Africa Daily

On Wednesday 24 August, Angola will head to the polls. The two frontrunners are current president, João Lourenço, from the MPLA, who will be seeking his second term in office and Adalberto Costa Júnior, representing the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). These two groups have had a rivalry that has dominated Angola’s politics since independence in 1975 and battled for pow...

A recent survey of more than 4,500 young people in Africa, aged 18-24, found more than half of them are thinking about emigrating in the next few years. Many participants said they believed that because of the lack of opportunities, they could only improve their lives by leaving the continent. Others cited security and poor healthcare as reasons for wanting to move abroad. So, on a recent trip to...

Last week, the Sierra Leone government introduced two new laws that have been hailed by some NGOs as ' the most progressive land reform laws in the world'. These new laws will give communities the power to block mining, farming and industrial projects on their land, restrict the amount of years companies can lease land for and will ban industrial development in ecologically sensitive areas. Curren...

In recent years Uganda has made great progress in treating patients with kidney failure. They can now receive dialysis at several hospitals, which can sustain their health for many years. But for those who need a kidney transplant, they have no option but to travel overseas. Doctors at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala have been working to make transplants possible on Ugandan soil. But...

Kenya’s electoral commission has named William Ruto as the winner of last weeks presidential election. However, four of the seven commissioners have refused to back the result. And Raila Odinga, Mr Ruto’s challenger for the top job, has rejected the result. He says he will challenge the election in the courts. So, what will happen next? And what does it mean for Kenyans? #AfricaDaily

Zama Zamas are young, mostly illegal miners who are taking advantage of the mining industry in South Africa. They have been in the news recently after being linked to a series of violent crimes. On yesterday’s episode, Mpho Lakaje heard about the gang rape of eight women near Johannesburg, which the Zama Zamas have been linked to. He also heard that this is not the first such violence they have be...

The term Zama Zama is a slang word in isiZulu, one of South Africa's official languages and loosely translates to ‘someone who is trying’ or a ‘hustler’. They are young miners, largely illegal, who take advantage of the lucrative mining industry in South Africa. They are back in the news after a gang rape of eight women near Johannesburg. The women had been shooting a music video at an abandoned m...

Kenya’s presidential election has been dominating the headlines this week. And while we still don’t know there results, there’s still plenty to talk about. The Kenyan constitution gives all citizens living overseas the right to vote in elections. This year their options have been expanded, with embassies in 12 countries opening their doors for people to cast ballots. But that has still meant long...

With a population of 15 million, Lagos is the biggest city on the continent. But by the end of the century, it’s predicted to become the most populous city in the world. And it isn’t the only rapidly growing city in Africa. It’s predicted that by the turn of the century, Africa will be home to 13 out of the 20 biggest cities. And many of these will be megacities - urban centres with a population o...

Two of East Africa’s big countries and economies have voiced ambitious plans to get in on the electric vehicles revolution. Only last week Kenya Power announced it’s investing in a network of charging stations for electric vehicles across the country. In a recent interview with Africa Daily, Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni revealed his country had started to assemble their own electric vehicles...

The World Health Organisation is sounding the alarm – obesity is on the rise. Latest figures from the WHO show that more than 1 billion people in the world are obese – meaning they have abnormal or excessive body fat. In Africa, numbers are rising too. One in five adults in Kenya, Libya and South Africa are predicted to be obese by December 2023. Earlier this year Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional...

Polygamy is said to be legally recognised in more than 25 African countries. But though the practice is not legalised in the rest of the continent, you still get situations where a man has more than one wife. And so recently when an MP in Ivory Coast suggested a bill to legalise polygamy, it caused a commotion. And the debate continues. He says if polygamy is legalised, women will be better protec...

After a week back in his home country of Uganda, Alan has spoken to people from all walks of life. He’s met people struggling to get by, doctors trying to make a difference and students trying to decide whether to build a life there or move overseas. In the second part of his interview with President Museveni, Alan focuses on the questions Ugandans are asking about the future. Can the government b...

Last week Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, visited Uganda’s capital. He met with President Museveni as part of a tour to bolster support among African countries. Uganda is one of many countries on the continent that have refused to condemn the war in Ukraine. But on Thursday, Linda Thomas-Greenfield – the US ambassador to the United Nations – is visiting the country. She is likely to deli...

While 2000 of the world’s languages are African, African languages are barely represented in technology. Part of the reason for this is that many of these African languages are classed as 'low-resource'. This means there is a lack of data existing for these languages - and this is the data needed to teach machines how to speak and understand them. As a result, technology has been unavailable to la...

Kenya, one of Africa's leading economies, will be electing a new president on 9 August. The main contenders seeking to replace President Uhuru Kenyatta are his deputy William Ruto and his long-time rival, now turned ally Raila Odinga. The election comes at a hard time for many Kenyans who are facing a surge in the cost of living, unemployment and severe climate change challenges, among others. But...

Alan is on the road in his home country Uganda. Last week he visited Kampala’s markets – talking to customers concerned at a spike in the cost of food. Many prices have more than doubled in recent weeks – whether it’s for sweet potatoes, a bag of cement or a litre of petrol. It’s meant people choosing to drive less as they struggle to balance their budgets. Now, in a discussion recorded live in fr...

When Alan arrived in Kampala this week, the first thing he noticed was fewer cars on the road. With petrol prices rising, people are thinking twice about using their cars. And the impact is being felt in the markets too. The cost of staple food has shot up in recent months, with some prices almost doubling. So, in the first of two episodes looking at the cost of living, Alan went down to the marke...

Political dynasties are an ongoing debate as Kenya elects a new president on August 9. President Uhuru Kenyatta will leave office after 10 years in power. He comes from a strong political legacy. His father was Kenya’s first president after independence – Jomo Kenyatta. Among those vying to replace him are also familiar names on the Kenyan political scene. The main contenders are Raila Odinga, who...

Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov is in Ethiopia today. It’s the last stop on a tour trying to bolster support amongst African countries. Much of the continent has been badly affected by grain shortages caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine. But Mr Lavrov denies the country’s role in the global food crisis. And Moscow is keen to strengthen ties with this continent where many countries have been...

While he’s on tour in South Africa, Alan noticed that taverns are making the headlines for all the wrong reasons. When he visited one in Soweto, he found a warm, welcoming pub at the centre of the community. But he heard that there aren’t as many people drinking there as usual. It seems they have heard reports of shootings at taverns across the country. Just five minutes up the road, sixteen peopl...

This episode contains frank discussion about underage drinking, as well as subjects like sexual assault and abuse. ********************************************************************************************************************************** “In the neighbourhood I come from, drinking is very popular. Maybe it’s the way people are brought up. They don’t see it as a big problem. But obviously i...

Cycling is popular in Africa. Wherever you travel across the continent, the young and old are commuting on bikes. Countries like Rwanda, Cameroon and Burkina Faso have their own tours. But it seems to be an uphill climb for African riders to make it to the top of the most famous cycling competition; Tour de France. Very few Africans have made it to the Tour and no African has won the competition....

“People can’t go to work, can’t cook. We aren’t even sure if the water that’s brought in by trucks is clean. Enough is enough.” Residents of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa have been dealing with water shortages for months. A long drought and ageing infrastructure are both impacting on supply – with around 30% of water being lost because of leaking pipes. And it’s not the first time Sout...

Malaria is still one of the biggest killers for children under five in Africa. But in Zanzibar, the semi-autonomous island part of Tanzania, there have been huge efforts by the government and development partners since the early 2000s to eliminate the disease. Their efforts have seemingly paid off and in the last decade, Zanzibar has maintained a malaria prevalence rate below 1%. It is particularl...