Focus on Africa

A recent report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime reveals that a third of cocaine consumed in Europe is transported via West Africa. Since 2019, the region has become a key global hub for cocaine smuggling from Latin America to markets in Europe and Asia, according to the organisation. We look at how the region gained this reputation as a hub of global trafficking.

Also Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia ar...

In this episode, we look back at the Africa Cup of Nations, where Senegal edged hosts Morocco in extra-time in a dramatic final. We explore the key moments and what they reveal about African football’s future.

We also investigate a darker story: Across West Africa, criminal gangs are luring young people with fake overseas jobs. BBC Africa Eye follows Interpol’s anti-trafficking unit in Sierra Leone and a father searching for his mis...

Think back to when you were younger, what did you want to do when you grew up? A recent study in Kenya found that many young people would choose to be a TikToker or a YouTuber over a more conventional career, like a doctor or a lawyer.

Nowadays, content creators have become as influential as athletes and artists, but while Africa’s content creator ecosystem is growing rapidly, more than half of the continent’s creators earn less tha...

Focus on Africa’s Charles Gitonga joined The Global Story podcast hosts Asma Khalid and Tristan Redman to explain why the United States, Russia and China are so interested in Africa. The US recently moved to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a major trade deal allowing many African countries to export goods to the American market tariff-free, while also tying promises to end the conflict in eastern DR Congo to a...

Somalia has accused the United Arab Emirates of undermining its sovereignty, including allegedly facilitating Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, which Somalia considers part of its territory. In response, Mogadishu has canceled all agreements with the UAE, from ports to defence, raising questions about trade and security.

We then turn to Botswana, following a recent visit by American YouTuber IShowSpeed to the Diamond Trading Cent...

Uganda’s election campaign enters its final days ahead of voting on January 15th, with President Yoweri Museveni seeking to extend his four decades in power. His main challenger, opposition figure Bobi Wine, has rallied younger voters amid concerns raised by the UN about the political climate. We hear from voters and from the BBC in Kampala on the mood in the country. Then, we travel to Benin’s coastal city of Ouidah, where thousan...

In his first interview since taking office on 1 Jan, the new head of the UN refugee agency, Dr Barham Salih, speaks to the BBC about US concerns over the organisation’s effectiveness and his push for reform. Speaking during his first working visit to Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp, he stresses the continuing scale of global civilian displacement and the need for more efficient humanitarian responses. We also look at how social media p...

Now, despite a start-up boom happening in Africa, a recent study showed that many of Africa’s start-up founders say their jobs have negatively impacted their mental well-being.

60% of founders reported experiencing anxiety, 58% high stress, 52% exhaustion, and 20% depression. Key stressors include fundraising, inflation and economic instability.

Focus on Africa host Nkechi Ogbonna had a discussion with Jihan Abass, founder of Lami I...

Heavy fighting between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has intensified in the central region of Kordofan, forcing tens of thousands of civilians from their homes. The UN says entire communities were displaced late last year, as residents describe horrific abuses, fleeing attacks and searching for safety.

We then turn to AFCON in Morocco, where one DR Congo supporter has captured attention by posing as a living...

Burkina Faso’s military government says it has stopped an attempt to assassinate junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré, just hours after soldiers allegedly plotted to remove him and other senior officials. The latest plot follows years of coups and instability in the West African nation.

We then turn to Africa’s digital frontier, where disinformation is evolving fast. Generative AI and deepfakes are being used to manipulate videos and...

African governments are weighing in after Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro was arrested and flown to New York following a US operation in Caracas. Ghana and South Africa have criticised the move, while the African Union says it is watching events with great concern. We also hear how ordinary people in Accra, Ghana, view the unfolding crisis.

Plus, we then turn to AFCON in Morocco, where excitement on the pitch contrasts with fru...

New tax laws in Nigeria are drawing criticism just days after taking effect, with many citizens worried about rising costs, shrinking incomes and pressure on small businesses. The government insists the reforms are designed to make the system fairer and more efficient, but scepticism remains over how the money will be used. We unpack what the new laws actually change and hear from officials defending the policy.

We also turn to heal...

How many hours a day do you spend on your smartphone?

Smartphones have become essential to daily life - but concerns about overuse are growing. Research has linked smartphone addiction to depression, anxiety, and loneliness.

Focus on Africa host, Nkechi Ogbonna, spoke to 27-year-old Dion Rapakgadi from Johannesburg about his past struggles with phone addiction, and to Kenyan musician Nviiri the Storyteller, who recently swapped his...

January 1 isn’t just the start of a new year. For a significant number of Africans, it’s also the birthday written on official documents, often by default, not fact. This episode explores how missing birth records, colonial systems and migration shaped identity on paper, through voices from Somalia, France and Morocco.

We then turn to Mali, where new US travel restrictions have taken effect, affecting several African countries. We h...

As the year draws to a close, this episode looks ahead to some of the stories and events that could likely shape 2026. We ask which warning signs are already flashing, and what might still catch the world off guard. We also examine new research suggesting AI chatbots may carry built-in bias against Africa, raising fresh questions about technology, power and representation.

Presenter : Charles Gitonga Producers: Bella Twine, Blessing...

There were celebrations on the streets of breakaway region Somaliland after Israel became the first country to formally recognise it as an independent state. Leaders in the self-declared republic hailed the move as historic, saying it could open the door to wider international recognition after decades of diplomatic isolation.

The announcement has also triggered a demonstration in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, and condemnation from ...

BBC reporters travel under tight security to villages near the site of Christmas Day airstrikes in north-west Nigeria, targeting camps linked to Lakurawa, a militant group affiliated with the Islamic State. Locals describe life under threat, with farmers accusing militants of seizing livestock, enforcing levies and embedding themselves in border communities where state presence is minimal.

We also turn to AFCON 2025, where belief an...

Well-known influencer and entrepreneur, Nancy Umeh, has spent the past year sharing her experience of welcoming her third child through surrogacy.

While the practice remains legally unrecognised in many African countries - and is often surrounded by stigma - Nancy has spoken openly about her journey on social media.

In this episode of Focus on Africa: The Conversation, host Charles Gitonga spoke with Nancy Umeh about why she chose...

Christmas is often imagined as a season of homecoming, but for millions of people around the world, that idea of home doesn’t exist. In this episode, we meet Gopolang, one of an estimated 300 million people experiencing homelessness globally. He lives on the streets of Johannesburg, surviving through plastic recycling. Our reporter Mpho Lakaje spends time with him during the festive season, revealing what Christmas looks like when ...