Voices of Africa

For too long, the global health financing architecture was built for a world of centralised donor procurement. In this second episode of our series with the Oxygen CoLab, we move from the clinical problem to the financial solution: how to build the investment architecture that sustains life-saving care. In this episode, our guests discuss the critical ‘Missing Middle’- local SMEs that could form t...

Despite billions in COVID-era investment, 91% of people in Sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to medical oxygen. This episode of Voices of Africa explores the ‘Missing Middle’, the gap between oxygen production and the patient’s bedside. In collaboration with the Oxygen CoLab, featuring Dr Carina King (epidemiologist), Hilda Bugingo (biomedical engineer) and Shiellah Bagayana (entrepreneur and o...

In this episode of Voices of Africa, we sit down with Isabela Nyoka, Mining Specialist at Ecobank to unpack the transformation of the continent’s mining sector ahead of Mining Indaba 2026. Isabela provides a masterclass in how financial infrastructure acts as the catalyst for African agency. By moving beyond simple extraction and focusing on the ecosystem of mining, she illustrates how strategic c...

The global energy transition has placed Africa in a paradox: the continent possesses the minerals the world needs to survive, yet the infrastructure to process those minerals remains fragmented. In this recent episode of Voices of Africa, Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO of the International Council on Mining and Metals, offers a sobering yet optimistic roadmap for the continent’s subsurface wealth. Rohitesh...

The African mining sector is at an inflection point. Once primarily viewed through the lens of extraction for the Global North, a new narrative - one of African Agency, sovereignty, and strategic self-determination - is rapidly emerging. In the latest episode of Voices of Africa, Mzila Mthenjane projects a sector actively reimagining its purpose, pivoting from passive supplier to strategic develop...

What underpins operational resilience in complex markets? For AngloGold Ashanti in Guinea, it’s a commitment to becoming a core development partner. In this episode of Voices of Africa, we speak to Stewart Bailey about how the company’s long-term investment at the Siguiri mine is driving deep social change. This includes a revolutionary public-private health partnership model, strengthening its so...

In this episode of Voices of Africa we speak with Bilha Ndirangu, founder of Jacob’s Ladder, about why Africa is uniquely positioned to leapfrog traditional development trajectories and lead the new green development state, a visionary approach where the continent’s development objectives are achieved by integrating economic growth with climate action and social inclusion from the outset. Bilha ar...

Addressing the high cost of capital is as nuanced as it is urgent. Ahead of the Financing Africa Forward Cost of Capital Summit, Marcus Courage speaks with Standard Bank Group CEO, Sim Tshabalala about what is needed to set the agenda for Africa's financial future. They discuss the structural and dynamic factors that drive up capital costs for Africans, and how to unlock the continent's vast poten...

In this episode of Voices of Africa, Marcus Courage interviews Almaz Negash, Founder and CEO of the African Diaspora Network, about her vision for the 'Contemporary Diaspora's' role in Africa's sustainable development. Negash highlights the potential of going beyond remittances, shifting to strategic investments that extend beyond traditional aid. She emphasises the importance of harnessing the po...

Africa is poised to be a powerhouse in the global clean energy transition—but how can the continent turn potential into prosperity? In this episode of Voices of Africa, host Marcus Courage sits down with Ellie Gomez-Callus, Metals and Mining Associate at BloombergNEF, to discuss Africa's crucial role in the green revolution. They delve into the surging demand for critical minerals, the rise of sol...

The Simandou project in Guinea is the largest greenfield integrated mine and infrastructure project in development in Africa. Unlike mining’s traditional “pit to port” model, Simandou promises to touch every region of the country, bringing development to hitherto neglected communities and transforming Guinea into a key player in the global steel industry. Kicking off Voices of Africa in 2025, Abou...

Africa's vast reserves of critical minerals are vital to the global energy transition, but how can the continent move from exporting raw materials to leading in value-added processing? In this episode of Voices of Africa, John Magok and Deshan Naidoo join Marcus Courage and Laura Nicholson to discuss green financing, intentional collaboration, downstream beneficiation, and the policies and partner...

In our special edition episode of Voices of Africa, Tatenda Mungofa, CEO of Mureza Auto Co., envisions an African industrial renaissance where local minerals, manufacturing, and innovation drive economic transformation. Join Tatenda, Africa Practice CEO, Marcus Courage, and Head of Content & Strategic Partnerships at Mining Indaba, Laura Nicholson, as they discuss Africa-led industrialisation shap...

In the latest Voices of Africa episode, Founder of Our Legacy Foundation, Oulimata Sarr, lays out her vision for an Africa where women and girls lead with equal access to opportunities. Through her “3 Rs” approach—rights, representation, and resources—she’s helping women in agriculture secure land, capital, and leadership roles. Speaking with Africa Practice CEO Marcus Courage, Oulimata shares her...

In Africa - as with the rest of the world - communities are grappling with complex questions about how we design our societies. In the latest edition of Voices of Africa, Jessica Horn speaks with Africa Practice CEO Marcus Courage about the work she leads as the Regional Director for East Africa at the Ford Foundation, the importance of civic engagement, flexible ecosystem funding and shaping a re...

In the latest episode of #VoicesOfAfrica, @Wanjira Mathai, Managing Director for Africa at the @World Resources Institute sits down with @Africa Practice CEO @Marcus Courage. Wanjira, a powerhouse championing a greener future for Africa, shares the profound impact her iconic mother’s environmental activism had on her, and delves into her current work at WRI. Tune in to learn how she is tackling Af...

In the latest episode of Voices of Africa, Africa Practice CEO, Marcus Courage speaks with Wangeci Kanjama, Group Chief Financial Officer at SPIRO about Africa’s e-mobility landscape. Wangeci paints a vivid picture of a prosperous Africa, driven by trade, digitalization, and a shift towards private sector-led initiatives, highlighting how innovative entrepreneurs are driving change across critical...

In this special edition episode of Voices of Africa, Marcus Courage, the founder and CEO of Africa Practice, reflects on Africa's growth prospects and challenges, emphasising the continent’s pivotal role in the race for decarbonisation and highlighting the role of quality policymaking and a coherent regulatory environment to attract the private capital essential for economic growth.

In the latest episode of Voices of Africa, Marcus Courage speaks with Johnny Velloza about the progress Kobaloni is making in building the first battery grade cobalt sulphate refinery in Africa – a key input for battery manufacturing – and Zambia’s plans to build a battery park on the copperbelt.

In this episode of Voices of Africa, Africa Practice CEO, Marcus Courage, and Head of Content at Mining Indaba, Laura Cornish, speak to Chairman of the Tanzania Chamber of Mines, Eng. Philbert Rweyemamu about the efforts and progress that Tanzania has made to promote diversity in its mining sector, including upskilling young mining managers and amplifying women’s voices in leadership.

Transition minerals hold immense potential for economic growth and social development in resource-rich nations like the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, past experiences have linked the natural resource sector to human rights abuses, economic exploitation, and governance failures. In the second episode of our special series with Investing in African Mining Indaba, Marcus Courage and Laura Co...

In the latest episode of Voices of Africa, Marcus speaks to Ken Njoroge, Founder and CEO of PANI, a venture capital and private equity firm that supports tech entrepreneurs to navigate the startup ecosystem in Africa. They discuss what it takes to get ahead in the African startup space, and the myriad opportunities that exist for tech entrepreneurs in the African digital ecosystem.

The De Beers Group is on its way to becoming a miner and marketer of carbon-neutral diamonds. In the latest episode of Voices of Africa, Marcus Courage speaks to Kirsten Hund, Head of Carbon Neutrality at De Beers Group. This discussion explores how the world’s largest diamond producer is setting out to achieve carbon neutrality – by 2030 - at its mines in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Afric...

Marcus speaks to Dr Marit Kitaw, the Interim Director of the Africa Union’s African Minerals Development Center (AMDC), dedicated to minerals for sustainable development in Africa, through implementing the Africa Mining Vision (AMV).

Marcus speaks to Elizabeth Wangeci Chege, Energy Efficiency and Cooling Specialist at Sustainable Energy for All, who has worked on the continent and at a global scale to shape national green policy for the built environment, advocating for climate resilience and a sustainable future for African cities.