Next Africa

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is causing turmoil in energy markets, and is also hitting the price and supply of crucial fertilizers.   On this week’s episode Bloomberg’s Agnieszka de Sousa and René Vollgraaff join Jennifer Zabasajja to discuss why the Strait of Hormuz is so crucial to fertilizer supplies, and how energy shortages and rising costs could have far reaching effects on Africa’s farmers and the price of food For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After becoming the first UN member to recognise the breakaway territory of Somaliland, Israel is now quietly planning for a potential base at the mouth of the Red Sea from which to strike one of the Iran’s last proxies still operating at full strength: the Houthis of Yemen. On this episode of the Next Africa podcast, Jennifer Zabsajja is joined by Bloomberg’s Simon Marks and our Israel bureau chief Ethan Bronner to discuss why Somaliland is strategically important to to Israel, what Israeli military presence on the horn of Africa could look like, and what impact it could have across the region.You can read Simon Mark’s reporting from Somaliland here and for more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Lawmakers have called on Nigeria to repeal Sharia law in the country’s north as they probe US President Donald Trump’s unfounded allegations of Christian persecution in the country. This follows previous unfounded claims from the US administration of a white genocide in South Africa. On this week's episode of the Next Africa Podcast Jennifer Zabasajja talks to Bloomberg's Deputy Managing Editor for the Middle East and Africa Neil Munshi and our South Africa government reporter S’thembile Cele about how Nigerian Christians and White South Africans have become a big issue in Washington DC and what impact it’s having on US African relations.  For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oil and gas supply routes are coming under pressure as the conflict in Iran intensifies, bringing fears of an energy price shock that could hit many African economies. On this week’s episode, Bloomberg’s Energy Reporter Stephen Stapczynski and Bloomberg Economics Africa Economist Yvonne Mhango join Jennifer Zabasajja to discuss what’s happening to energy prices, and which countries in Africa are most exposed to an oil price shock. For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cocoa’s stunning rise and its equally remarkable slump are beginning to shake up the longstanding way of doing business in West Africa, the region that supplies the bulk of the world’s beans. On this week’s episode of the Next Africa Podcast, Bloomberg softcommodities reporter Mumbi Gitau joins Jennifer Zabasajja to discuss why cocoa prices have seen such a dramatic fall, how it’s changing the way cocoa regulators have to operate and why it’s leaving farmers in the world’s biggest cocoa producing countries worried. You can read Mumbi Gitau’s  reporting on cocoa here, and for more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ethiopia and Eritrea are deploying troops and military equipment to the northern Tigray region, according to regional diplomats, raising the risk of renewed conflict in the Horn of Africa. On this week’s episode of the Next Africa podcast, Jennifer Zabasajja is joined by Bloomberg’s Simon Marks and Professor Kjetil Tronvoll from Oslo New University College to discuss how tensions have been rising over recent weeks, how likely a conflict could now be, and what repercussions of wider war in the Horn of Africa could look like. You can read Simon’s latest report here, and for more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The mood at Africa’s biggest mining conference, the Mining Indaba in Cape Town, is buoyant - as increased demand for critical minerals around the world is supporting more investment in projects across the continent.  On this week’s episode — recorded at the Mining Indaba — Jennifer Zabasajja speaks with Bloomberg’s Matthew Hill and William Clowes about who’s attending, why international collaboration is high on the agenda, and how African nations are pushing to avoid being short-changed as global demand for their natural resources grows.For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Precious metals soared last month in a rally underpinned by speculative momentum, geopolitical upheaval and concerns about the Federal Reserve’s independence. However, market watchers warned that the advances had been too large and too swift. The surge came to a sudden halt at the end of last week, with silver seeing its biggest daily drop on record and gold plunging the most since 2013. On this week’s episode of the Next Africa podcast, Bloomberg Intelligence’s Metals and Minerals analyst Emmanuel Munjeri and Bloomberg Metals and Minerals Reporter Jack Ryan join Jennifer Zabasajja to talk through the last few weeks on the metal markets, whether new African projects could soon be greenlit and what else to look out for in the coming weeks. For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nigeria’s biggest city is demolishing two densely populated waterfront communities to make way for urban renewal, displacing thousands of poor residents in the process. On this week’s episode, Tiwa Adebayo, sitting in for Jennifer Zabasajja, is joined by Bloomberg’s Nigeria bureau chief Anthony Osae-Brown and Toni Fola-Alade, the co-founder of Charity DoGood.Africa, who saw their school demolished earlier this year. They discuss what’s happened to the communities impacted, how the Lagos State Government is compensating people and what the future might hold for poorer communities in Lagos. For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chinese mine operators in Zambia started paying royalties and taxes in yuan in Africa’s second-biggest copper producer, the latest sign of the growing acceptance of the currency on the continent.   On this week’s episode, bloomberg reporter Matthew Hill and Bloomberg Economics Africa Economist Yvonne Mhango join Jennifer Zabasajja to discuss why China wants to boost the use of its currency, what’s in it for African countries, and whether there’s a risk of US retaliation For more stories from the region, you can subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.