Africa Daily

Twitter’s got its eye on Ghana. The social media giant wants to open new headquarters in Accra - the company’s first in Africa. Twitter’s also recruiting a dozen people to help it expand its reach across the continent. The news has been welcomed by many users, including the Ghanaian president himself. But how much of a difference could their move actually make? And can Africa really become a new h...

The African Continent Free Trade Agreement came into force this year with the aim of creating a borderless market for services, goods and commodities worth trillions of dollars for the region. It’s a high ambition for the 54 nation bloc and the World Bank estimates that the new trade regime could unlock growth in income of up to four-hundred and fifty billion dollars. It is expected to boost intra...

Tanzania’s new President seems to be taking the country in a new direction. She’s the only woman running an African country, having replaced John Pombe Magufuli, a popular leader in Tanzania, who died in March. Within the first week of taking office, she set up a taskforce to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. The severity of the virus had been downplayed by the man she succeeds. And she’s also allo...

South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa has said Africa needs the skills and capacity to manufacture its own Covid-19. vaccines. At a conference of African leaders, he said the world was watching “vaccine apartheid”. And it’s a fact that of the hundreds of millions of vaccines that have so far been given, less than two percent have been to Africans. Up until now Africa has had a low number of Co...

In Africa an estimated 160 million people live with water scarcity. Either because there isn’t enough water or it isn’t safe to consume. And the problem is worst in big urban areas. For places like Nairobi the problem is getting bigger with more people settling in the city. It's particularly bad in some areas, places like Dandora Phase 4 in the suburbs. Caroline Achieng used to sell tea there but...

The singer Akon has said he's building a new city in Uganda, to add to the one he's already planning in his home country of Senegal. His plans include gravity-defying skyscrapers, luxury apartments and places for study, work and leisure - all within a short walk of each other. The city will even have its own cryptocurrency - "Akoin". It's a far cry from the problems that blight many African cities...

Darfur’s recent history is one of violence. But, after Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir was ousted from the presidency in 2019, there was hope. A transitional government was formed – and with it came promises of stability. A peace agreement was signed with rebel factions that, for years, had fought the government. And yet, despite those deals, a new wave of violence has hit West Darfur. Who’s behind? And ho...

Kenya’s running low on anti-HIV drugs. Antiretrovirals can be really helpful when it comes to keeping people living with HIV healthy. But for the last couple of months, they’ve been hard to come by in Kenya. This is partly due to a tax dispute between the government and donors who import the drugs. Health workers on the ground tell a different story though. Some say access to these life-saving dru...

West Africa is the home of cocoa. Roughly 60 per cent of the world’s cocoa supply comes from Ghana and Ivory Coast. But farmers there complain they’re not getting paid fairly for their crops. By some estimates, many of them make less than a dollar a day from growing cocoa. And yet, the chocolate industry makes billions and billions of dollars around the world. So, where’s the money going? And how...

One dam. Three countries. A big headache. Ethiopia couldn’t be more proud of it, but the Grand Renaissance Dam has proven controversial. The dam is being built on the Blue Nile River. When complete, it will be Africa's biggest hydroelectric power plant. Problem is: both Egypt and Sudan fear the dam will limit their access to water. Ethiopia, on the other hand, says the project is vital to its deve...

Is police abuse gone from Nigeria? Late last year, a wave of protests against police brutality shook Nigeria to the core. At the heart of it was the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars), a much-hated police unit. As the so-called #EndSars protests spread across the country, the world’s eyes were on Nigeria. And, at the time, politicians responded with promises of change and reform. But, six months on...

Feet up, phones switched off. Alan and the Africa Daily team are taking a quick break for Easter. But don’t worry: we’ll be back with another episode on 6 April. #AfricaDaily

Black is beautiful. Never forget that. And yet, skin bleaching products are everywhere you look – be it in billboards or social media. Both men and women are doing it, even if they don’t always want to admit to it in public. The problem is: making your skin lighter could actually be dangerous to your health. That’s why some countries are taking action to regulate these products or ban them altoget...

This is the golden age of gaming. Never before has there been so much money to be made in video games. Africa’s game makers want their story to be one of success. And there’s no shortage of talent: just look at South Africa, Kenya, or Cameroon. But how easy is it for them to take on an industry dominated by big Western players? What’s stopping from being the next big thing in gaming? Hosted by Ala...

South Africa’s teachers are worried. Children seem to be dropping out of school at alarming rates. Experts say the problem isn’t new, but it certainly hasn’t been helped by Covid-19. The pandemic has forced many families to pull their kids out of the classroom – but at what cost? And what exactly is South Africa doing to deal with the problem? Hosted by Alan Kasujja (@Kasujja on Twitter) #AfricaDa...

Kenya’s largest refugee camps are shutting down. Combined, the Dadaab and Kakuma camps are home to more than 410,000 people. But the Kenyan government has suggested these camps have become a security risk. Both camps have been run with the help of the United Nations. And their refugee agency has now been given 14 days to come up with a closure plan. But how easy will it be to move that many people...

Should hijabs be allowed in mission schools? Tensions are running high in Kwara state, Nigeria. Churches, schools, and shops have been attacked. Scuffles have been reported. It all started when ten mission schools refused entry to Muslim girls wearing their hijabs. Christians in the community say the veils go against the foundations of these schools. Muslims families argue their rights, as Nigeria...

Streaming African films has never been easier. Platforms like Netflix have been putting good money into films from across the continent. For directors and actors, this is a welcome chance for them to share their work with the world. And, amid a pandemic, it also gave them some unexpected income when the sets shut down. But not everyone agrees these big new players are changing the industry for the...

They leave a trail of chaos and destruction. A group of insurgents calling themselves “al-Shabab” are waging war in northern Mozambique. They’re linked to the Islamic State group and accused of heinous crimes – including beheadings. The violence got so serious, Mozambique has even looked abroad for help. But how did this insurgency begin? And what do these militants want? Hosted by Alan Kasujja (@...

Welcome to the pandemic Olympics. First, the Tokyo Olympics were postponed for a year because of Covid-19. Now, international fans are being told to stay home to avoid spreading the virus. The pandemic has changed the face of the Olympics in ways that no one could have anticipated. But speak to the athletes hoping to bring home some gold, and you’ll see their excitement is real. So how is the cont...

30 years in office – and counting. Young Chadians have only known one president for their whole lives: Idriss Deby. He came to power in a coup, back in 1990, and has remained in power ever since. Now, he’s running for president again: if elected, this could be his sixth term in office. In the last few weeks, anti-government protests were banned and internet access limited. And this has only added...

Enough with the snacks: Africa’s got an obesity problem. And this is leading to major health issues like heart and liver disease across the continent. At a glance, this might seem rather peculiar, considering malnutrition is still a huge issue in Africa. So, what exactly is going on? How did obesity become a problem in countries known for their incredible produce and healthy, balanced diets? Where...

Why travel to a war-torn country? Yemen’s been going through a nasty civil war for most of the last decade. The situation’s got so bad, aid agencies have described it as the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis”. But despite all this, several thousands of East Africans are still travelling there. They risk their lives crossing the Red Sea, only to face possible detention on arrival. So, why are they...

What’s John Magufuli up to? It’s been more than two weeks since Tanzanians last saw their president. Opposition politicians have suggested that he’s in a serious condition, after supposedly contracting Covid-19. But several members of his government have said the president’s in good health. They’ve described allegations of his supposed illness as “rumours”. And yet, there’s still no actual sign of...

Salons shut. DIY haircuts. Lockdowns throughout the continent have forced salons and barber shops to shut their doors. Without them, many of us have had to find creative ways to keep our looks sharp. And, for shrewd businesses, this has been an opportunity like no other. In online tutorials or home care products, they have found new sources of much-needed cash. But will this be enough to keep the...