Africa
Breaking news, discussion, African music, sport and health information.
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…
Aid Group Implores Burkina Faso Government to Accept Assistance in Registering Newly Displaced
International aid groups are calling on Burkina Faso's government to let them help register the country's internally displaced people. The Norwegian Refugee Council says the government is taking weeks to register IDPs for food and other aid, forcing some back into dangerous areas. Henry Wilkins reports from Ouahigouya, Burkina Faso…
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…
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…
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
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…
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
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…
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.
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
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,…
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
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
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…
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
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…
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
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
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…
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…