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Next Africa — Places & Travel
Next Africa

Next Africa is a weekly podcast about where Africa is going and why it matters to everyone.

Each episode tells a story from the continent and follows it through real life, business, politics and culture. From electricity and climate to jobs, migration, technology, sport and music, the podcast looks at the forces shaping daily life and how those changes connect to the wider world.

The show covers challenges and breakthroughs side by side. It explains the impact of energy shortages and climate risk, but also the rise of new industries, creative economies and young entrepreneurs. Stories are reported on the ground and told with clarity, combining data, context and lived experience.

Hosted by Jennifer Zabasajja and built on original journalism from reporters on the ground, Next Africa puts local voices at the centre of the story, delivering clear, factual reporting without cliché or assumption.

Whether you live on the continent or want to better understand a region shaping the future, Next Africa offers insight, perspective and stories worth listening to.

Copyright: © 2018 Bloomberg LP

Latest Episodes:

How Luanda Will Topple Lagos To Become Sub-Saharan Africa’s Biggest City Nov 06, 2026

Show notes

The World Bank projects that Luanda is set to topple Lagos as Africa’s largest city. A new report from the bank also suggests that Sub-Saharan Africa could host five megacities with more than 10 million people each, highlighting the rapid urbanization taking place across the continent.
On this week’s Next Africa podcast, Jennifer Zabasajja is in Luanda to see whether the city is ready for rapid growth. She hears from Emily Owen, an urban development specialist at the World Bank and one of the authors of the new report, on what’s driving the urbanization and what African governments need to do to prepare.

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Senegal’s Debt Crisis: Who Will Pay the Bill? Oct 30, 2026

Show notes

Senegal’s prime minister said he expects to resolve a standoff over the country’s budget within days, as the authorities seek approval for a new International Monetary Fund program.

On this week’s Next Africa Podcast, Bloomberg’s West Africa reporter Katarina Höije discusses her interview with Prime Minister Ahmadou Alhaminou Lo, and explains how Senegal ended up in this impasse. Plus, Bloomberg correspondent Matthew Hill explains how Senegal has become a test case for the Group of 20's updated Common Framework for supporting countries in debt distress.

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How Nigeria’s Top Film Producers Are Branching Out Worldwide Oct 23, 2026

Show notes

Nigeria’s film industry is big business - second only to India in the number of films produced annually. The films generate huge audiences in Nigeria - and many believe there’s an untapped market overseas. But after streamers like Netflix and Amazon Prime moved away from funding films upfront - producers are having to find new ways to get in front of international audiences.

On this week’s episode, Jennifer Zabasajja speaks to one of the giants of the Nigerian media industry, Mo Abudu, who’s just opened Ebony Life Place in London, the UK's first cultural and creative hub dedicated to Black and African cinema. Plus, Bloomberg’s Lagos Bureau Chief Anthony Osae-Brown gives an update on how the industry has fared since the streamers changed how they fund Nigerian films.

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How Rwanda Won The Race To Host Africa’s F1 Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

Formula 1 will return to Africa, with a first race set to take place in Rwanda in the early 2030s. The East African nation will host the F1 African Grand Prix under a 10-year agreement, Formula 1 said in a statement on Tuesday. Rwanda beat out competition from South Africa and Morocco to win the right to hold the first Grand Prix on the continent since 1993.

On this week’s episode of the Next Africa podcast, Jennifer Zabasajja is joined by Bloomberg Senior Africa Reporter Loni Prinsloo to find out how Rwanda won the bid, and what the country is building to make it happen. Then Bloomberg Africa’s Deputy Managing Editor Neil Munshi discusses why some have accused Rwanda and Formula 1 of Sportswashing.

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Why fighting in the Horn of Africa risks a new Red Sea conflict Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

Ethiopian troops have regained control of the city of Mekelle, the capital of the country’s northern Tigray region - after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front - the TPLF had seized the city’s airport and declared war on the government. As Ethiopia’s relationship with its neighbours worsen some fear this could become a broader regional war in a Red Sea region vital to global trade that is already facing geopolitical turmoil.

On this week’s episode, Jennifer Zabasajja is joined by East Africa reporter Simon Marks for the latest on the conflict, and Bloomberg’s Trade Tsar Brendan Murray discusses how global trade and shipping are rewiring the region’s supply lines and infrastructure.

Read our latest reporting on Ethiopia, and subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter for more for stories from the region

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Why South Africa’s Fight Against Violent Crime Is Failing Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

The discovery of 11 women’s bodies in and around Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, has horrified South Africans. Then the last few days provided a stark reminder of the country's violent crime problem: two separate mass shootings left 28 people dead, just days after 11 people were killed at a house in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province.

On this week’s episode, S’thembile Cele joins Jennifer Zabasajja to discuss her reporting on these latest incidents and whether a year after the South African government declared violence against women a national emergency there’s been any sign of any improvement, and how voters could send a message at next month’s municipal elections.

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Can Dangote’s IPO Live Up to The Hype? Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has finally launched the much anticipated IPO of part of his refinery business, and it's generated so much hype that many investment apps were overwhelmed by demand. The company hopes to raise as much as $2 billion from retail investors and with a minimum investment of just $4, the firm hopes ordinary Africans will buy shares.

On today’s special episode, Deputy Managing Editor for Africa Neil Munshi joins Jennifer Zabasajja. They hear from Bloomberg's Lagos based reporter Yinka Ibukun about the mood among Nigerians, and then speak to analyst Feyi Fawehinmi about why he’s not convinced by the hype.

Follow all our coverage of the Dangote IPO across Bloomberg platforms, and you can subscribe to the Next Africa Newsletter for more.

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Replay: China's Growing Grip on Africa's EV Fastlane Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

We wanted to bring you one of our favourite episodes from the last 12 months this week.

In Ethiopia, the share of electric vehicles on the road has jumped to 6% from just 1% after a 2024 ban on new gasoline-car imports.

Across Africa, EV adoption is now among the fastest-growing globally — with Chinese automakers capturing the lion’s share of the market.

On today’s episode, Bloomberg’s Fasika Tadesse joins Jennifer Zabasajja to unpack what this surge looks like on the ground in Addis Ababa, while Asia transport reporter Linda Lew explains why companies like BYD are targeting African markets.

For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter here

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Why Investors Are Bullish on Kenya Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

A sovereign-rating upgrade and a stabilizing currency are helping restore Kenya’s appeal investors. Two years after deadly protests rattled sentiment, the markets have staged a recovery. Kenya’s all-share index has more than tripled in dollar terms since the start of 2024 making it the world's third-best performer.

On this week’s special Next Africa podcast, Tiwa Adebayo is joined by Kenyan investment experts Joel Korir, head of Business Development Retail and Private Wealth at Old Mutual Investment Group in Nairobi and Winnie Koech, head of wealth and investment at Stanbic Bank Kenya. They discuss what's driving Kenya’s markets, where investors see the biggest opportunities, the sectors to watch and risks that could derail the rally.

For more information on investing in Kenya, read our special feature on Where to Invest 10 Million Kenyan Shillings. For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter

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What If You Give Everyone $700? Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

A $200 million project in Malawi, one of the world’s poorest countries, is testing a radically simple approach to aid: giving about $700 directly to as many as 230,000 adults and letting them decide how best to spend it.

The hope is that recipients will use the money to start businesses, invest in farms and generate economic activity, providing evidence that direct cash payments can help communities become more self-reliant and reduce their dependence on aid.

On this week’s Next Africa podcast, Bloomberg’s Antony Sguazzin discusses what he found when he visited the project in Malawi, how researchers will determine whether it’s working, and whether similar programs could be replicated in other impoverished countries.

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