Focus on Africa

Divorce rates are steadily rising in many African countries. For example, government data shows the divorce rate in South Africa rose by 8.9% between 2023 and 2024. It increased by 16% in Zambia from 2022 and 2023, according to media reports. But despite the stigma that still surrounds divorce, attitudes are changing. In Kenya, some high-profile figures have even celebrated separations with “divorce parties,” while the idea of a “divorce glow-up” is gaining traction online. Focus on Africa host Nkechi Ogbonna speaks to 34-year-old Millicent Bundi from Kenya, who is sharing her post-divorce journey publicly, and Zambia’s Magnus Mando (Mag44) about the challenges of divorce as a gospel singer. Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Fana Negash and Carolyne Kiambo Technical Producer: David Kinyanjui Senior Producer: Priya Sippy Editor: Maryam Abdalla

Nathan Mwachuko, co-founder of Terra Industries building locally made surveillance drones and intelligence systems. Dr. Johnston Chikwanda, Zambian energy expert on fuel markets and policy responses. They discuss Africa's fuel shortages, rationing and levy changes. They explore biofuel blending, intra-Africa trade and mobility reductions. They also cover locally made security tech, data sovereignty and building an African defence industry.

Earlier this week, activists were holding a peaceful march in the port city of KuGompo - formerly East London, but disorder erupted after a protester said he was attacked by a foreigner, prompting demonstrators to damage several vehicles and shops. The trouble came amid tension over the recent installation of a Nigerian community leader in the city, who has a traditional title that can be translated as "king of the Igbo people in East London". We hear from a Nigerian community leader in Scotland. Also, what's causing the decline in the populations of cheetahs in Somaliland and the Horn of Africa region? We hear from a conservation organisation. Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Bella Twine and Blessing Aderogba Technical Producer: David Kinyanjui Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga Editor: Maryam Abdalla

The medical charity Doctors without Borders - also known as MSF - says rape and other forms of sexual violence remains part of everyday life in parts of Sudan. The MSF's new report is the most comprehensive account yet of sexual violence in Sudan’s nearly three-year conflict.  The fighting began as a power struggle between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces - RSF - and the Sudanese army and has led to what the UN describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.  MSF's report says between January 2024 and November 2025, more than 3,000 survivors of sexual violence sought treatment in its supported facilities across North and South Darfur in western Sudan. We hear from a midwife and some of the survivors.   And in Lesotho, the US may have reduced the trade tariffs imposed on the country but what lingering impact does it have on the country's garment and textile industry?   Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Blessing Aderogba and Ayuba Iliya Technical Producer: David Kinyanjui Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

Bonaventure Ndikung, director and curator, spotlights art that revives the erased story of African tirailleurs. Samuel Okujeto Ablakwa, Ghana’s foreign minister, pushes for apologies and reparatory justice. Jason Braganza, reparations and debt specialist, explains why Ghana led the UN move and what reparations might involve. They discuss politics, history, art and how youth can drive change.

Gbeminiyi (Bimini) Shopeju, a Lagos-based investment analyst and finfluencer, and Achiever Omoobajesu, a former petroleum engineer turned finfluencer, discuss Gen Z’s turn to social media for investing. They talk about viral FinTok trends, risks of misinformation and FOMO, research and risk-management practices, and how fintech and visible gains are drawing young people into markets.

Yemisi Adegoke, BBC journalist who introduces DJ Cuppy’s career and philanthropy. Ali Khan Satchu, geo-economic analyst who explains how the Middle East conflict could affect African fuel supply and pricing. They discuss Kenya’s assurances on fuel stocks, risks from shipping disruptions, hoarding and rationing, and policy options to ease pressure on import-dependent countries.

Brian Chishimba, a mental health and addiction awareness advocate who survived substance use, hospitalization and HIV, shares his recovery journey. Bushra Mohamed, a BBC reporter who covered Minneapolis, reports on Africans facing TPS termination and community reactions. They discuss legal fights over deportation threats, on-the-ground fear and activism. The conversation also touches on rising youth drug abuse in Zambia.

Oliver Kirui, agricultural policy expert on food security, and Ejiro Umokoro, gender-based violence activist from Delta State, discuss viral footage from the Ozoro fertility festival and allegations of organised harassment. They cover the festival’s traditions, reported security failures, victims’ trauma and calls for accountability. They also examine how Middle East conflict is driving up fertilizer costs and the risk to African food supplies.

Temidayo Onio-Shun, head of Space in Africa, explains how coordination and data sovereignty could reshape the continent's space future. Shriya Parikh, researcher on constructions of Blackness in Tunisia, unpacks Saadia Mosbah's activism and the online smear campaigns and legal pressures she faced. They discuss political repression, anti-Black racism in Tunisia, and Africa’s space economics and reliance on foreign technology.