Africa’s rapid entry into the digital age brings unprecedented opportunity—and unprecedented risk. Digital futurist and AI thought leader Nicky Verd joins Mvemba Phezo Dizolele to discuss the continent’s cybersecurity vulnerabilities, the rise of AI-driven scams, and why digital ignorance may be one of Africa’s most dangerous threats.

Verd explains how cybercriminals exploit gaps in awareness, how AI is making deception easier than ever, and why Africa must prioritize cybersecurity and AI literacy—from classrooms to boardrooms. She also examines the uneven pace of national AI strategies across African countries, the need for continental cooperation, and why Africa’s youthful population and abundance of natural resources position it to compete globally—if governments can adopt flexible, forward-looking policies.

A clear-eyed look at the digital challenges shaping Africa’s present—and the AI-powered future it must prepare for.

For more than 50 years, Melvin Foote has been one of the most influential advocates shaping U.S.–Africa policy. From his early Peace Corps service in Ethiopia and Eritrea to founding the Constituency for Africa, Foote helped mobilize support for AGOA, advance anti-apartheid activism, and build crucial bridges between African Americans, African immigrants, and U.S. policymakers.

In this conversation with Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Foote reflects on the evolution of Africa advocacy: its early champions, major milestones, and the decline of the Black-led organizations that once drove the agenda. He explains how funding dried up, why political influence shifted, and what the next generation will need to rebuild a credible, coordinated pro-Africa movement.

A candid look at the past, present, and future of Africa advocacy in Washington.

In this episode of The Africa Program, host Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with Israel Bimpe, Chief Executive Officer of Irembo, about Rwanda’s innovative approach to digitizing public services and the broader implications for governance and service delivery across Africa. Drawing on Irembo’s decade-long evolution, Bimpe explains how the platform has transformed citizen interactions with government—from passports and driver’s licenses to birth records, business registrations, and more—while reducing inefficiencies, eliminating opportunities for corruption, and improving access for citizens at every level.

The conversation explores Rwanda’s “Zero Trip, Zero Paper” philosophy, the importance of USSD accessibility for low-income and rural users, and the critical role of trust, data protection, and reliable infrastructure in building a successful digital ecosystem. Dizolele and Bimpe also discuss lessons from global models such as Singapore and Estonia, as well as Rwanda’s unique experience developing regulations, integrating agencies, and navigating the cultural change required to shift services online.

Finally, the episode looks ahead to Rwanda’s ambitions for proactive service delivery—such as automatic issuance of birth certificates and IDs—and the potential for cross-border digital integration across African governments. This is a timely, accessible discussion for anyone interested in technology, governance, and the future of public services on the continent.

In this episode of The Africa Program, host Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with journalist and researcher John Lechner—author of Death Is Our Business—about the rise of private military companies in Africa and the evolution of Russia’s Wagner Group. Drawing on years of fieldwork in the Central African Republic, Mali, and across the Sahel, Lechner explains how Wagner blends state interests, private ambition, and entrepreneurial warfare, and how its fighters navigate local politics, conflict dynamics, and community relations on the ground.

The conversation explores why African governments turn to Wagner and similar groups—often out of frustration with ineffective peacekeeping or limited Western support—and how these partnerships fit into broader movements for sovereignty and multipolar engagement. Lechner and Dizolele also discuss how Western policymakers frequently misread these choices through outdated Cold War frameworks, missing the complexity of local realities.

Finally, the episode looks ahead to Wagner’s future after Prigozhin, the emergence of the Africa Corps, and what this new era of private warfare means for the continent’s security landscape. This is a sharp, accessible discussion for anyone interested in African politics, global security, or Russia’s expanding footprint in the region.

In this episode of The Africa Program, host Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with Cynthia Chigwenya, former African Union Youth Ambassador for Peace, about the realities facing Africa’s young majority and the governance structures that shape their lives. Drawing on her experience in regional institutions and youth movements, Chigwenya explains how unemployment, the digital divide, and inherited colonial-era systems continue to limit meaningful youth participation.

The conversation explores why young people increasingly turn to informal activism—from #EndSARS to LUCHA—when formal political channels fail, and how gender, geography, and tradition deepen these divides. Chigwenya also reflects on navigating power as a young woman inside the AU and what genuine inclusion and accountability should look like.

In this episode of The Africa Program, host Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with author and journalist Howard French about his new book The Second Emancipation: Nkrumah, Pan-Africanism, and Global Blackness at High Tide. Drawing on Nkrumah’s journey from colonial Ghana to the Black intellectual circles of 1930s America and postwar London, French traces how these experiences shaped Nkrumah’s vision of African liberation and global Black solidarity.

The conversation explores why Nkrumah saw decolonization as a “second emancipation” linked to the earlier struggle against enslavement, and how his ideas ignited independence movements across the continent while inspiring African Americans during the civil rights era. French and Dizolele also revisit the founding of the Organization of African Unity, the political fault lines among newly independent states, and the enduring challenge of Pan-African unity in a world shaped by colonial borders.

Finally, the episode considers Nkrumah’s legacy today—from debates over African sovereignty to new expressions of Pan-Africanism emerging from youth movements and the Sahel. This is a rich and accessible discussion for anyone interested in African history, decolonization, or the global currents of Black political thought.

Unfiltered. Unapologetic. Insightful.

Welcome to The Africa Program, your essential podcast for fearless conversations and sharp analysis on everything Africa. Tune in for thought-provoking dialogue with changemakers, thinkers, writers, and leaders from Africa and beyond. Whether you're seeking context, challenge, or clarity, The Africa Program delivers unfiltered insights and unapologetic truths. 

Hosted by Mvemba Phezo Dizolele — storyteller, analyst, and founder of Dizolele Advisory — this show connects the dots across the continent’s political shifts, artistic movements, economic transformations, and security dynamics. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts — and join the conversation at www.Dizolele.com.