Focus on Africa

We look at how decades of diamond mining along South Africa's west coast have affected the environment and why the local Nama community says mining companies such as De Beers and state-owned Alexkor haven't done enough to rehabilitate their land. Also, after Australia banned use of social media for people under the age of 16, we ask whether African countries should come up with such a ban. Present...

Weight-loss injections have become a major talking point, from Hollywood celebrities to TikTok influencers. Originally developed to treat diabetes, these medications were later found to help people shed a lot of weight - a discovery that has rapidly expanded their global use. The World Health Organization has now released its first-ever guidance on prescribing them for obesity. South Africa recent...

Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group says it has captured Uvira town near DR Congo's southeastern border with Burundi. This comes after US President Donald Trump brokered a peace deal between DR Congolese leader Felix Tshisekedi and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda in Washington DC last week. We look at what the renewed fighting means for DR Congo and the peace agreement. Also, a housing deficit poses a t...

In Tanzania, Independence Day protests stall following stern government warnings but questions over the country's human rights record remain.   And also, tragedy in an attempt to strike gold. We hear how unregulated and risky gold mines are cutting short the lives of school-going teenagers in Sierra Leone.   Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba, Ayuba Iliya and Danie...

The US is prioritising asylum applications from white farmers in South Africa where it says there’s a 'genocide' against them, despite the claims being widely discredited. A BBC Africa Eye team spoke to some white Afrikaner farmers and black farmers to gain insight about the situation. Also, a conversation on vaginal wellness. We find out some of the most common products and practices that experts...

What does the coup attempt in Benin mean for the West African nation and its citizens? President Patrice Talon has assured the nation that things are 'under control' after the government thwarted Sunday's military takeover. About a dozen soldiers believed to be the leaders of the mutiny have been arrested. Also, did you know dog meat is a staple in some parts of Nigeria, Africa's biggest populatio...

What does it feel like when your photos are taken, manipulated and shared online without your consent? That’s the reality for 23-year-old Debra Nashipae, a Kenyan student and aspiring musician whose images were turned into deepfake pornography – a form of digital abuse that experts say is increasing rapidly. According to UN Women, 90–95% of all deepfakes online are non-consensual pornographic imag...

Zambian-American influencer Ethel Chisono Edwards, also known as 'One Boss Lady', has been a vocal critic of Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema. She was convicted under the Cyber Security Act and the Cyber Crimes Act, two controversial laws that were recently amended to stipulate harsher penalties. The case has raised concerns about freedom of speech in Zambia. Also, did you know that the traff...

Nigeria: A deep dive into the spike in school mass abductions by armed groups in northern Nigeria. We hear from the parents of some of the victims and ask: Who is behind the kidnappings and what's the government doing about it? And how are mental health institutions perceived in Africa? We speak to someone in Uganda about their mental health journey and experience at the country's main referral fa...

A rare conversation with Egypt's Foreign Minister about the Sudan War and the tensions with Ethiopia over the river Nile, and Focus on Africa moves its hub from London to Nairobi. Egypt's Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty has denied that his country is supporting the Sudanese Armed Forces in the war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. He also spoke about tensions with Ethiopia after th...

Zambia: President Hakainde Hichilema faces challenges over proposed constitutional changes Why Zimbabwean short film RISE deserves an Oscar nomination Should footballers from the diaspora be allowed to join African national teams after they qualify for the World Cup? Presenter : Nyasha Michelle Producers: Sunita Nahar, Yvette Twagiramariya, Alexander Lathbridge, Stefania Okereke, Joseph Keen, and...

Kenya’s Maasai Mara Game Reserve is at the centre of a legal battle over a new Marriott Ritz-Carlton luxury safari lodge. Why are Maasai leaders calling for the camp to be removed? Also in the podcast, we hear from Malian refugees who allege war crimes committed by the now largely disbanded private Russian paramilitary group, Wagner. And a tour guide in Madrid showcases Africa's influence in the c...

A military general has been sworn in as Guinea-Bissau's transitional president following the 15th coup in the country. Why is the country prone to coups? BBC speaks to families of missing students in Niger state as Nigeria declares a state of emergency following a surge in kidnappings. And we look at what could be the reasons behind America’s move to exclude South Africa from the African Growth an...

The Malian government and Canadian mining firm Barrick have ended their two year tax dispute and have agreed a multi-million dollar settlement. So what does the agreement involve? Why did a volcano in Ethiopia erupt after laying dormant for more than 10,000 years? And we find out why Madagascar's beloved lemurs are at risk. Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Stefania Okereke, Sunita Nahar and Y...

In Guinea-Bissau, rivals Embalo and Dias claim victory in a tense presidential election as official results remain pending. In Nigeria, separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu has been sentenced to four life terms for terrorism and treason. What does it mean for the group calling for separatism.  And in Tunisia, an Indigenous centre in Tataouine preserves heritage, supports women-led crafts, and creates job...

A BBC Africa Eye documentary has exposed the practice of selling body parts for magic rituals in Sierra Leone. We speak to the reporter who went back to the town where an 11-year-old boy was murdered as part of a suspected black magic killing four years ago. Why were two Zimbabwean university students, campaigning during elections for their Students Representative Council, abducted in broad daylig...

South Africa's president declares gender-based violence and femicide a national crisis after planned protests   A campaign to encourage us to donate our bodies to medical science   And Audrey Brown bids farewell to Focus on Africa     Presenter Audrey Brown   Producers: Nyasha Michelle, Yvette Twagiramariya, Patricia Whitehorne, Stefania Okereke and Sunita Nahar in London. Charles Gitonga is in Na...

A special BBC investigation has collated data which shows there have been thousands of reports of rape between July 2023 and May 2025, in the conflict between militias and Ethiopian government forces in the Amhara region. We hear a personal testimony and also find out more about the scale of the abuses. Also in the podcast, why the advocacy and campaigning organisation Child Online Africa is pushi...

Amnesty International alleges that the Kenyan government used digital tools to suppress Gen Z organised demonstrations   Has the rift between Senegalese President Faye and Prime Minister Sonko widened?   Also, Nigeria has Nigeria canceled mother-tongue teaching in primary schools and reinstated  English- why?   Presenter: Nyasha Michelle   Producers:  Joseph Keen, Saleck Zeid, Stefania Okereke and...

At least 20 schoolgirls are still missing in Nigeria's north-western Kebbi State after they were kidnapped at dawn from their dormitories at a secondary school. How can mass abductions in Nigeria be stopped? South Africa fears a "cleansing agenda" after the controversial arrival of 153 passengers from Gaza in the country. And how Ethiopia plans to tackle its housing crisis, which has been fuelled...

The DR Congo and the M23 rebels sign a framework agreement in Qatar for a peace deal to end fighting   Will Nigeria's seemingly endless academic staff strikes end?   And Nigeria's Eagles to miss the World Cup after defeat by DR Congo's Leopards   Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers:  Sunita Nahar and Joseph Keen in London with Madina Maishanu in Abuja. Technical Producer: Jack Graysmark Senior Pr...

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has sacked his Second Vice-President Dr Benjamin Bol Mel, who was seen as a possible successor. So with First Vice-President Riek Machar under house arrest charged with treason, how will this latest move by the president affect political stability in the country? Africa finally has its own drug-regulation body following the launch of the African Medicines Agency...

Wife and son of Gabon's ousted leader get 20-year jail terms in two-day corruption trial. Mauritania's president, Mohamed Ould Cheikh Al-Ghazouani, recently sacked some senior government officials. Can he win the fight against corruption? And Zambia's ambitious plans to diversify from minerals to agriculture and livestock by 2030 Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers:  Yvette Twagiramariya, Stefani...

Can new tougher measures announced by Sierra Leone's President Bio really be effective in combating kush, the illegal psychoactive blend of addictive substances that is devastating the country. What caused the fatal helicopter crash in Ghana that killed eight people, including two high profile government ministers? And why has Senegal dismissed the IMF’s debt restructure plan as "a disgrace"? Pres...

Can Mali's military junta maintain its hold on power despite a jihadist blockade?   What role are mercenaries playing in Africa's  current conflicts.   And the genesis of a new type of Algerian rai protest music known as "Way Way"     Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Patricia Whitehorne, Bella Hassan and Mark Wilberforce in London with, Madina Maishanu in Abuja. Technical P...