The Africa Hour Podcast- Season One Wrapped

One of the more ambitious - and ultimately rewarding - projects I embarked on in recent years is podcasting. I was looking for smart, well-informed, nuanced and well-produced policy conversations on Africa. A podcast that picks an issue and looks at it from different perspectives. Enlightening without being condescending; serious without being exhausting. There are definitely podcasts like this out there. But for some reason, I couldn’t find them.

So, as one does, I wondered what it would look like if we started one. The result of the wondering is The Africa Hour.?

The concept of The Africa Hour is pretty simple: One episode, one policy issue, one African country, different perspectives.? In each of the 12 episodes (and a bonus episode) of season 1, I discussed a particular topic relating to digitalization with experts from different sectors: policy-making, research, start-ups, industry, arts, activism, and more. Those experts are usually based in the same country the episode is showcasing, and we try as much as possible to bring guests from different backgrounds to the table. We also work with in-country reporters to capture the broader public opinion.?

The Africa Hour’s first season is on Africa’s growing tech ecosystem:

• For the first episode, we went to Ghana to discuss the layoff of Twitter’s local Africa staff - and ask how African governments could regulate the behavior of big tech around hiring. We even managed to have a bonus episode with Carla Olympio, the lawyer representing the laid-off staff.?
• Next, we spent time in Kenya to discuss high-interest loan apps and fintech management.

• We were in Nigeria to discuss the cashless experiment introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria, and the pains it caused.
• In Algeria, we asked how the country is doing regarding the shift to renewable energy.
• We discussed streaming platforms and listened to Amapiano with music producers in South Africa.
• We looked at what challenges Ethiopia is facing as it seeks to leverage AI.
• In Rwanda, we discussed the government’s efforts to ensure comprehensive digital identification.
• The cost of connecting was our focus for our Cameroon episode.?
• Mozambique has witnessed a number of devastating climate events, so we looked at how tech might support the country in addressing catastrophe and risk management.
• Namibia introduced a digital nomad visa one and a half years ago - so we invited experts to discuss how that is going.
• We went to Cape Verde to discuss the government’s ambitions to make the country West Africa’s Tech Giant - and the steps being taken towards achieving the ambitions.
• And for the last episode, we discussed with Egyptian experts the government’s efforts to expand the Suez Canal Economic Zone, and the role technology is playing in this endeavor.

I am very grateful to all the experts who took the time to join us for the podcast. Their insight and opinions are deeply appreciated.

As mentioned, for each episode, we engage a local journalist to ensure that we capture the issues in a way that reflects the priorities in each country. A huge thank you to the skilled reporters we got to work with for this project.?

Also, I am very grateful to the podcast team:

Shola Lawal , Producer

Hannah Lang , Research Assistant

Bear Radio , the Production Company

All episodes are available on your favorite podcasting platform. You will find all the links here: https://afripoli.org/podcasts/

We will be back with a second season soon. Stay tuned on all platforms.