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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While the world’s attention was on South Africa for the G20, thousands of women across the country used the opportunity to protest South Africa’s serious issues with violence against women.  Demonstrators held lie-in protests in cities across the country, including near the G20 summit itself, calling for the government to take action.  According to UN statistics, South Africa’s female murder rate is more than 5 times the global average.

On this week’s episode, Government Reporter S’thembile Cela joins Tiwa Adebayo to explain how serious the crisis has become in South Africa, what impact the timing of the protests had and whether declaring violence against women a national disaster in South Africa will lead to any real change on the ground.

You can read our full coverage of the G20 here and sign up to the Next Africa newsletter here

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Africa is the least electrified continent in the world, where funding major power infrastructure has become far harder, grids are decrepit and state utilities are often broken. The result is that Africa cannot industrialize on a scale anywhere near what’s needed to create jobs for its young population, which by 2050 will nearly double to 2.5 billion, or a quarter of all humanity.

On this week’s podcast, our energy reporter Paul Burkhardt joins Jennifer Zabasajja to talk through the data showing the scale of Africa’s energy crisis. Then Jennifer hears from Dr Owen Omogiafo, CEO of Nigerian power giant Transcorp, and one of the speakers at the Bloomberg Africa Business Summit, about what role the private sector has in turning this around.

You can read Bloomberg’s Big Take on Africa’s Energy shortage here, and subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter here

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At COP30 in Brazil, scientists have warned that the Congo Basin, a region of tropical forest larger than India, is at a point where further damage may rob the world of a crucial bulwark against climate change.

On this week’s episode, Jennifer Zabasajja is joined by Senior Africa Reporter Antony Sguazzin and Bloomberg Opinion Climate Columnist Lara Williams to discuss why the Congo Basin is so important to tackling climate change, what support African leaders are calling for and whether this COP summit will actually deliver any substantial action.

You can read our coverage of COP30 here, and sign up for the Next Africa Newsletter here.

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US President Donald Trump has threatened to freeze aid to Nigeria and take military action unless its government stops what he’s called the killing of “very large numbers” of Christians by jihadists.

On this week’s episode, Deputy Managing Editor for Middle East and Africa Neil Munshi, and reporter Nduka Orjinmo join Jennifer Zabasajja to explain where this claim comes from, what the reaction has been in Nigeria, and the challenge facing the west African nation’s government as it works out how to respond to President Trump.

You can read Neil and Nduka’s piece on Bloomberg now, and you can subscribe to the Next Africa Newsletter here.

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Election wins for incumbents in Cameroon and Ivory Coast, where key opposition figures were banned from standing, have raised warnings over the state of democracy in a number of African nations. One academic has warned of the rise of ‘democratic dictators’ which could create fertile ground for coups.

On this week’s episode, senior reporter Yinka Ibukun joins Jennifer Zabasajja to talk through the latest round of elections across Africa, and how gen z voters frustrated with their lack of choices may respond.

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Chinese tech companies Huawei and DeepSeek are teaming up to offer cloud computing and AI services. And they’re pitching African startups on using their offerings over their Western competitors like OpenAI in a bid to get an early foothold in the African tech scene.

In a special episode from Bloomberg’s Big Take and Next Africa podcasts, reporters Loni Prinsloo and Helen Nyambura join hosts Sarah Holder and Jennifer Zabasajja to describe the pitch, how it’s landing and what it could mean for the global AI race.

Read more:  DeepSeek’s Surge in Africa Reveals China’s AI Power Grab

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We wanted to bring you one of our favorite episodes from the last few months. Each year, up to 12 million young Africans enter the workforce, but only about three million formal jobs are available. So many Nigerians have left Africa's most populous country in recent years, the Yoruba term "japa" -- or escape -- has become shorthand for young people desperate to put their skills to use. Could the west be doing more to help Africa make the most of it’s talent rather than losing it to places like the UK, US and Canada?

Author, journalist and Bloomberg columnist Ciku Kimeria joins Jennifer Zabasajja to talk about her latest piece on the issue, why so many people are choosing to leave and what future she hopes her young daughter will grow in to. For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter here

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