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Channel Africa Rise & Shine
News and Current Affairs show that gives insight into political events on the continent and internationally.
"Countries such as Botswana and Togo are improving performance on World Press Freedom Index"- Reporters Without Borders for Sub Saharan Africa
The 2026 Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index shows a mixed, predominantly concerning landscape for journalism in Africa. While Namibia and Cape Verde lead with "satisfactory" rankings, most nations face "problematic" to "very serious" conditions, marked by increased legal constraints, physical safety issues, and economic pressures on media. According to the report, press freedom has never been so strained in sub-Saharan Africa, a region battered by political instability, from the Great Lakes to the Sahel to Sudan. Wars, the criminalisation of journalism and economic challenges are the catalysts of this decline. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Jeanne Lagarde, Advocacy Officer for Reporters Without Borders for Sub Saharan Africa
Workers’ Day spotlights joblessness, inequality and rising mental health pressures globally
Welcome to the Friday edition of The Discourse.......On International Workers' Day, attention is turning to the state of work across the world, as unemployment remains high in many economies, inequality persists, and workers continue to face pressures linked to slow growth, inflation, and changing labour markets. This year, the International Labour Organization says the theme is "Ensuring a Healthy Psychosocial Working Environment" - highlighting rising concerns around stress, burnout, and mental health in the workplace, and calling for stronger protections for workers' well-being.. Peter Ndoro spoke to Matthew Parks of the Congress of South African Trade Unions on the realities facing workers on the ground.....
Moody’s exits SA unit, shifts to offshore ratings with transition period to 2028
Credit rating agency Moody's has surrendered the regulatory licence of its South African subsidiary as it focuses on serving cross-border investors and African issuers seeking international funding. The firm says the decision reflects a broader adjustment to its business model and confirms that it will continue to rate South African entities from offshore offices. Regulators have approved a phased transition to limit disruption, allowing banks to rely on existing Moody's South Africa ratings for regulatory purposes for 24 months, until April 2028. The move signals a shift in how credit ratings will be used in one of Africa's most developed financial markets. Peter Ndoro spoke to President of the African Credit Rating Association (ACRA), Dr Sifiso Falala...
Ghana faces renewed power outages as critics question causes beyond technical faults
Ghana is facing renewed concerns over power instability, with citizens across the country reporting frequent outages and disruptions to daily life. While government attributes the situation to technical challenges and a recent fire incident, critics say the crisis runs much deeper. Our reporter, Lebogang Mabange is on the ground in Acca, and brings us the story...
Africa Roundup: Tsepiso Makwetla and Peter Ndoro bring you key stories, expert insight, and context to start your day
Time now for our daily Africa Roundup. Each morning, just after the six o'clock news, Tsepiso Makwetla and Peter Ndoro bring you a concise update on the key developments shaping the continent and the world over the past 24 hours. With insights from our team of journalists, analysts, and newsmakers, we place the day's biggest stories into context - helping you stay informed, connected, and prepared for the day ahead...
Channel Africa Reporter, Nhlanhla Mahlangu brings you this week's edition of African Arty Beats
Here's this week's segment of the African Arty Beats.
Zambian government, Lungu family find common ground on storage of late statesman's body amid burial feud
The Zambian government and the family of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu have signed a consent order nullifying the ex parte ruling issued on 22 April concerning custody of his body. The agreement was reached in the Pretoria High Court on Thursday, following last week's dispute in which Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha asserted that the state had assumed control of the body, citing the family's failure to pursue their Supreme Court appeal. The body will now be moved from Two Mountains Funeral to Avbob. Channel Africa's reporter Micheal Mbewe reports
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation warns rising tensions and stalled ratifications threaten nuclear test ban progress
The Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), Robert Floyd, has warned that rising geopolitical tensions and stalled ratifications are threatening decades of progress in limiting nuclear weapons testing. Floyd was addressing the press this week on the vital role of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), in advancing the non-proliferation and disarmament objectives of the Eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Sisi Segalo has more on the story...
SA Justice Minister launches Constitution@30 programme, says its promise remains unfulfilled
INTRO: South Africa's Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, has announced a year-long national programme to mark 30 years of the country's Constitution, while acknowledging that its promise has not been fully realised. Kubayi was addressing the National Press Club in Midrand, where government, media and academics reflected on the impact of the Constitution since its adoption in 1996. Zara Groenewald has more….
SA's Industrial Development Corporation shifts to ecosystem model to drive industrial growth, Parks Tau outlines strategy
South Africa's Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, addressed the media on Thursday, on the Industrial Development Corporation's ( IDC) strategic direction. The new strategy will now see the IDC evolving from being a traditional direct lender, to becoming a platform for industrial ecosystem development, mobilising capital, partners and capability in order to unlock high-impact sectors and rebuild South Africa's industrial base. Minister Parks Tau says the IDC's role is critical in addressing challenges like low growth, declining industrial capacity, and economic power concentration. Thuto Ngobeni reports...
Madlanga Commission delayed as Malatji seeks postponement over documents in tender probe
Proceedings at the South African judicial inquiry, the Madlanga Commission got off to a delayed start on Thursday when Tshukudu Malatji's legal counsel requested for a postponement citing insufficient time to go through documents. Malatji is the suspended Director for Asset Protection at the TMPD and has been implicated in alleged tender manipulation. He has been accused of not halting ad hoc security services at the city that resulted in expenditure of 82-million Rand in over five months. Sibahle Motha reports...
Algeria’s Fateh Boutbig elected Pan-African Parliament President for 2026–2029 term
Algeria's candidate and member of the Council of the Nation Senator Fateh Boutbig, has been elected President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP). Boutbig was elected for the 2026-2029 legislative term, during an extraordinary session held in Midrand, South Africa, securing a majority of 119 votes out of 152. PAP, the legislative organ of the African Union (AU), convened the session to elect the five members of its Bureau, comprising one President and four Vice-Presidents. Nhlanhla Mahlangu reports. OUTRO
Beijing+30 African Women’s Movement warns Sudan war response failing as millions of women and girls suffer
The Beijing+30 African Women's Movement says three years since the outbreak of the war in Sudan, the global response remains a critical failure. They say that with over 13 million people forcibly displaced, widespread famine, and the systemic collapse of healthcare, Sudanese women and girls are bearing the brunt of a crisis that international institutions have failed to resolve. An estimated 12 million women and girls currently face heightened risks of gender-based violence, exploitation, and systemic neglect-a staggering reality that demands far more than diplomatic concern.Sisi Segalo has more on the story….
AU says strong transport and energy systems key to Africa’s economic transformation
The Director of Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union Commission, Dr. Kamugisha Kazaura, says resilient transport systems and stable energy infrastructure are the backbone of Africa's economic transformation, regional integration, and industrial development. He adds that strengthening these sectors is essential to unlocking trade, boosting competitiveness, and improving livelihoods across the continent. Dr. Kazaura was speaking at the 5th Ordinary Session of the African Union Specialised Technical Committee on Transport and Energy, currently underway in Johannesburg. Channel Africas economics reporter Innocent Semosa has more
Tanzania envoy assures citizens in South Africa are safe, dismisses xenophobia claims
Tanzania's High Commissioner to South Africa, James Bwana, says Tanzanians living in the country are safe, dismissing viral social media claims of xenophobic attacks. The embassy in Pretoria says misleading videos have caused panic among families back home. SABC News's Correspondent in Tanzania, Isaac Lukando, reports...
AU holds Malabo retreat to shape G20 stance as PAP elections unfold in SA
The African Union has convened a strategic AU-G20 retreat in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, aimed at shaping a unified African position ahead of the 2026 U.S. presidency of the G20. While in South Africa, the Pan-African Parliament elections are currently underway in Midrand.Botlhale Phele has the report…
Uganda arrests 231 foreigners in crackdown on trafficking and cybercrime networks
Ugandan authorities have arrested 231 foreign nationals in a large-scale operation targeting illegal migration networks linked to suspected human trafficking and cybercrime activities. The Ministry of Internal Affairs says the coordinated raids took place in northern Uganda and Kampala. Officials reported that many of those detained were found living in a restricted apartment complex with tightly controlled movement, while several were also found without valid travel documents. For more on this, we are joined on the line by our Correspondent in Uganda, Mike Arereng....
Progressive Force of SA stages march calling for Lungu remains to be sent to Zambia for burial
The legal battle over the final resting place of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu is set to play out in the High Court in Pretoria today. The Zambian government is challenging an urgent court order that halted the repatriation of Lungu's remains, arguing the ruling was granted in its absence and without full disclosure of key facts. The dispute has drawn strong reactions, with political groups now gathering outside court in support of the government's position that the former head of state should be buried in Zambia with full honours. Tsepiso Makwetla spoek to Bonang Sepoloane, national organiser of Progressive Force of SA , who is among those picketing outside court.
UN warns 7.8 million in South Sudan face severe hunger as crisis deepens
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF, have warned that a deepening hunger crisis in South Sudan is pushing 7.8 million people into high levels of acute food insecurity. According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, this represents 56 percent of the population - one of the highest levels of acute food insecurity in the world today. The crisis is being driven by escalating conflict, mass displacement, economic decline, climate shocks, flooding, and below-capacity agricultural production. To discuss this further we are now joined by Maxwell Sibhensana, Deputy Director at the Office of Emergency and Resilience at FAO...
Next UN Chief must balance Security Council politics with shifting global power dynamics: International Crisis Group's Head of UN Affairs, Daniel Forti
Good morning and welcome to the Thursday edition of The Discourse. The race to become the next United Nations Secretary-General is intensifying, with four candidates recently grilled on global conflict, poverty, and reform in what has been described as one of the toughest job interviews in the world. Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Argentina's Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan, and Senegal's Macky Sall all faced UN ambassadors in high-profile sessions, with no clear frontrunner emerging. As the UN prepares for its leadership transition when António Guterres steps down on January 1, all four candidates stressed the organisation's core pillars of peace and security, development, and human rights, while acknowledging major global challenges. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to International Crisis Group's Head of United Nations Affairs, Daniel Forti
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