Ethiopia and Eritrea are deploying troops and military equipment to the northern Tigray region, according to regional diplomats, raising the risk of renewed conflict in the Horn of Africa.

On this week’s episode of the Next Africa podcast, Jennifer Zabasajja is joined by Bloomberg’s Simon Marks and Professor Kjetil Tronvoll from Oslo New University College to discuss how tensions have been rising over recent weeks, how likely a conflict could now be, and what repercussions of wider war in the Horn of Africa could look like.

You can read Simon’s latest report here, and for more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter here

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The mood at Africa’s biggest mining conference, the Mining Indaba in Cape Town, is buoyant - as increased demand for critical minerals around the world is supporting more investment in projects across the continent. 

On this week’s episode — recorded at the Mining Indaba — Jennifer Zabasajja speaks with Bloomberg’s Matthew Hill and William Clowes about who’s attending, why international collaboration is high on the agenda, and how African nations are pushing to avoid being short-changed as global demand for their natural resources grows.

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Precious metals soared last month in a rally underpinned by speculative momentum, geopolitical upheaval and concerns about the Federal Reserve’s independence. However, market watchers warned that the advances had been too large and too swift. The surge came to a sudden halt at the end of last week, with silver seeing its biggest daily drop on record and gold plunging the most since 2013.

On this week’s episode of the Next Africa podcast, Bloomberg Intelligence’s Metals and Minerals analyst Emmanuel Munjeri and Bloomberg Metals and Minerals Reporter Jack Ryan join Jennifer Zabasajja to talk through the last few weeks on the metal markets, whether new African projects could soon be greenlit and what else to look out for in the coming weeks.

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Nigeria’s biggest city is demolishing two densely populated waterfront communities to make way for urban renewal, displacing thousands of poor residents in the process.

On this week’s episode, Tiwa Adebayo, sitting in for Jennifer Zabasajja, is joined by Bloomberg’s Nigeria bureau chief Anthony Osae-Brown and Toni Fola-Alade, the co-founder of Charity DoGood.Africa, who saw their school demolished earlier this year. They discuss what’s happened to the communities impacted, how the Lagos State Government is compensating people and what the future might hold for poorer communities in Lagos.

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Chinese mine operators in Zambia started paying royalties and taxes in yuan in Africa’s second-biggest copper producer, the latest sign of the growing acceptance of the currency on the continent.  

On this week’s episode, bloomberg reporter Matthew Hill and Bloomberg Economics Africa Economist Yvonne Mhango join Jennifer Zabasajja to discuss why China wants to boost the use of its currency, what’s in it for African countries, and whether there’s a risk of US retaliation

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Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of infant death and medical negligence

Celebrated Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie has blamed the death of her 21-month old son on medical negligence, sparking a national conversation about healthcare standards in Africa’s most-populous nation.

On this week’s episode, Jennifer Zabasajja speaks to Adichie’s sister-in-law, Anthea Esege-Nwandu, who is also a medical doctor. Then senior reporter Yinka Ibukun and healthcare reporter Janice Kew join to discuss the state of healthcare in Nigeria and across Africa, and why so many wealthy Africans are seeking treatment abroad.

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As the 35th Africa Cup of Nations reaches the final stages, the organizers are already celebrating a record-breaking tournament. 

In this episode, our Nigeria-based reporter Nduka Orjinmo joins Jennifer Zabasajja to talk about the growth of African football, the growing business opportunities for sports on the continent and why changes to the tournament could make it even more attractive to sponsors.

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In a year that saw South Africa host the G20, the continent found itself coming to terms with a transformed relationship with America both in terms of trade and access to aid. 

In this special episode of the Next Africa Podcast, Bloomberg Opinion columnist Justice Malala joins Jennifer Zabasajja to look at the big moments of the year.  They discuss  the US South Africa Relationship,  the roll back of democracy, and the role Gen Z has in shaping the continent. Then they look ahead to the big moments to watch in 2026 

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An attempted Coup in Benin has been thwarted after an intervention from its West African neighbors led by Nigeria. The emphatic response from the regional bloc Ecowas this time was a marked change, after the bloc had been criticized for inaction during the string of coups that have struck the region since 2020.

On this week’s episode, Jennifer Zabasajja speaks to Bloomberg’s Katarina Hoije, who’s based in West Africa, about how this coup was defeated, why Nigeria led the response, and what the outlook is for further coups in the region.

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South African financial assets -- stocks, bonds and the rand -- have surged, buoyed by soaring commodity prices and investor optimism that government reforms are reviving South Africa's economy after years in the doldrums.

On this week’s episode, Bloomberg Economics Africa Economist Yvonne Mhango joins Tiwa Adebayo to explain what’s fueling this economic turnaround, and whether sustained growth could soon follow. 

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