

Focus on Africa
BBC World Service
Three essential stories to round off your working day. Explaining the big topics and news from Africa, the people behind them, plus an African perspective on global stories. Hosted by Audrey Brown. Five days a week, ready by late afternoon, Monday to Friday.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 21, 2025 • 33min
Why Burkina Faso discarded its Electoral Commission
Burkina Faso's military rulers have disbanded the country's electoral commission calling it a waste of money. The government says the interior ministry will handle elections in the future. Will this move by the ruling junta further delay democratic elections?Hundreds of thousands of premature deaths occur each year in Africa due to illnesses caused by cooking with polluting fuels like wood, charcoal and even animal dung. So what is being done to ensure more people have access to clean cooking?And why are ancient and cultural heritage sites in Ethiopia facing a crisis.Presenter: Charles Gitonga
Producers: Tom Kavanagh, Sunita Nahar and Nyasha Michelle in London
Technical Producer: Philip Bull
Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Jul 18, 2025 • 31min
Sudan: Why North Kordofan is being targeted?
Sudan: More than 450 civilians have been killed in recent attacks in North Kordofan . Why is the RSF paramilitary increasingly targeting the state?The kingdom of Lesotho recently declared a 'State of disaster'-What can youth facing unemployment do ?And how sinkholes in South Africa are affecting people's livesPresenter: Charles Gitonga
Producers: Richard Kagoe in Nairobi, Blessing Aderogba in Lagos and Sunita Nahar in London.
Technical Producer :Gabriel O'Regan
Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Jul 17, 2025 • 33min
Cameroon's president seeks re-election at age 92
Cameroon's Paul Biya has the distinction of being 'the world's oldest sitting president' and yet at age 92, he is seeking to run for an eighth term, that will see him serve until he is almost 100 years old. How much popular support does he have, and how strong is the opposition?Sudan's newly appointed prime minister, Kamal Idris, has named his cabinet ministers who will form his "government of hope". How will they function in the country still in the grip of war?And after the announcement by Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is complete and will be officially inaugurated in September, why has US President Donald Trump weighed in on the long-running dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt over the giant construction?Presenter: Charles Gitonga
Producers: Tom Kavanagh, Sunita Nahar and Mark Wilberforce
Technical Producer: Gabriel O'Regan
Senior Producers: Patricia Whitehorne and Karnie Sharp
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Jul 16, 2025 • 35min
Kenyan protests: Impact on mental health
Gen Z’s have largely led opposition street protests in Kenya. However, it's taking a toll on their mental health. We talk to an activist and a psychiatrist on how to cope.Why was a French sports journalist recently sentenced to 7 years in jail in Algeria? Was it for talking to a banned separatist movement- or due to diplomatic rows between Algeria and France?Plus, a report says more than a quarter of Africa's freshwater fish species are threatened with extinction.Presenter: Richard Kagoe
Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Patricia Whitehorne, Bella Hassan and Mark Wilberforce
Technical Producer: Gabriel O'Regan
Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi.

Jul 15, 2025 • 29min
US deportees causing concern in South Sudan
Residents of South Sudan's capital Juba have voiced concern for their safety after the arrival of eight deportees from the United States. The Trump administration have described them as ‘violent criminals’. Who are these men, what did they do and how did they end up in South Sudan?Also, another peace deal in the Central African Republic, but will it hold?And as we enter the half way point for the Women's Africa Cup of Nations we look at the challenges women once faced - and still face - in the game!Presenter: Richard Kagoe
Producers: Tom Kavanagh and Sunita Nahar in London
Technical Producer: Chris Ablakwa
Senior Journalists: Karnie Sharp and Patricia Whitehorne
Editor: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Jul 14, 2025 • 31min
Nigeria’s ex-President Muhammadu Buhari dead
Former Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari has died at 82. He was a two-time leader who first led Africa's most populous country as a military ruler, then later as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023. What will be his legacy and how will he be remembered?What's the truth behind recent coup rumours in Ivory Coast?And we remember Arthur Ashe, so far the only black male Wimbledon tennis champion, who defied apartheid in South AfricaPresenter: Richard Kagoe
Producers: Stefania Okereke ,Nyasha Michelle, Yvette Twagiramariya and Patricia Whitehorne in London.
Technical Producer: Chris Ablakwa
Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Jul 11, 2025 • 35min
DRC: Inside a mine controlled by M23
A recent US-brokered peace deal may have raised hopes of stability in eastern DRC. However, miners have told the BBC that M23’s control of mineral-rich areas could keep the conflict going.US aid cuts are forcing HIV clinics across Africa to shut down, with South Africa hit hardest. Experts are also warning that this could stall vaccine research and reverse years of progress.And Uganda has overtaken Ethiopia as Africa’s top coffee exporter, shipping 47,000 tonnes in just one month. How did they do it?Presenter: Audrey Brown
Producers: Bella Hassan, Stefania Okereke and Nyasha Michelle
Technical Producer: Pat Sissons
Senior Journalist: Yvette Twagiramariya
Editors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard

Jul 10, 2025 • 32min
US slaps 30% tariff on South Africa
US President Donald Trump announced recently that he would impose a new 30% tariff on imports from South Africa. They kick in next month. What effect will this have on the nation?The United Nations Refugee Agency says the insurgency in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province is intensifying – and spreadingAnd we meet one of Cameroon's first scientific diving marine scientists. Presenter: Audrey Brown
Producers: Tom Kavanagh and Nyasha Michelle in London.Charles Gitonga in Nairobi.
Technical Producer: Pat Sissons
Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Jul 9, 2025 • 28min
Ghanaians lured into football job scam
Ghanaian authorities have rescued more than 70 young men from a trafficking ring in Nigeria. The men thought they were heading for football contracts or overseas opportunities. Why has football become a gateway for trafficking?Leaders from five African countries - Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal - have been invited to a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House. What will they discuss?And we hear how women in Morocco are keeping the art of rug-weaving alive, and how traditional rugs are a symbol of cultural identity.Presenter: Charles Gitonga
Producers: Nyasha Michelle, Yvette Twagiramariya, Alfonso Daniels and Sunita Nahar in London. Blessing Aderogba in Lagos
Technical Producer: Pat Sissons
Senior Journalists: Karnie Sharp and Patricia Whitehorne
Editors: Andre Lombard and Karnie Sharp

Jul 8, 2025 • 29min
First malaria drug for infants approved
The first malaria medicine suitable for babies and very young children is approved for use.How increased taxes on remittances from USA could hurt Africa.Plus, a new tool to help children with communication impairments.Presenter: Richard Kagoe
Producers: Tom Kavanagh and Stefania Okereke in London, Blessing Aderogba in Lagos
Technical Producer: Pat Sissons
Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi.