Nigerian communities that rely on sales of shea nuts are worried that a six-month export ban aimed at encouraging local use of the crop will leave a worrying crack in the $6 billion global market. Also, Benin's entrepreneurs take on the prickly problem of breakdowns in the pineapple production process. 

In this special edition we take a look at cutting-edge African culture. Peace Hyde, producer of three-season Netflix runaway success "Young, Famous & African" speaks to Georja about tackling myopic views about Africa by tapping into the diaspora to focus on the continent’s innumerably cosmopolitan, sexy and exciting facets. Georja also heads to the Ibrahim Governance Weekend in Morocco to speak to Nigeria's highlife high flyers, The Cavemen. They're doing their bit to level up Africa's creative clout, one goosebump-giving riff at a time. 

South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile, in an interview with FRANCE 24’s Georja Calvin-Smith, denied President Donald Trump’s claims of a “white genocide” in South Africa. Responding to Trump’s scheme to welcome white South Africans to the US as refugees, Mashatile said, “If they want to be refugees, it's their business. But they can’t bad-mouth the country.” Pretoria is also looking to expand its diplomatic ties with Paris. Mashatile said that while relations with the US are positive and valued, Africa’s powerhouse isn’t putting all its eggs in one basket. 

If you can measure it, you can manage it. One of Kenya's metrology heavyweights speaks to Georja Calvin-Smith about how there is might in monitoring. There were no African signatories when 17 countries came together 150 years ago to set measurement standards for time, distance and weight, but as the continent's development has picked up pace, so has its contribution to global metrology. 

The US says that it's in talks with several African countries that might agree to take in migrants expelled by Washington. FRANCE 24's Fraser Jackson speaks to the State Department about those plans and progress on the Washington-brokered DR Congo peace plans.

Join Georja Calvin-Smith for a weekly look at stories from across the continent. This week she's joined by journalist, Michaela Wrong to discuss some of the historical relationships between DR Congo and its neighbours that have fed into the current scramble to respond to wins by the M23 insurgency.   

In this week's Across Africa: At least 11 people are killed and dozens injured in explosions at a rally called by M23 rebels in the captured eastern Congolese city of Bukavu. Also, Ghana's defence capabilities are being boosted by a €50 million EU military package. Plus, people working for Cameroon's largest sugar producer are accusing it of labour abuse and unfairly low wages.

In this week's Across Africa: Tech innovators tailoring artificial intelligence to the continent's context head to Paris for a global summit on the tech's next steps. A parallel event spotlights the regional push to develop AI in Africa's own image. Dr Shikoh Gitau of digital transformation lab Qhala joins Georja Calvin-Smith for a breakdown of the exciting, divisive and daunting potential of the technology.

In this week's Across Africa: Vodun believers in Benin marry traditional faith with contemporary creativity to spread their heritage. Also, the African manatee has come under pressure over the decades from poaching and shrinking habitats, but one Cameroonian biologist has been working to improve the chances of the shy freshwater mammal. Plus, Senegal is moving ahead with plans to put more of its own identity into key streets and has begun changing the name of landmarks named after French colonial figures. 

Clarisse Fortuné brings you a round-up of society, culture and hot topics from across the continent. This week on Across Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia are running on empty as drought dries up their shared hydroelectric dam. Now they must grapple with how to ensure their energy futures. On the other side of the continent, Sierra Leone is turning to natural defences to preserve its threatened coastline and the communities that live along it. Plus, Kenya's Ice Lions roar on the rink.