The majority of those casualties were in Algeria, where 34 people lost their lives. In Tunisia more than 300 people were displaced. A team of climate scientists - the World Weather Attribution group - said this month's intense heatwave in the region would be virtually impossible without human-induced clima...

“In most cases they are doing much better than men because they have to prove to the world that they are capable. And it’s not supposed to be like that but that’s how it is.” The Women’s World Cup is getting lots of attention in Australia and New Zealand – but did you know that South Africa is currently hosting another World Cup tournament? This weekend the Netball World Cup ‘tipped off’ in Cape T...

“All the pursuits of capitalism in Africa have dismally failed” Exactly ten years ago, firebrand South African politician Julius Malema and his allies, established the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). It came after he was expelled from the ruling African National Congress (ANC) for “fomenting divisions and bringing the party into disrepute”. At its first national election in 2014, the EFF received...

“He was fearless right? Someone who would never say no in the fiercest of moments… Someone who, without even thinking or blinking in the moment, would always try to respond to the crisis which he faced.” Cameroon has only known one President during the last 40 years: Paul Biya. And for 30 of those years, John Fru Ndi was his only credible challenger. The politician from the North-west Anglophone r...

For years now, South Africa has been part a group of countries that come together to combat wildfires across the world. Their firefighters have been in Canada helping to fight wildfires that have engulfed parts of the country since late May. Three teams, in total of about 600 firefighters, have been deployed to Alberta and Quebec to help protect lives and properties. In doing so, the South African...

To test or not to test? In Uganda, a series of high profile paternity cases has led to a very animated public discussion about whether men should do DNA tests to find out if all their children are really their own. And if they find they aren't, should that change their relationship with that child, and their responsibility for them? In response, the Ugandan government has warned people to beware h...

More than 25 million people live with HIV in Africa – and the region continues to be most affected in the world, according to the World Health Organisation. But a recent report by UN AIDS says the spread of HIV can be eradicated globally by 2030. For Africa Daily, @kasujja looks at how this ambitious target can be achieved on the continent.

This week the BBC’s James Copnall has been in Calabria, southern Italy, to report on the rising number of migrants arriving by sea. The number of people arriving has more than doubled compared to this time last year. Sadly, not everyone makes it to European shores. There have been a string of disasters with hundreds of people dying in the Mediterranean this year alone. And politicians in Europe ar...

“They’re some of the best footballers and athletes that I’ve ever played alongside.” The Women’s World Cup kicks off today. Zambia, Morocco, South Africa and Nigeria will represent the continent in Australia and New Zealand. They’ll all be hoping to get to the final in four weeks’ time. While women’s football has developed at a dramatic pace in the last few years, it’s still a way behind the men’s...

The 2026 Commonwealth Games are in doubt after the Australian state of Victoria cancelled its plans to host due to budget blowouts. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) struggled to find a host before Victoria volunteered in April 2022. And Durban, which was meant to be hosting the event in 2022, had the games taken off them after the South African government said they were struggling to meet d...

South Africa has started preparing to host the BRICS summit next month. This is a gathering of a political and economic bloc compromised of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. China, in particular, is expected to expand its influence. Over 30% of all major building projects in Africa are led by Chinese firms while the West makes up just 12%, according to consultancy company, Deloitte. A...

This week the biggest women’s football tournament on the planet kicks off. Teams from 32 countries will be playing in Australia and New Zealand to win the coveted Fifa World Cup. Africa isn’t just going to be represented by the teams competing on the pitch but also by the teams of officials refereeing at the tournament. One of those officials is Rwandan referee Salima Mukansanga. As well as being...

Nigeria's state-owned oil company says an oil tanker capable of carrying 800,000 litres of smuggled crude has been intercepted offshore while heading to Cameroon. Nigeria's state-owned oil firm said the oil had been stolen from a well in the south-western state of Ondo. As dramatic as this finding was, it is just a fraction of the oil being stolen in Nigeria. So, what is behind it?

This week the continent welcomed Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi for a three country visit. It’s a rare visit, it’s the first by an Iranian president to Africa in ten years. President Raisi’s trip began in Kenya where he was welcomed by President William Ruto and a military parade. This week President Raisi heads to Uganda and then to Zimbabwe. In recent years, western countries have imposed sancti...

The Children in Freedom School - which is based in Nakuru, Kenya – takes a slightly different approach to education. It prides itself on being the first “Afrocentric” school on the continent. Basically, they put African culture, identity and enrichment at the heart of everything they do in the classroom. They were recently shortlisted for the World's Best School Prize, putting them among the top 1...

Kenya’s President, William Ruto, said recently that he will lift a ban on logging in the country. He said that mature trees in Kenya’s forests can now be cut down and that this will help to boost the timber industry. The ban has been in place since 2018, with the aim of protecting Kenya’s natural forests. So, what impact will change of direction have?

The stated aim of the global charity International Justice Mission is commendable: rescue millions of people from being trafficked into forced labour by the year 2030. But in the Volta Lake region of Ghana, families claimed their children had been taken from them at gun point.. BBC Africa Eye, prompted by tip offs from local sources, decided to investigate and went undercover.

Riots spread from Paris to many French cities after the killing by police of Nahel M, a 17-year-old boy of Algerian origin. The unrest has been described as unprecedented in terms of scale and intensity. While the riots were sparked by the death of Nahel, it has also raised questions about race and poverty in France. So, what can the past two weeks tell us about life in the country?

“I just wish the governments of South Africa and Lesotho would come together and help us to get the bodies” In May, 31 people believed to be illegal miners died in a gas explosion at an abandoned shaft in the Free State province of South Africa. The authorities have been trying to retrieve their remains, but high levels of methane gas is making it difficult to get them. Their relatives, who are fr...

Should there be a ban on the importation of the body parts of wild animals, like lion pelts, elephant tusks or zebra hides into Britain? That’s a question currently being considered by British lawmakers. Cases like Cecil the Lion - killed by an American dentist in Zimbabwe - have raised concern about the practice worldwide – and the image of white foreigners killing African wildlife disturbs many...

Across Africa there are moves afoot to toughen laws against the gay community. In May, President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill – giving Uganda some of the harshest anti-LGBTQ laws in the world. But now Ghana’s and Kenya’s parliaments are due to soon start debating even tougher legislation. Just after the Ugandan bill was passed, MPs from a number of countries across the contin...