Voices of Africa

Hosted by Marcus Courage

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Tune into our Voices of Africa podcast, as our CEO Marcus Courage delves into the most transformative opportunities on the continent with its leading changemakers. The views and opinions expressed on the Voices of Africa podcast series are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views or position of Africa Practice and its management team.

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60 recent

October 13, 202654 min

Africa's energy future: Risk, resilience and opportunity with Mark Brownstein

Geopolitical volatility is exposing the cost of Africa’s dependence on imported fossil fuels. In this episode of Voices of Africa, Mark Brownstein, Senior Vice President at Environmental Defense Fund, joins Marcus Courage to explore how the continent can turn its energy security challenges into opportunities for industrial growth. They explore how Africa can turn methane waste into value, develop cleaner fuels for aviation and shipping, and meet the growing energy demands of AI while strengthening its industrial base and energy security. With COP32 approaching in Ethiopia, the conversation considers how to move beyond climate commitments towards projects that deliver tangible economic, social and environmental returns.

October 12, 202645 min

Breaking the Sovereign Ceiling: Disaggregating Risk to Finance Africa Forward with Igor Zelezetskii

What happens when a country's credit rating becomes a ceiling on the investment opportunities within its borders? In this episode of Voices of Africa, we speak with Igor Zelezetskii, Senior Fellow at the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, about how the sovereign ceiling can inflate Africa's cost of capital by failing to distinguish between a country's credit risk and that of the individual businesses, banks and infrastructure projects operating within it. Drawing on his research into sovereign risk and credit-rating methodologies, Igor outlines a four-step framework for disaggregating risk, assessing how it is transmitted and identifying where it can be mitigated. We explore why a more granular, evidence-based approach to credit ratings could help unlock more affordable financing for African investment.

March 25, 202654 min

Financing the Future of African Respiratory Care with Oxygen CoLab

For too long, the global health financing architecture was built for a world of centralised donor procurement. In this second episode of our series with the Oxygen CoLab, we move from the clinical problem to the financial solution: how to build the investment architecture that sustains life-saving care. In this episode, our guests discuss the critical ‘Missing Middle’- local SMEs that could form the backbone of healthcare delivery but are often excluded by global health financing. Using the Nigerian experience as a case study, we discuss the urgent need for a more flexible financing toolkit that prioritises local manufacturing and de-risks health markets. The #FundWhatLasts campaign argues that, to make the necessary shift from aid to investment, we must shift from top-down equipment donations to an African-led service model that includes the network of people and expertise needed to get oxygen to every patient who needs it, when they need it. By backing local SMEs, and investing in the operating conditions for them to thrive, we can ensure that investment guarantees the reliable delivery of oxygen to the patient’s bedside. What’s more, if we can prove this model in respiratory care, you have a template for other lifesaving services. Visit https://lnkd.in/dPjzDwc7 to explore the hashtag#FundWhatLasts campaign.

March 17, 202649 min

From aid to investment: Bridging the Oxygen Gap in African Healthcare with Oxygen CoLab

Despite billions in COVID-era investment, 91% of people in Sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to medical oxygen. This episode of Voices of Africa explores the ‘Missing Middle’, the gap between oxygen production and the patient’s bedside. In collaboration with the Oxygen CoLab, featuring Dr Carina King (epidemiologist), Hilda Bugingo (biomedical engineer) and Shiellah Bagayana (entrepreneur and oxygen policy champion), we discuss why oxygen is a complex system; the personal toll of systemic failure, and how local SMEs are transforming oxygen into a reliable, sustainable, scalable service that fills the ‘Missing Middle’. The #FundWhatLasts campaign argues that, to move forward, we must shift from top-down equipment donations to an African-led service model that includes the network of people and expertise needed to get oxygen to every patient who needs it, when they need it. By empowering local SMEs and biomedical engineers, we ensure that investment guarantees the reliable delivery of oxygen to the patient’s bedside. Visit https://www.makingbetterfutures.org/fundwhatlasts to explore the #FundWhatLasts campaign.

February 6, 202639 min

Financing the African mining ecosystem with Isabela Nyoka

In this episode of Voices of Africa, we sit down with Isabela Nyoka, Mining Specialist at Ecobank to unpack the transformation of the continent’s mining sector ahead of Mining Indaba 2026. Isabela provides a masterclass in how financial infrastructure acts as the catalyst for African agency. By moving beyond simple extraction and focusing on the ecosystem of mining, she illustrates how strategic capital can de-risk supply chains and drive inclusive growth.

February 4, 202643 min

African minerals, global stakes with Rohitesh Dhawan

The global energy transition has placed Africa in a paradox: the continent possesses the minerals the world needs to survive, yet the infrastructure to process those minerals remains fragmented. In this recent episode of Voices of Africa, Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO of the International Council on Mining and Metals, offers a sobering yet optimistic roadmap for the continent’s subsurface wealth. Rohitesh outlines a three-pillar framework: Transparency, stability, and fairness, essential for turning mineral wealth into lasting development. The conversation moves beyond idealistic rhetoric to tackle the hard economics of beneficiation, the threat of illegal mining syndicates, and the need for a unified African Mineral Trust.

January 21, 202648 min

Critical minerals on Africa's terms with Mzila Mthenjane

The African mining sector is at an inflection point. Once primarily viewed through the lens of extraction for the Global North, a new narrative - one of African Agency, sovereignty, and strategic self-determination - is rapidly emerging. In the latest episode of Voices of Africa, Mzila Mthenjane projects a sector actively reimagining its purpose, pivoting from passive supplier to strategic developer, fundamentally driven by its own needs and a commitment to enduring, inclusive growth. A major highlight is Mzila’s call for an African Critical Minerals Strategy that prioritises local infrastructure over global exports. Produced by Africa Practice, in partnership with Investing in African Mining Indaba.

November 12, 202532 min

Beyond the Ore with Stewart Bailey

What underpins operational resilience in complex markets? For AngloGold Ashanti in Guinea, it’s a commitment to becoming a core development partner. In this episode of Voices of Africa, we speak to Stewart Bailey about how the company’s long-term investment at the Siguiri mine is driving deep social change. This includes a revolutionary public-private health partnership model, strengthening its social license to operate, and building a genuinely Guinean team amidst the country's rapid transformation. Produced by Africa Practice, in partnership with the Investing in African Mining Indaba.

September 24, 202545 min

Africa's youth and the great green leap with Bilha Ndirangu

In this episode of Voices of Africa we speak with Bilha Ndirangu, founder of Jacob’s Ladder, about why Africa is uniquely positioned to leapfrog traditional development trajectories and lead the new green development state, a visionary approach where the continent’s development objectives are achieved by integrating economic growth with climate action and social inclusion from the outset. Bilha argues that Africa's challenges - massive youth unemployment and the global climate crisis - must be solved together.

August 4, 202539 min

Financing Africa Forward with Sim Tshabalala

Addressing the high cost of capital is as nuanced as it is urgent. Ahead of the Financing Africa Forward Cost of Capital Summit, Marcus Courage speaks with Standard Bank Group CEO, Sim Tshabalala about what is needed to set the agenda for Africa's financial future. They discuss the structural and dynamic factors that drive up capital costs for Africans, and how to unlock the continent's vast potential, not just for Africans, but for the entire world.