The ARC Insider

Defying Disinformation

In the 34th episode of the ARC Insider, hosts Karen Allen and Tara O'Connor discuss the key upcoming political events in Africa including consequential elections in Nigeria and Kenya, and opposition success in Zimbabwe as the country faces an economic crisis.

This episode's special guest is Simon Allison, editor-in-chief of The Continent, an award-winning pan-African weekly newspaper delivered via WhatsApp. In an insightful conversation, Allison discusses the online future of African journalism, the 'infodemic' challenge, and why he took his newspaper on to WhatsApp.

The ARC Insider, Episode 33: Cape Town’s bold digital ambitions

Hosts Karen Allen and Tara O'Connor discuss the reaction in Africa to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with impacts on the role of Russia in African conflicts, higher food import prices, and the changing stance of China.

Recorded in Cape Town, this episode's guest is Keet Van Zyl, partner and co-founder at Knife Capital, a venture capital company. Van Zyl discusses Africa's exploding tech scene, and why Cape Town is pushing to become one of the continent's main tech hubs.

The ARC Insider, Episode 32: On the road with Tara and Karen - the Business of Basketball in Africa

Hosts Karen Allen and Tara O'Connor discuss breaking news from across Africa, including the death of South Africa's last apartheid-era president F.W. de Klerk, Nigeria's launch of its digital currency, and the states of emergency in Ethiopia and Sudan.

This episode, Karen and Tara are joined by Victor Williams, CEO of NBA Africa, who discusses how his career in investment banking led him to basketball and the opportunity to grow the sport on the continent. Williams also provides his insights into the successes of the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League, the NBA's first professional basketball league outside North America, and how sport can fuel Africa's economic development.

The ARC Insider, Episode 31: Afraid of straddling - the electric vehicle revolution in Africa

Hosts Karen Allen and Tara O’Connor discuss breaking news stories from across the continent.

This week, they are joined by Shantha Bloemen, the aid worker turned tech entrepreneur. As Managing director of Mobility for Africa, Shantha discusses her roadmap for a new mobility ecosystem.

The ARC Insider, Episode 30: From Prisoner to President: Hakainde Hichilema and Zambia’s new dawn

As we mark The ARC Insider’s 30th episode, hosts Karen Allen and Tara O’Connor discuss breaking news stories from across Africa, including Guinea’s future post-coup and former South African president Jacob Zuma’s early prison release on medical parole. 

...As Zambia celebrates peaceful transfer of power after elections, Karen and Tara are joined by Trevor Simumba, a senior trade expert and economist. Simumba shares his insights on why Africa's newest President, Hakainde Hichilema, spells a new dawn for Zambia, sharing his outlook for the economy, in particular the mining sector, and Sino-Zambia relations. 

The ARC Insider, Episode 29: Business Plans not CVs - The battle for Small Businesses in South Africa

Karen Allen and Tara O’Connor discuss breaking news stories from across Africa. This week, they are joined by Moipone Malefane, Moipone is the former political editor of The Sowetan who recently set up Vutivi Business News - a platform serving Small Medium Micro Enterprises in the form of writing stories. Moipone gives an insight into the impact of the recent violence in South Africa on small businesses and what can be done to improve their visibility, stability and growth.... 

The ARC Insider, Episode 28: South Africa's hidden hand in powering the continent - thoughts from Moeletsi Mbeki

Karen Allen and Tara O’Connor discuss breaking news stories from across the continent including former South African President Zuma’s arrest and Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Bill. The hosts give a very personal tribute to Zambia’s founding president Kenneth Kaunda - who died last month at the age of 97. 

This week, Karen and Tara are joined by Moeletsi Mbeki - Deputy Chairman of the South African Institute for International Affairs, an independent think tank based at the University of the Witwatersrand. He is a frequent political commentator on African and South African affairs. After returning to South Africa from exile in 1990, he was appointed Head of Communication for the Congress of South Africa Trade Unions (COSATU) and Media Consultant to the African National Congress. 

Our guest delves into South Africa’s socio-political landscape, both past, present and future and looks at the country’s hidden hand in powering the continent... 

The ARC Insider, Episode 27: A changing of the guard, new dynamics in Franco-African relations

Karen Allen and Tara O'Connor discuss news stories from across the continent, including Nigeria’s twitter ban, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa’s lobbying on behalf of Africa to waive patents on Covid-19 vaccines and Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s early successes. 

This week’s special guest is ARC's own Leonard Mbulle-Nziege. Alongside being an ARC author, Leonard is completing his PhD at UCT looking at democratisation trends in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire since the advent of multiparty politics in the early 1990s. A Cameroon national - Leonard provides expert insight on shifting Franco-African relations. 

 

The ARC Insider, Episode 26: The Future of Africa: In conversation with Dr Jakkie Cilliers

Karen Allen and Tara O'Connor discuss stories from across the continent, including the Kazungula Bridge project…  a potential game changer for transporting people and goods across Southern Africa by linking Botswana and Zambia across the Zambezi river.

This week, they are joined by Dr Jakkie Cilliers – formerly an artillery officer in the South African defence forces who was instrumental in helping to transform the military after the end of apartheid. Jakkie is the founder and former Executive Director of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and he currently serves as chair of the ISS Board of Trustees and head of the African Futures and Innovation Programme at the ISS. Jakkie discusses his most recent book - The Future of Africa: Challenges and Opportunities which takes a rigorous look at the continent as a whole. 

The ARC Insider, Episode 25: Architecture, Race and Culture: In conversation with Professor Lesley Lokko

Hosts Karen Allen and Tara O'Connor cover the latest news and analysis from across Africa. 

This week’s guest is Professor Lesley Lokko - an architect, academic, and best-selling novelist. She was previously the founder and director of the Graduate School of Architecture (GSA) at the University of Johannesburg. She also set up an institute to help shape African futures and has published 11 novels, with her latest book, Soul Sisters, to be published in summer 2021.

Discussions focus on the distinguishing features of race and architecture and how architecture and African architects are helping to shape and imagine the continent’s future.