Show Notes
Nigeria’s film industry is big business - second only to India in the number of films produced annually. The films generate huge audiences in Nigeria - and many believe there’s an untapped market overseas. But after streamers like Netflix and Amazon Prime moved away from funding films upfront - producers are having to find new ways to get in front of international audiences. On this week’s episode, Jennifer Zabasajja speaks to one of the giants of the Nigerian media industry, Mo Abudu, who’s just opened Ebony Life Place in London, the UK's first cultural and creative hub dedicated to Black and African cinema. Plus, Bloomberg’s Lagos Bureau Chief Anthony Osae-Brown gives an update on how the industry has fared since the streamers changed how they fund Nigerian films. For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Formula 1 will return to Africa, with a first race set to take place in Rwanda in the early 2030s. The East African nation will host the F1 African Grand Prix under a 10-year agreement, Formula 1 said in a statement on Tuesday. Rwanda beat out competition from South Africa and Morocco to win the right to hold the first Grand Prix on the continent since 1993. On this week’s episode of the Next Africa podcast, Jennifer Zabasajja is joined by Bloomberg Senior Africa Reporter Loni Prinsloo to find out how Rwanda won the bid, and what the country is building to make it happen. Then Bloomberg Africa’s Deputy Managing Editor Neil Munshi discusses why some have accused Rwanda and Formula 1 of Sportswashing. For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ethiopian troops have regained control of the city of Mekelle, the capital of the country’s northern Tigray region - after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front - the TPLF had seized the city’s airport and declared war on the government. As Ethiopia’s relationship with its neighbours worsen some fear this could become a broader regional war in a Red Sea region vital to global trade that is already facing geopolitical turmoil. On this week’s episode, Jennifer Zabasajja is joined by East Africa reporter Simon Marks for the latest on the conflict, and Bloomberg’s Trade Tsar Brendan Murray discusses how global trade and shipping are rewiring the region’s supply lines and infrastructure. Read our latest reporting on Ethiopia, and subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter for more for stories from the region See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The discovery of 11 women’s bodies in and around Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, has horrified South Africans. Then the last few days provided a stark reminder of the country's violent crime problem: two separate mass shootings left 28 people dead, just days after 11 people were killed at a house in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province. On this week’s episode, S’thembile Cele joins Jennifer Zabasajja to discuss her reporting on these latest incidents and whether a year after the South African government declared violence against women a national emergency there’s been any sign of any improvement, and how voters could send a message at next month’s municipal elections. For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has finally launched the much anticipated IPO of part of his refinery business, and it's generated so much hype that many investment apps were overwhelmed by demand. The company hopes to raise as much as $2 billion from retail investors and with a minimum investment of just $4, the firm hopes ordinary Africans will buy shares. On today’s special episode, Deputy Managing Editor for Africa Neil Munshi joins Jennifer Zabasajja. They hear from Bloomberg's Lagos based reporter Yinka Ibukun about the mood among Nigerians, and then speak to analyst Feyi Fawehinmi about why he’s not convinced by the hype. Follow all our coverage of the Dangote IPO across Bloomberg platforms, and you can subscribe to the Next Africa Newsletter for more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We wanted to bring you one of our favourite episodes from the last 12 months this week. In Ethiopia, the share of electric vehicles on the road has jumped to 6% from just 1% after a 2024 ban on new gasoline-car imports. Across Africa, EV adoption is now among the fastest-growing globally — with Chinese automakers capturing the lion’s share of the market. On today’s episode, Bloomberg’s Fasika Tadesse joins Jennifer Zabasajja to unpack what this surge looks like on the ground in Addis Ababa, while Asia transport reporter Linda Lew explains why companies like BYD are targeting African markets. For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.