The Africa Program

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is often viewed through the lens of conflict, humanitarian crisis, and critical minerals. Yet with more than 100 million people, vast agricultural potential, significant natural resources, and a largely informal economy, the DRC presents a much broader economic story.

In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with Eric Mboma, a Congolese business executive with extensive experience in banking, insurance, regulation, and investment, about what it will take for the DRC to translate its enormous potential into sustainable growth.

The conversation explores the barriers facing the Congolese economy, including infrastructure gaps, limited access to capital, weak institutions, and a large informal sector. Dizolele and Mboma also examine growing international competition for Congo’s copper, cobalt, and other strategic resources, asking how the DRC can negotiate partnerships with the United States, China, and other investors while advancing its own long-term interests.

Beyond mining, they discuss agriculture, financial services, local entrepreneurship, and the need to build a stronger Congolese business class. Mboma argues that the DRC’s future will depend not simply on attracting investment, but on strengthening institutions, expanding access to capital, capturing more value domestically, and turning ambitious ideas into effective execution.

The relationship between the United States and Africa has been shaped by the Cold War, decolonization, the civil rights movement, economic interests, and generations of leaders on both sides of the Atlantic. Yet despite decades of engagement, the United States has struggled to build the kind of consistent strategic partnerships with African countries that it maintains elsewhere in the world.

In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with Ambassador Andrew Young, civil rights leader, former member of Congress, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under President Jimmy Carter, and former mayor of Atlanta. Drawing on a lifetime at the intersection of civil rights, diplomacy, politics, and business, Young reflects on the evolution of U.S.-Africa relations and the personal relationships that helped shape American engagement with the continent.

The conversation revisits the Carter administration's approach to Africa, Young's encounters with leaders including Robert Mugabe and Olusegun Obasanjo, and the role of the Congressional Black Caucus in advancing African issues in Washington. Young reflects on the failures of American policymakers to understand African political movements during the Cold War and why personal relationships and firsthand knowledge often allowed him to see the continent differently from the foreign policy establishment.

The discussion also looks forward. Young considers what today's African leaders can learn from earlier generations about solidarity and political influence, what the United States still gets wrong about engaging Africa, and how his experience transforming Atlanta offers lessons for African cities. From diplomacy and congressional power to business and public-private partnerships, he argues that successful relationships ultimately depend on honesty, fairness, trust, and the ability to work together.

A wide-ranging conversation with one of the most consequential American voices in U.S.-Africa relations about history, leadership, diplomacy, and what a stronger partnership between Africa and the United States could look like.

Few African leaders continue to inspire as much debate as Mobutu Sese Seko. Nearly three decades after his death, his legacy remains deeply contested, raising enduring questions about history, memory, nationalism, and the future of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with Nzanga Mobutu, son of the late Congolese president and curator of the landmark 2025 exhibition Mobutu: Une Vie, Un Destin at the National Museum of Kinshasa. Together, they explore why a new generation of Congolese is revisiting one of the country's most influential and controversial leaders.

The conversation traces Mobutu's evolution from journalist and soldier to head of state, examining his role in shaping post-independence Congo during the Cold War. Nzanga reflects on the exhibition's effort to present a fuller picture of his father's life, including his diplomacy, the policy of Authenticité, nation-building, education, and the international forces that influenced the country's trajectory.

The episode also explores the politics of historical memory, the challenges of documenting contested histories, and the importance of African voices in telling Africa's own story. Nzanga discusses the process of researching his forthcoming book, the response to the exhibition from young Congolese and political leaders, and why understanding Mobutu requires understanding the broader history of the Congo and the global dynamics of the Cold War.

A thoughtful discussion on history, leadership, and the enduring legacy of one of Africa's most consequential political figures, and why how a nation remembers its past will shape its future.

The FIFA World Cup is more than the world’s biggest sporting event. It is also a stage where history, politics, and national identity converge. For Africa, the tournament has reflected decades of struggle for recognition, representation, and respect on the global stage.

In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with independent researcher Afolabi Adekaiyaoja about Africa’s historic performance at the FIFA World Cup and what it reveals about the future of African football. Together, they trace the continent’s journey from the 1966 World Cup boycott to a record number of African teams competing on the world stage, examining how geopolitics has shaped the game from its earliest days.

The conversation explores the growth of African football, the expansion of World Cup qualification, and the lessons learned from the performances of Morocco, Cabo Verde, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and other national teams. Dizolele and Adekaiyaoja discuss the importance of long-term investment in coaching, youth development, infrastructure, and domestic leagues, arguing that sustained success depends on building strong football institutions rather than relying on individual generations of talent.

The episode also examines football as a form of soft power, from the role of diaspora players and African coaches to the politics surrounding FIFA, visas, and international sporting governance. Looking ahead, Adekaiyaoja argues that Africa’s strong World Cup showing should mark the beginning of a new era, provided governments and football federations invest in the systems needed to turn breakthrough performances into lasting success.

A timely discussion on football, geopolitics, and why Africa’s growing influence on the world’s biggest sporting stage extends far beyond the final score.

Africa and Europe share a long and complicated history. From colonial rule to post independence cooperation, the relationship has never been static. Today it is being reshaped by migration politics, supply chain pressures, rising populism, and intensifying global competition.

In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with Alex Vines of the European Council on Foreign Relations about where Africa Europe relations stand now. As European governments revise their Africa policies, from Italy and France to Iceland and Hungary, the balance of power is shifting.

The conversation examines mobility and migration, the influence of African diaspora communities, and Europe’s economic strategy through initiatives like Global Gateway and the Lobito Corridor. It also explores security flashpoints from eastern DRC and the Sahel to Sudan, Libya, and northern Mozambique, and asks whether Europe can offer a credible alternative to China.

Vines argues that Africa’s strategic importance will only grow. Europe will need to compete harder and engage more equally, as African states expand their options. Yet one gap remains clear. While Europe refines its Africa strategies, many African governments have yet to define a coherent strategy toward Europe.

A focused discussion on power, policy, and the future of a relationship that will shape both continents.

Sierra Leone is often remembered for its brutal civil war and the Ebola crisis. But beneath those defining chapters lies a deeper story, one about youth, power, and the long struggle for dignity.

In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with award-winning author Marc Sommers about his book We the Young Fighters: Pop Culture, Terror, and War in Sierra Leone. Their conversation explores the historical roots of youth marginalization in Sierra Leone, from the legacy of the Atlantic slave trade to the authority of paramount chiefs and the political economy of exclusion that shaped the pre-war and post-war state.

With nearly two-thirds of Sierra Leone’s population under 25, the country is profoundly young. Yet generations of youth have been expected to wait their turn, often denied economic opportunity, social recognition, and political voice. Sommers explains how young Sierra Leoneans turned to global pop culture, including Bob Marley’s liberation message, Rambo’s defiance of unjust authority, and Tupac Shakur’s reclamation of “thug life,” to assert identity, dignity, and resistance in the face of exclusion.

The discussion also examines post-war democracy, radical inclusive education reforms, unemployment, gangs, and the ongoing question of whether governance can keep pace with a youth-majority nation. It is a timely conversation about power, belonging, and why Sierra Leone’s future depends on whether its youth are truly heard.

Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is often defined by conflict, instability, and one of the world’s longest running wars. But beyond those headlines lies a different story, one about resilience, local innovation, and communities working to build their own future.

In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with Ben Affleck, co-founder of the Eastern Congo Initiative, about more than a decade of engagement in the region and what it reveals about development, philanthropy, and advocacy.

Their conversation traces Affleck’s early efforts to understand eastern Congo through direct engagement with communities, civil society, political leaders, and international institutions. What emerged was a central insight. The most effective solutions were not imported from outside, but driven by local organizations that understood the realities on the ground and were already doing impactful work.

The discussion explores the limits of traditional aid models, where funding often remains tied to donor systems, and contrasts them with approaches that invest directly in community based organizations. From health care and clean water to coffee and cocoa cooperatives, Affleck highlights how small, targeted investments can create sustainable economic opportunities when local actors are empowered.

The episode also examines the role of advocacy in shaping U.S. policy, the challenge of building political attention around long running conflicts, and the consequences of declining development assistance. At its core, it is a conversation about agency, humility, and what it takes to translate awareness into meaningful, lasting impact.

Africa is often framed through the lens of aid, but in an era of global competition over critical minerals, infrastructure, and markets, the debate over “trade not aid” misses a larger point.

In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with Daniele Nyirandutiye, partner at Desmos Capital Partners and former USAID mission director in Uganda, about how development assistance has helped build the regulatory systems, capital markets, and business environments that make trade possible. She argues that commercial diplomacy alone cannot succeed without the technical foundation that development provides.

The conversation explores U.S. competitiveness, small and medium enterprises, fintech innovation, and why investors should look beyond headline sectors to find opportunity across Africa.

A timely discussion on trade, development, and the long-term strategy needed to unlock Africa’s economic potential.

Sanctions have become a default instrument of foreign policy. From Sudan and Zimbabwe to Russia, Cuba, and Iran, they are often the first response to crisis. But do sanctions actually change behavior, or do they simply signal that something has been done?

In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with Brad Brooks-Rubin, partner at Arc Torus and former senior advisor in the U.S. State Department’s Office of Sanctions Coordination, to unpack how modern sanctions regimes work and why they so often fall short of their stated goals.

Brooks-Rubin traces the evolution of sanctions from broad countrywide embargoes to targeted measures aimed at individuals, companies, and financial networks. He argues that sanctions are not behavior-change tools but behavior-disruption tools, designed to create leverage for diplomacy. Without a clear policy objective and the political will to target enablers, sanctions risk becoming a substitute for strategy.

The conversation explores case studies from Zimbabwe, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, Iran, and Cuba, examining the role of financial systems, conflict minerals, outside enablers, and global power politics. It also addresses a persistent question: when sanctions are lifted, why do economies often fail to rebound?

A candid and wide-ranging discussion on leverage, diplomacy, political will, and the limits of economic pressure in Africa and beyond.

Africa is at the center of global competition, but also at a pivotal moment in its own transformation. In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele is joined by Fonteh Akum, Executive Director of the Institute for Security Studies, to examine the major trends shaping Africa’s future as the world enters a new year.

Drawing on a continent-wide perspective, Akum outlines what is “blinking on the dashboard”: Africa’s youthful demographics, rapid technological adoption, growing private sector ambition, and intensifying global interest in the continent’s resources, markets, and votes at the United Nations. He explains why opportunity and risk are deeply intertwined, and why conflict, climate change, displacement, and development can no longer be treated as separate challenges.

The conversation explores the gap between youthful aspirations and economic realities, the structural barriers facing small and medium enterprises, the political economy of infrastructure and energy, and the urgent need for accountable governance. Akum also reflects on African agency in resolving conflicts, negotiating global partnerships, and leveraging critical minerals for industrialization rather than extraction.

A wide-ranging and timely discussion on where Africa stands today—and what it will take to turn long-standing potential into durable progress.