Focus on Africa

Across Africa, more young workers are questioning what they should have to tolerate at work. From bullying and excessive workloads to poor leadership and low pay, some are choosing to leave jobs that take a toll on their mental health. The World Health Organization estimates that depression and anxiety cost the global economy 12 billion working days every year, amounting to around US$1 trillion in lost productivity. Meanwhile, Gallup’s 2026 workplace report found that just 19% of employees in sub-Saharan Africa were engaged at work. So what makes a workplace toxic, and how can workers tell the difference between ordinary job pressures and an environment that is damaging their wellbeing? We speak to 23-year-old Vivian Eneche and 30-year-old GG Wambara, both of whom quit their jobs for these reasons?
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Fana Nagesh and Carolyne Jotham
Technical Producer: Davis Mwasaru
Senior Producers: Priya Sippy and Daniel Dadzie
Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla

Rwanda has secured a 10-year deal to host Formula 1, potentially bringing the sport back to Africa for the first time since 1993. But the cost of developing young talent remains a major barrier. South African driver Mika Abrahams and his mother, Denise, discuss the financial challenges facing aspiring African drivers as they try to progress through the ranks towards Formula 1.
Also, women make up nearly half of sub-Saharan Africa’s agricultural workforce, yet research suggests they are less productive than men in the sector. Limited access to land ownership, inheritance rights and finance can prevent women from reaching their full potential, affecting agricultural output. The Kenya Pastoral Market Development Programme is helping women in pastoral communities strengthen their financial independence and increase their incomes.
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Keikantse Shumba and Ayuba Iliya
Technical Producer: Davis Mwasaru
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla

Former Democratic Republic of Congo president Joseph Kabila has been named the head of a new political and military alliance that includes M23 rebels, who control vast swathes of Congo’s mineral-rich eastern region. The Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, or FRN movement says it wants to remove the government of President Félix Tshisekedi. M23 leader Sultani Makenga will serve as one of Kabila's four deputies in the new movement. The other three also come from the AFC-M23 alliance.
And across Africa, the death penalty debate continues, with some countries moving towards abolition while others are expanding or considering the use of capital punishment.
Presenter: Blessing Aderogba
Producers: Rukia Bulle and Ayuba Iliya
Technical Producer: Davis Mwasaru
Senior Producer: Keikantse Shumba
Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla

Survivors of the boat accident where 139 migrants died off the coast of Djibouti have recounted their ordeals to the BBC. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that among those died were 15 children, marking one of the deadliest shipwrecks ever recorded on the Eastern Migration Route. The vessel was carrying 305 people, most of them Ethiopians, heading from Djibouti to Yemen.
And, community safe spaces are providing critical support to help young people manage the mental stress associated with HIV, teenage pregnancy, and other structural challenges.
Presenter: Blessing Aderogba
Producers: Ayuba Iliya
Technical Producer: Davis Mwasaru
Senior Producer: Keikantse Shumba
Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla

Nobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay has defended international justice institutions and responded to criticism from US President Donald Trump, saying the true measure of justice lies in what it means to victims of conflict and atrocities.
Trump described this year's Nobel Peace Prize decision as "disgraceful" and "embarrassing," and said he had never heard of the South African jurist. In an interview with the BBC, Pillay reflects on her lifelong commitment to human rights, justice, equality, and international law.
And, BBC Eye investigates how three mourners were shot and killed at a Kenyan stadium during the national farewell of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in October 2025.
Presenter: Blessing Aderogba
Producers: Rukia Bulle, Daniel Dadzie and Ayuba Iliya
Technical Producer: Davis Mwasaru
Senior Producer: Keikantse Shumba
Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla