Every World Cup brings with it controversies about the beautiful sport: Who is the actual winner of the tournament (e.g., in 2018, was it France or Africa that won the World Cup)? Is football in Africa a part of a larger scheme of labor extraction? How is the sport a reflection of the relationship the Global South has with the North (or the North forces upon the South)?

In the aftermath of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, popular narratives about African football have once again centred on talent, opportunity and global success. Yet the tournament also highlighted a football economy shaped by imperialism, capitalism, racial inequality and uneven development. In this conversation with James Esson and Christian Ungruhe, co-authors with Paul Darby of African Football Migration, we discuss how young African players are recruited, valued and moved through academies, intermediaries and international labour markets. We also explore exploitation, human trafficking, gendered migration and what football reveals about Africa's place within the global political economy. African Football Migration is published by Manchester University Press and is available open access.

Title: Monetary Sovereignty, African Currency & The Crisis in Senegal (Episode #3)

Guest: Ndongo Samba Sylla

In recent months, Senegal has been engulfed with a critical political crisis revolving around the country's financial architecture and the current leadership of the country. In this conversation with the renowned Ndongo Sama Sylla, we discuss the fallout of PASTEF (Patriotes africains du Sénégal pour le travail, l'éthique et la fraternité [African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity]) and the larger meaning of monetary sovereignty for Africa. Sylla explains how the creation of an African currency can be the solution to the recurring problems imposed by imperialism through the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and other coercive measures.

Sylla is the author and editor of numerous books, which can be found here: https://www.plutobooks.com/blog/author/ndongo-samba-sylla/

Pambazuka Podcast - anti-imperialism, Pan-Africanism and national liberation.

In this episode, Professor Horace Campbell (Syracuse University) joins Professor Patricia Daley at Oxford University for a conversation that cuts through the noise of mainstream media to reveal the tectonic shifts reshaping our world. Professor Campbell argues that the United States has suffered a strategic defeat in Iran—a defeat comparable to Britain's Suez crisis of 1956. This is not a temporary setback, but an erosion of US moral authority, diplomatic legitimacy, and—critically—the future of the petrodollar system. As Campbell explains, the unraveling of the petrodollar is a fundamental threat to US financial dominance, creating an opening for African nations to break from the CFA franc, the euro, and the US dollar—reviving Kwame Nkrumah's vision of an independent African currency. But this episode is about more than geopolitics. Campbell introduces the concept of "Black Joy" —not as mere celebration, but as the spiritual essence and organizational anchor that has sustained African peoples from enslavement through colonialism. It is the foundation for charting a new society beyond capitalism. 🎧

Tune in to understand:

• Why the US-Iran war marks a turning point in global power
• How the petrodollar's decline creates opportunities for African economic liberation
• What "Black Joy" means for building a future beyond imperialism and racial capitalism

#PambazukaPodcast #BlackJoy #Petrodollar #PanAfricanism #StrategicDefeat #Iran #GlobalAfrica #Delinking

Welcome to our first episode, Episode #0.

The associate editors and social media editor discuss Pambazuka News' objectives and goals from launching this podcast, what comes next in terms of forthcoming issues, focus of the podcast, and what to expect from the Pambazuka Podcast.

Pan-Africanism, anti-imperialism and liberation.

Episode Title: Migration & Xenophobia in (Post)Apartheid South Africa

Guest: Terri Barnes

Apartheid supposedly fell. But three decades later, African migrants are under attack—from their fellow Africans. What went wrong?

In this episode of Pambazuka Podcast, we sit down with Professor Terri Barnes to dissect the uncomfortable truth: the weight of apartheid's history has not been overcome. Class divisions run deep. Colossal inequality defines post-apartheid South Africa. And the same economic logic that once separated black from white now turns African against African.

Visit Pambazuka.org to explore the special issue on migration in Global Africa—and join the conversation.

Pambazuka Podcast—anti-imperialist, Pan-African.