The Brenthurst Foundation Podcast

According to Afrobaromter, Africans want more democracy than they are getting. Why is democracy so important? What does more democracy entail? How can we deepen the democratic project? Find out more in this week’s chat between Marie-Noelle and Rhoda Osei-Afful, Senior Research Analyst at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development. Join the conversation on: Twitter - @BrenthurstF / Facebook - @Bre...

This week we bring you the second half of our conversation with Guinea's former finance minister, Malado Kaba, who sat down with Marie-Noelle to impart some of the wisdom she has gained over her years in office.  The pair covered an array of topics, from Covid-19, to gender parity across the continent, and even some advice for those coming up in the world of international development.  J...

Malado Kaba, first female Minister of Economy and Finance of Guinea, sits down with Marie-Noelle to discuss the difficult trade-offs in decision-making processes as a politician and shares lessons from her time in office, including how she went about increase in fiscal transparency, fighting corruption and promoting good governance.  Stick around and you will hear her insightful nuggets on fi...

Ever wondered why Africa misses the mark attracting FDI? Summits, targets, and envoys are a good start to attracting much needed FDI to Africa, but they will not be enough. We need a more active and targeted approach by governments that decide to get their acts together. Join Marie-Noelle Nwokolo in this episode as she explores insights from Thomas Schaefer (Volkswagen and Skoda), Greg Mills and D...

The Brenthurst Foundation presents an interview with Dr Yakama Manty Jones, Director of Research and Delivery Division at the Ministry of Finance in Sierra Leone. Yakama reflects on the financing options that are available and need to be harnessed by Africa’s leaders to sponsor its development. She also shares some insights on what makes Public Private Partnerships(PPPs) work in Africa.

Over the past couple of years, Zambia has been in the news but not for flattering reasons: mounting debt and increasing mismanagement of the country's macroeconomic indicators. Today, the narrative has turned as many see a different future with newly-elected President Hakainde Hichilema. In this episode, he sits with The Brenthurst Foundation to discuss Zambia's current economic situation and his...

In today’s episode, Riva Levinson of KRL International joins Marie-Noelle in discussing good political leadership, what it takes to deepen democracy and accountability in Africa, and her journey supporting Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s bid for Presidency. Join the conversation on: Twitter - @BrenthurstF / Facebook - @BrenthurstFoundation / Instagram - @brenthurstfoundation #democracy #goodleadership #Af...

Young people across the world are well adept to 21st Century life and issues which come with it, making them well-equipped to take positions of power. However, when it comes to Africa, do the young of today lack the initiative to uptake these positions? Why are its populations so young yet its leaders so old?  This week, we re-visit a conversation Marie-Noelle had with youth leader Kaene Dise...

The SA Future Trust was was established in March 2020 with a view to provide financial support to SMME's across the country. One and a half years on, how has it helped support the people of South Africa and what further impact can it have? Marie-Noelle caught up with Ashleigh Fynn-Munda, Social Investment Associate at Oppenheimer Generations Philanthropy, to discuss the recent release of the SA Fu...

What’s it like meeting those in power? How are they really when the camera’s are turned off? What does it taketo become a top African journalist? This week, Marie-Noelle speaks to Daniel Makokera, a veteran newscaster who, for the last two decades, has travelled the continent asking questions to some of the most powerful leaders across Africa. Daniel has learnt a lot during his career, about the c...

South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) recognises that it needs to focus more on economic diplomacy, including upskilling its diplomats to promote trade and investment. But this work needs to go further if South Africa is to pursue a foreign policy fit for economic growth and prosperity. There is a broad consensus that it needs to better coordinate the differe...

Between 2001 and 2019, two million men and women from abroad served in Afghanistan, and more than $2 trillion was expended, an extraordinary, once-in-a-generation commitment of resources to a poor country, a staggering opportunity cost. The Western withdrawal from Afghanistan, set to be complete by September 11 2021, has gone hand-in-hand with a narrative of defeat, repeated so often it’s in dange...

The recent unrest that took hold across parts of South Africa, following the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma, put inequality back in the spotlight. While some put the blame squarely on the Zuma faction within the ruling ANC, it is clear that, out on the streets, there was a boiling resentment fed by the government's failure to deliver basic public services. This week, Marie-Noelle sat down w...

The Ease of Doing Business indicator is a system that ranks the regulatory environment of countries around the world. Over time, the ranking, collated by the World Bank, has amassed considerable influence over business regulation as countries have sought to improve their score to attract investment. This week, Marie-Noelle spoke to Dr Jumoke Oduwole, who serves as Special Advisor to the President...

The US foreign policy approach to Africa has remained remarkably consistent since the Clinton administration. As President Biden’s State Department begins to take shape, analysts have started to wonder which direction his government might take. This week, Marie-Noelle spoke to Ambassador J. Peter Pham , a Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council , who formerly served as US Special Envoy for th...

Diaspora communities play an integral role in the economic, cultural and developmental growth of their countries of origin.  However, research suggests that, too often, governments lack the expertise and capacity to effectively engage them. This week, Marie-Noelle chats to Dr Martin Russell , an advisor at The Networking Institute , to learn a little more about where and when diaspora engagem...

Industries without smokestacks – tradable services like tourism and transport – could hold the key to future meaningful employment for millions across Africa. Following on from last week’s episode with Sharmi Surianarain , Marie-Noelle spoke to Antoinette Eckersley , Founder and Group CEO of KGI Holdings , whose focus on business process outsourcing is changing the way we think about what work cou...

Automation. Artificial intelligence. Remote working. These are just some of the terms and phrases often deployed in conversations around the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ and the future of work. Africa’s growing population will necessitate the creation of new jobs and industries to accommodate the millions more than will enter the job market over the next few decades. Covid-19 hasn’t changed that...

According to the IMF, Africa was home to the world's five fastest growing economies prior to the pandemic. Much has been written of the continent's looming population boom, and the levels of economic growth that will be required to sustain such change.  While COVID has changed a lot, the need for rapid economic growth remains. Only now it’s even greater. But how can Africa sustain its post-pa...

Africa’s cities are growing. Fast. Some 500 million people live in one of the continent’s already burgeoning metropolises. Another 800 million are set to join them by 2050. Unless action is taken, Africa will have to deal with a demographic crisis the scale of which has never been seen before. But how bad could it really get? And what does the right action look like? This week Marie-Noelle was joi...

Technology - how can we leverage its power to improve lives and equip the youth of today with the right skills for a digital world of tomorrow? The Brenthurst Foundation Podcast is back, and this week, Marie-Noelle was joined by Lily Edinam Botsyoe of Hacklab Foundation , to talk all things digital. Join the conversation on: Twitter - @BrenthurstF / Facebook - @BrenthurstFoundation / Instagram - @...

We’re taking a break from the podcast this week, but fear not, we’ve got a load of great new content lined up that will be coming out shortly. Haven’t caught up on this series yet? You find all episodes, hosted by Marie-Noelle , on our website . See you next week.

Crisis planning is critical to the success of any government. But how can you plan for the unknown? Fellow at The Brenthurst Foundation, Richard Morrow , spoke to Marie-Noelle about some of the lessons Africa must learn from COVID-19 to ensure it is better equipped for the next crisis, whatever that might be. The idea for this week’s episode came from a discussion paper – ‘ Africa after COVID-19:...

Philanthropy has played a significant role in the lives of many through charitable donations, funding businesses and stop gap public good provisions. But can it be more?  This week, Marie-Noelle sat down with Bridget Fury, the head of Oppenheimer Generations Philanthropies, to talk about the future of philanthropy and its role in achieving development outcomes in Africa. Join the conversation...

The Brenthurst Foundation’s Director, Dr. Greg Mills , has been known to embark on some epic adventures in his time. This week, he spoke to Marie-Noelle about his latest trip, from South Africa to Malawi, via Mozambique, by road. Encountering endless checkpoints, low-level graft, and bone-shaking roads, Dr. Mills describes exactly what the region needs to supercharge its trade. Join the conversati...