Talking Africa

When Ebola hit Liberia in 2014, Gyude Moore was working as deputy chief of staff for President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.He had a frontrow seat as the administration battled the virus; and he has important messages for policy-makers in Africa as they confront the coronavirus pandemic.

In conjunction with Invest Africa, we map out the political and economic impact of coronavirus on the continent. From spiking bond premiums, to the collapse in oil prices, to the state of readiness of Africa's healthcare systems, and what the longterm implications might be.For more on future Invest Africa webinars, head to investafrica.com

Are African politicians taking the triple whammy of coronavirus, locusts and debt levels seriously?Not seriously enough, argues Aly-Khan Satchu.

Tito Mboweni has given the crime-fighters and tax collectors more money. Is it enough to turn around South Africa's economy?

For author, businessman and analyst Moeletsi Mbeki, South Africa's ruling party is part of the problem, not part of the solution. He is critical of the inaction of President Cyril Ramaphosa, and says that the ruling ANC is now just a job distribution machine.Are the conditions uniting for a South African Spring?

We speak to Trump's top Africa diplomat about the new US drive to engage economically with Africa, great power competition from China and others, Sudan, Ethiopia, Congo and much more.

Ethiopia is asking itself some tough political questions at the moment. We speak to writer Maaza Mengiste, whose powerful historical fiction may be just the tonic to heal festering wounds. Especially those surrounding the 'what' and the 'who' of a nation ...

The UK-Africa Investment Summit is gathering political and business to London to debate the continent's relationship with Britain, on 20th January.We talk to Emma-Wade Smith, Her Majesty's Trade Commissioner for Africa, about potential and priorities.

Ethiopia is heading into a tricky political moment. Prime Minister Abiy has to navigate elections in 2020, the push for self determination by various regions, a tough set of security challenges, and an economic liberalisation programme.To help decode it for us, the International Crisis Group senior analyst for Ethiopia, William Davison

Is China exporting its authoritarian politics via its export of communication technologies?While the world debates 5G technologies, and the US takes aim at China's telecoms giant Huawei, this is a live topic across the continent, too.From internet blackouts in Ethiopia... to facial recognition software in South Africa... to the recent public embrace by Nigerian politicians of China's own social media policies.Its not so simple, says Iginio Gagliardone is a Research Fellow at the University of Oxford who splits his time between South Africa and Ethiopia.He has written a book on the subject called – China, Africa, and the future of the internet.

What do Angolans think about their new president João Lourenço? Are the reforms sticking? Are there green shoots in the energy sector.Plus we talk about the flood of money into Nigeria's fintech sector.

The violent crackdown on Zimbabwe's opposition continues. Well-connected businessmen continue to strip the state of resources, despite famine conditions. The same politicians and securocrats maintain their grip. So what might drive change? We ask Alex Magaisa, a lawyer who helped draft Zimbabwe's constitution, and worked with the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in the government of national unity in 2012-13. You can find him online @wamagaisa

Trump's America, Putin's Russia and Xie's China all testing the very limits of the multilateral system.As one of the United Nation's leading diplomats, Nigeria's Tijjani Muhammad-Bande is trying to remind the world of the virtues of facing global problems in a collective fashion.Elected President of 74th session of the UN General Assembly, he has his work cut out for him; from climate change to security in the Sahel, to helping build consensus around global tax evasion and the International Criminal Court.

A strategic crossroads between East - West - Africa - Europe, the Maghreb has become hard to read in recent years.Elections, conflict, political Islam, against a backdrop of vibrant civil societies pushing for better leadership, in Tunisia, Libya, Algeria and beyond.Our guide is Jon Marks, founder and chairman of Cross-border Information, a Maghreb expert who has got the t-shirt and much more...

South African businessman Kuseni Dlamini is the Chairman of two JSE-listed companies, Massmart and Aspen Pharmacare, with a combined turnover of nearly $10bn. He is thinking big for South African companies, and wants them to take on the world. “Eskom should be a global energy giant, that can go and build power plants in England.”

Nigeria is in need of new ideas to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, from rural grazing areas, to community policing. Kayode Fayemi, the Governor of Ekiti State, and the Chair of the Nigeria Governors' Forum, hopes to provide them.He wants to pinpoint the good ideas that might emerge in any one state – from policing, to education, to agriculture, to tax collection and supporting entrepreneurs – and generalise that best practise to all 36 states.

The China Africa relationship is ever-evolving.While infrastructure and commodity deals are still happening, a new set of Chinese actors in telecoms and finance are also taking to the field.We unpack the complexities of this new dynamic with Eric Olander, Managing Editor of thechinaafricaproject.com

From front-line organizer in South Africa's liberation, to the chairmanship of Africa’s biggest telecoms company, Mcebisi Jonas has played a leading role in the changing South Africa.In 2015 Mcebisi Jonas shocked the nation, claiming he had been offered the post of Finance Minister in return for doing the bidding of the Gupta brothers.He speaks to The Africa Report editor in chief Patrick Smith about new policy directions, tackling corruption, energy, health and education, as well as his new book, 'After Dawn'.Reach us @theafricareport or on Facebook to join the conversation.

Angola made $600bn after the war ended in 2002. So where did all the money go?The Africa Report investigates...

When is an Ethiopian t-shirt really an Ethiopian t-shirt? Esoteric problem? Not really, says UNCTAD boss Mukhisa Kituyi, who argues that without proper work on the rules of origin, Africa's new free trade area will be dead in the water.