Africa Daily BBC World Service

The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has been pleading for urgent support for Ghanaian students studying abroad who have not received their stipends for almost a year. The students are on a government scholarship, and they left Ghana with the promise of getting financial support during their time at university. The scholarship was set up for "brilliant and needy" students. But as Ghana is facing its own economic crisis, it has left these students with a huge financial burden of their own.

Presenter: Alan Kasujja. Guest: Eric Sarpong

For the first time since the fall of apartheid in 1994, South Africa is now negotiating an uncharted political territory.

It comes after the ruling African National Congress (ANC), a party that was once led by Nelson Mandela, lost its parliamentary majority.

The organization received 40.18% in last week’s elections, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 21.81% and Umkhonto Wesizwe Party (MK) with 14.58%.

Some attribute the dismal performance of the ANC to its fallout with former president Jacob Zuma who now leads the MK Party.

At a press briefing on Wednesday, the ANC revealed that it was in talks with the DA, EFF and several other smaller parties.

It said it also reached out to the MK Party, but hasn’t received any positive feedback.

So, who will the ANC form a coalition government with?

Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje explores various options with Dr. Hlengiwe Ndlovu from the Wits School of Governance and former diplomat Botsang Moiloa.

Teenagers are being actively targeted by the tobacco industry through the use of social media influencers and fruit flavoured products. That’s according to a report by the World Health Organisation which also says that around one in five adolescents in Africa are using tobacco.
So what should governments be doing to protect their young people? Especially those in southern Africa which benefit from growing tobacco as a crop?
For today’s Africa Daily podcast, Peter Musembi speaks to Vivian Joseph, a clinician and head of Southern African Youth Forum’s health cluster- who says governments need to toughen up their laws. And he also talks to Rachael Kitonyo Devotsu, a data expert, about the hurdles governments have faced as they try to do this.

“If we want to be a nation we should have our own narrative, we should have our own heroes.”
Alan’s guest on the podcast today is Mia Couto - one of Mozambique’s most famous authors who’s won numerous international awards during his decades-long career. But he’s so much more: a biologist, a critical thinker, the son of immigrants and, as a young man, a member of Frelimo - the independence movement which fought against the Portuguese colonial authorities. As the only ‘white guy’ in the room when he joined, he was told “we need poetry in our struggle”.
Now nearly 50 years on, he tells Alan how he’s become disillusioned with the ruling party – which has been in control of the country since independence. The country remains one of the poorest in Africa in terms of GDP despite its natural resources.

He also talks about why it's been so difficult for the authorities to retain control in the northern Cabo Delgado province which has suffered a bloody insurgency since 2017 - and argues that Mozambicans need to remember their own narratives and heroes.

In today’s episode, Mpho Lakaje speaks to a 36-year-old South African man who uses a drug called Nyaope or Whoonga. It’s a type of black tar heroin often mixed with other powdered substances that include cleaning chemicals.

But the problem of substance abuse and addiction isn't limited to one country - and the United Nations says it expects the number of people using drugs in Africa to rise 40% by 2030.

Sierra Leone is also dealing with a drug commonly known as Kush, a psychoactive blend of addictive substances. Earlier this year, 23 people died and 20 others went blind after allegedly consuming poisonous alcohol in Kenya. And Malawi also has a concoction notoriously known as “God take me”.

Presenter: Mpho Lakaje
Guest: Professor Adamson Muula

For many young people in Africa, traditional banking isn’t just a hassle, it’s a major roadblock.
Long lines, piles of paperwork and strict ID requirements mean many are left out in the cold when it comes to managing their money in bank accounts.
Digital banking platforms are trying to change this.
The idea is that they use technology to provide financial services for payments, loans and even investments, through online platforms and apps instead of traditional banks.
Africa Daily’s Muthoni Muchiri spoke to Kiiru Muhoya, CEO of Fingo Africa, about the finance challenges facing the continent's youth and how digital banking can open up the connection channels on the continent.