Spotlight on Africa
An in-depth look at an important story affecting the African continent today.
20 Episodes
Algeria heads to polls: Tebboune favoured amid rights concerns
Some 24 million Algerians vote on 7 September to elect their next president, with incumbent Abdelmadjid Tebboune the clear favourite of only three candidates. If Algeria has enjoyed economic and social stability in his five years of mandate, human rights organisations warn of a decrease of freedom and rights. This…
Decolonising Beauty campaign honours Africa’s diverse aesthetics
Decolonising Beauty is a campaign designed by the producton company Zikora Media to educate the public and celebrate the rich tapestry of indigenous and local beauty customs across Africa. This week we speak with its founder, Chika Oduah. In a world increasingly dominated by Western beauty standards promoted through pop…
South African artist Gavin Jantjes on his major retrospective
RFI's Spotlight on Africa met with artist Gavin Jantjes to chat about his To Be Free! A Retrospective 1970-2023. The exhibition traces his journey as "a creative agent of change" from South Africa to Europe, celebrating his multifaceted roles as painter, printmaker, writer, curator and activist. In this episode we hear from the artist…
Africa and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games
The Paris Olympics are officially open, and athletes from Africa are competing in a broad range of disciplines. In this episode of the podcast, we look at what to expect from the African teams. In total, more than 200 delegations and 10,000 athletes are participating in 36 sports at the…
Kagame poised to extend rule for fourth term as Rwanda heads to polls
2024 is a big election year for the world and especially for Africa, and in July all eyes are on Rwanda. Rwandans will cast their ballots on Monday in an election where President Paul Kagame is expected to secure another term, facing the same opponents he defeated in 2017.Kagame, who…
African displacements and the search for refuge, in life and art
Displacement takes many forms, from refugees forced into exile to returnees who find themselves strangers what was once home. In this episode, we speak to aid workers about the very different experiences of refugees in Sudan and Mauritania, and hear from an artist who draws on his own migrations between…
Global South amplifies calls for compensation for historical injustices
This week, we are addressing the issue of reparations for historical injustices, including slavery, colonial violence, and war crimes. Calls for compensation are gaining momentum, particularly in the Global South, with a strong focus on the Caribbean and Africa. These reparations could take various forms, primarily financial compensation.Activists argue that…
South Africa's ANC on the brink of losing majority, coalition government looms
In this episode of Spotlight on Africa, Melissa Chemam discusses the recent elections in South Africa and the possibility of the ruling ANC losing its overall majority, potentially forcing it into a coalition government. On 29 May, South Africans participated in parliamentary and provincial elections in the most fiercely contested…
South Africa's 2024 Elections: young voters and the legacy of apartheid
South Africa is holding general and provincial elections on 29 May. In this episode of Spotlight on Africa, we look at young people and the elections and how the country has changed since the end of apartheid in 1994. First, we talked to the director of the Ichikowitz Family Foundation,…
After Senegal's success, can Mali and Niger also hope for elections?
The delayed March presidential vote in Senegal confirmed the country remains a beacon of democracy in a region facing increasing instability. RFI looks at how the peaceful victory of Bassirou Diomaye Faye and mentor Ousmane Sonko stands to influence the politics of neighbouring Sahel nations. This edition of Spotlight on Africa…
The long path to Senegal's troubled presidential elections
This is a big election year for Africa, with 16 countries heading to the polls. Close attention is being paid to the delayed presidential vote in Senegal – a West African beacon of democracy that is facing increasing instability. RFI spoke to author and economist Ndongo Samba Sylla in the capital Dakar. …
Spotlight on Africa - Ethiopia's triple threat against locusts
Ethiopia is currently battling one of its worst locust invasions since 1958. But since then, the country has rolled out a defense system to make sure damage is minimal across the country. Find out more in this edition of Spotlight on Africa.
Spotlight on Africa - Searching for answers, 15 years after Ghanaians murdered in Gambia
In Accra, a new documentary out this January sheds light on the 2005 murders of 56 West Africans in The Gambia – most of them Ghanaians. In I cannot Bury My Father, director Nana-Jo Ndow explores the lack of closure – and the lack of information – the families of the victims…
Spotlight on Africa - UN General Assembly president calls for respect for diversity while promoting shared values
The Paris Peace Forum is now underway with around 30 heads of state and leaders of civil society meeting to promote global peace. French President Emmanuel Macron opened the forum on Tuesday by saying that the global political system was in "unprecedented crisis", and called for new kinds of alliances…
Spotlight on Africa - France's Africa Ambition
The time to invest in Africa is now. That was the message hammered home at last week’s France-Africa business summit, which saw the French government position itself as a new investment hub for the continent. Yet, many French companies still shy away from African markets and bilateral trade has fallen…
Spotlight on Africa - Can France’s minorities learn from US slavery struggle?
In August, America marked 400 years since the arrival of the first Africans in 1619, which started the institution of slavery. In France, observers are questioning whether there are lessons to be learned for France’s African community. In a brightly lit room of the American library in Paris, members of…
Spotlight on Africa - Black model art show challenges France's colour blindness
A recent Paris exhibition honouring forgotten black models of modern art has shone a spotlight on black identity in a society where race remains a controversial subject. France has been multicultural "since the 19th and 20th century", says Denise Murrell, co-curator of Le Modèle Noir or Black Models. The landmark exhibition on modern art’s forgotten…
Spotlight on Africa - What's behind Macron's courting of the African diaspora?
France has recently made overtures to the African diaspora, inviting them to be the bridge between France and their countries of origin. Critics say it's move to regain a foothold in the former colonies. But France's African community could leverage its influence to ask for recognition at home. In France,…
Spotlight on Africa - Teenage flight of fancy from Cape Town to Cairo
A group of 20 teenagers are set to make aviation history when they fly a light aircraft from Cape Town, South Africa to Cairo in Egypt on 15 June. Together they will fly the length of the continent, covering over 10,000 kilometres in a plane they assembled themselves. Seventeen-year-old Megan…
Spotlight on Africa - Rwanda's challenging road to reconciliation
In the 25 years since the Rwandan genocide, the country has emerged to become one of Africa’s success stories. Its remarkable recovery has stemmed from efforts towards nation-building. But some critics argue this bid for ethnic reconciliation is far from complete. In this week’s Spotlight on Africa, RFI's Christina Okello…