Africa

Breaking news, discussion, African music, sport and health information.
Weekly English United States News
701 Episodes
1 – 20

Benin Now Said to Be Fastest Place to Start Business Online

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Benin set up a service to allow people to register their business online.  The E-registration system has worked so well that this West African country is now the world's fastest place to start a business, according to a U.N. agency. Moki Edwin Kindzeka narrates this…
14 Sep 2021 2 min

Pandemic Forces Kenya's Jobless Youths Onto Streets

Kenyan authorities say the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced thousands of youths onto the streets, and many are turning to crime.  To meet the challenge, aid groups are trying to reintegrate homeless youth through sports with the goal of keeping them out of trouble. Victoria Amunga reports…
8 Sep 2021 1 min

Report: Kenya Leads Globally in P2P Cryptocurrency Trading

Blockchain data platform   has ranked internet-using Kenyans as the world's top peer-to-peer, or P2P, cryptocurrency traders. The group's survey shows that many Kenyans use form this of trading because they don’t have access to centralized exchanges. Lenny Ruvaga looks at the challenges and what this means for the industry in…
7 Sep 2021 2 min

In a First, Disabled Malawi Fashion Designers Show Off Their Creations

Disabled fashion designers have long struggled against discrimination, especially in developing countries such as Malawi. To combat the problem, Malawian fashion brand House of Xandria on Saturday organized the country's first fashion show featuring creations by designers with disabilities.  Lameck Masina reports from Blantyre. Camera: Dan Kumwenda
7 Sep 2021 3 min

Nigerian Experts Lament China’s Growing Influence in African Technology

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei says it wants to train up to 3 million African youths to work with digital technology, including cutting-edge technology such as artificial intelligence. Already, Nigerian students who took part in a Huawei-sponsored ICT competition say the benefits, including possible job placements with the company, are enormous…
2 Sep 2021 3 min

COVID Concerns Lead Thousands of Zimbabwean Teachers Refusing to Return to School

Zimbabwe resumed in-classroom teaching this week, but thousands of teachers are protesting a lack of personal protective equipment and say they will not go back to class until the government addresses their concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. Columbus Mavhunga reports from Harare. Camera:  Blessing  Chigwenhembe  Produced by: Bakhtiyar Zamanov   
1 Sep 2021 2 min

Nigeria Fighting Cholera Outbreak; Death Toll Nears 1,800

Nigerian health officials say nearly 1,800 people have died from cholera this year, with cases found in more than 20 states around the country. To combat the bacterial disease that is spread by dirty water, Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Environment is urging proper hygiene and organizing mass cleanups in affected…
31 Aug 2021 2 min

Kenya Sets Up COVID-19 Vaccination Centers

Kenya is stepping up its COVID-19 vaccination campaign by setting up inoculation centers in public spaces like malls, markets, and bus stops. Authorities hope the extra convenience will lift a vaccination rate that stands at just two percent. Victoria Amunga reports from Nairobi.
30 Aug 2021 1 min

South African University Embraces Virtual Reality for Distance Learning

COVID-19 restrictions are not just keeping students out of the classroom, but also out of the laboratory.  The University of Johannesburg is helping students replicate the experience  through virtual reality.  Linda Givetash reports from Johannesburg. Camera:  Zaheer Cassim  Producers: Zaheer Cassim, Marcus Harton 
26 Aug 2021 2 min

Volunteers Tackle Vaccine Hesitancy in South Africa

Despite COVID-19 vaccines being available to all South African adults, uptake remains low with just 20 percent of adults having received a first dose. The Muslim Association of South Africa is one of many groups combatting vaccine hesitancy by delivering jabs to doorsteps. Linda Givetash reports from Johannesburg.Camera: Zaheer Cassim,…
25 Aug 2021 3 min

All-Female Vegan Rangers Leading Anti-Poaching in Zimbabwe 

The impact of the pandemic has increased wildlife poaching around Africa's national parks, as people who lost their jobs hunt the animals for food.  To help protect the animals, anti-poaching organizations have been formed, including a squad of vegan, women rangers. Columbus Mavhunga reports from Hurungwe, Zimbabwe. Camera: Blessing Chigwenhembe  
24 Aug 2021 2 min

Somalia Reopens Schools Despite Continued COVID Threat

The Somali government reopened schools this month despite a new wave of coronavirus infections. As Mohamed Sheikh Nor reports from Mogadishu, there are concerns about whether measures to prevent the virus from spreading in classrooms and beyond will be sufficient. Video editor: Roderick James
24 Aug 2021 3 min

Burkina Faso’s Military Widows Get Help to Support Their Families

Saturday (August 21) is the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, a day that is unfortunately relevant in Burkina Faso which is engaged in fighting Islamist militants. A Burkinabe nonprofit, Go Paga, is helping widows and orphans grappling with the loss of husbands and fathers…
19 Aug 2021 2 min

Aid Group in Kenya Trains Inmates on Legal Rights

Too often, the judicial system can overlook convicted prisoners who can’t afford to hire lawyers, especially in developing countries like Kenya. But one aid group, Justice Defenders, has been training inmates how to write appeals, represent themselves, and gain back their legal rights. Brenda Mulinya reports from Nairobi.Camera: Amos Wangwa
18 Aug 2021 2 min

Dim Light for Democracy in Tanzania as Opposition Leader Remains Behind Bars

When Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan took office in April, she vowed a U-turn in politics from her predecessor, the late John Magufuli.  But the arrest of opposition leader Freeman Mbowe in July has dimmed hopes that Hassan will her turn back on Magufuli's iron-fisted style of rule. Charles Kombe…
18 Aug 2021 2 min

When Will Africa Host the Olympic Games?  

For decades, African athletes have traveled all over the world to take part in the Olympic Games. Yet Africa itself has never hosted the Games, and some are asking what it would take for an Olympics to happen on African soil. VOA’s Mariama Diallo has this story.Producer: Jon Spier              
18 Aug 2021 3 min

Kenyan Volunteers Work to Counter HIV Patients’ COVID Misinformation

Volunteers in Kenya are working to counter misinformation on the coronavirus among people living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.  Social media posts have been circulating harmful, false claims that the use of antiretroviral drugs to treat HIV can also prevent and even cure COVID-19.  Victoria Amunga reports from Nairobi.Camera:  Amos Wangwa        
17 Aug 2021 2 min

Sex-for-Food Aid Scandal in Burkina Faso

A recent report found that community leaders in Burkina Faso are exploiting internally displaced women, demanding sex or money in return for food aid. One local official said these reported incidents could be the “tip of the iceberg” in a displacement crisis of 1.3 million people. Reporter Henry Wilkins spoke…
16 Aug 2021 2 min

Half of Nigerians Willing to Emigrate for Better Opportunities, Survey Finds

About half of Nigerians, especially youth, would be willing to leave the country for a better life, according to a July World Bank survey, an increase of nearly 20% since 2014. The report blames poor job opportunities and economic hardships, made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. But as Timothy Obiezu…
16 Aug 2021 2 min
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