Africa's digital landscape is one of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving in the world. African states are not merely adopters of digital norms; they are shaping regulatory approaches in data protection and cybersecurity in addition to innovating mobile money ecosystems and digital health solutions among others.

While innovation hubs are dotted across the continent, growth amongst African states and local communities remain uneven due to infrastructure gaps, broadband affordability, energy reliability and regulatory fragmentation.

In this episode, Ambassador Philip Thigo and Hon. Neema Lugangira join the Africa Programme's Professor Nnenna Ifeanyi-Ajufo and Lisa Musumba to discuss how digitalization can be harnessed to drive inclusive growth, strengthen institutions, and ensure that innovation translates into sustainable development outcomes.

Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and Amb. Selma Malika Haddadi assumed the leadership of the African Union (AU) at last year's 38th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly – ushering what many saw a moment of renewed hope and leadership reset. The AU, however, enters 2026 on uncertain ground. Conflicts are intensifying across several regions; while showing signs of resilience economic prospects remain fragile; and political settlements in a number of countries are under strain. All this is unfolding against the backdrop of shifting global priorities and waning international attention on Africa.

In this episode, Chatham House Africa Programme associate fellow, Professor Carlos Lopes, reflects on what lies ahead for the AU, the tests facing its leadership, and how Africa can navigate through changes in the global order.

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The IMF's economic outlook for Africa in 2026 points to an average GDP growth rate of 4.3% – making it the fastest-growing region globally. In practice, however, per capita growth is far lower and various factors like persistent debt issues and a decline in official development assistance jeopardise this positive outlook.

In this episode, guests Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi (African Center for Economic Transformation) and Admassu Tadesse (Trade and Development Bank) explore strategies to ensure sustained economic growth matching the promising outlook for the continent. They discuss untapped policy actions to spur economic transformation as well as the role of regional financial institutions to meet the needs of African countries shaping their development agendas.

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Reflecting on research conducted as part of a joint Chatham House and UNDP research project on 'African Peace Processes: Lessons Learned', this episode examines what makes peace processes 'stick'. Lisa Musumba is joined by project researchers Dr Abel Abate Demissie and Leonard Onyonyi to discuss the lessons learned from the Pretoria process linked to Ethiopia's Tigray war and Burundi's Arusha Accords.

The episode closes with reflections from AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, Ambassador Liberata Mulamula, from our conference in Addis Ababa on Africa's rising influence in foreign policy and global governance, exploring how African-led peace and security initiatives can be strengthened moving forward.

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Tanzania's October 2025 election will mark President Samia Suluhu Hassan's first as a presidential candidate, despite her holding office since 2021. A former vice-president, President Samia came to power following the sudden death of her predecessor, and is widely anticipated to win a new term for her CCM party – extending their unbroken rule in Tanzania since the country's independence in 1961. Key questions surrounding the 2025 polls include the systematic exclusion of leading opposition candidates, tightened restrictions on media, increases in reported abductions and attacks on activists, and the limited presence of external observer missions.

In this episode, Thomas Kibwana, Anna Bwana and Deus Valentine Rweyemamu join Chatham House's Fergus Kell and Lisa Musumba to discuss the lead-up to Tanzania's election and the long-term future for the country.

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Côte d'Ivoire is widely regarded as a regional powerhouse amid increased political instability and fragmentation in West Africa. However, the country has also been marked by violent conflicts and repeated bouts of political crisis in recent history. With the October 2025 elections fast approaching, Côte d'Ivoire faces another decisive moment – President Alassane Ouattara has confirmed that he will seek a fourth term, while a slew of prominent opposition figures including former president, Laurent Gbagbo, Tidjane Thiam, Charles Blé Goudé, and Guillaume Soro, have been barred from challenging the incumbent at the polls.

In this episode, the leader of Côte d'Ivoire's main opposition party, Parti Démocratique de la Côte d'Ivoire — Rassemblement Démocratique Africain, Tidjane Thiam discusses his political aspirations, the hurdles faced in the lead-up to the upcoming elections and the state of Ivorian democracy moving forward.

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The public health systems in Africa are under growing pressure. The sharp 70% drop in official development assistance (ODA) risks weakening critical health programmes, while a rise in public health emergencies continues to stretch already fragile infrastructure.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) – the public health agency of the African Union – recognises that these are not isolated challenges. They present a fundamental threat to Africa's political, social, and economic resilience, with far-reaching implications to global stability.

In this episode, Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General at the Africa CDC, discusses the agency's mandate to support AU member states in advancing public health priorities and strengthening the capacity of national health institutions to respond to disease threats.

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The uptick in armed conflicts across Africa in recent years has challenged peacebuilding efforts and upset a trajectory towards continental stability.

In this episode, HE Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security the AU's goal of silencing the guns by 2030, the evolution of peacekeeping, and his vision for a more peaceful and secure Africa.

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In this episode, Tim Eaton and Lubna Yousef discuss their latest research on how transnational human smuggling has fuelled conflict in Libya through a systems analysis of three key transit cities – Kufra, Sebha and Zawiya.

Using this approach, their research examines the roles played by conflict and social dynamics in the expansion of human smuggling and trafficking – thus helping uncover critical gaps in policies aimed at addressing the rapid rise of migration.

This episode was produced with support from the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy, and Trends (XCEPT) research programme, funded by UK International Development.

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In this episode, Professor Carlos Lopes discusses what the African Union's G20 membership means for Africa's economic and geopolitical influence on the global stage.