1. How tech is supporting smallholders in South Africapublished at 00:02 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2021

    Small farms in Africa struggle to compete with commercial agriculture - can new platforms help?

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  2. Rely on wind, water and solar? These islanders show howpublished at 02:11 Greenwich Mean Time 14 November 2021

    As the world slowly moves away from using fossil fuels for electricity, a tiny Scottish island has shown it’s possible to rely almost entirely on renewables.

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  3. Rwanda goes electric with locally made motorbikespublished at 00:00 Greenwich Mean Time 9 November 2021

    Rwanda's Ampersand wants motorbike taxi drivers to switch from petrol to electric.

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  4. Nigeria's eNaira: Africa's first digital currencypublished at 00:00 Greenwich Mean Time 5 November 2021

    Central Banks around the world are introducing digital currencies and last month Nigeria became the first African country to launch one - the eNaira. But what is a digital currency and how are Nigerians reacting to theirs? We hear from people on the streets of Abuja. Tamasin Ford speaks to Rakiya Mohammed, director of information security at the Central Bank of Nigeria. Chinwe Egwim, chief economist at Coronation Merchant Bank in Lagos, explains why the eNaira has been introduced and the benefits it could have. Digital currency expert Josh Lipsky of the Atlantic Council puts the launch of the eNaira in the context of the others that are springing up all over the globe.

    Producer: Benjie Guy.

    (Picture: the eNaira mobile phone app. Credit: enaira.gov.ng)

  5. Why Gambians cannot sell their solar powerpublished at 00:01 Greenwich Mean Time 3 November 2021

    Gambia's reliable sunshine allows some people to use solar energy to power parts of daily life.

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  6. Why Africa urgently needs its own genetic librarypublished at 00:01 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2021

    Genetically profiling three million Africans could be key for better healthcare, argue scientists.

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  7. My South African identitypublished at 01:00 British Summer Time 29 October 2021

    ‘I am African first’: Exploring race and identity for South Africans of Indian descent. Karnie Sharp has spent years discussing the complex crisis of identity that many feel in modern South Africa. In the wake of rising tensions between communities, and vitriolic statements from some political leaders, how can people from different backgrounds build bridges with their fellow citizens?

    Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #TheComb Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com

  8. Goodbye Nigeriapublished at 01:00 British Summer Time 21 October 2021

    ‘The evil you have done is enough’: One year after the EndSARS protests, some young Nigerians say they no longer recognise their country and are choosing to leave. Olivia, Tolu and Benjamin contemplate joining their friends who are now scattered across the world. Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #TheComb Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com

  9. The shortages hitting countries around the worldpublished at 18:25 British Summer Time 18 October 2021

    People and businesses across the world are facing shortages of everything from coal to coffee.

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  10. Hippo warspublished at 01:00 British Summer Time 14 October 2021

    Lurking in the lake: What’s driving hippos to attack and kill fishermen on Lake Naivasha? As climate change alters our planet, animals and humans are coming into conflict, competing over the same diminishing natural resources. Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #TheComb Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com

    Produced by Mary Goodhart

  11. The economics of donkeyspublished at 01:00 British Summer Time 11 October 2021

    There are an estimated ten million donkeys in sub Saharan Africa, many providing crucial roles supporting the livelihoods of low income families. We explore why these beasts of burden are so important to the economics of the region, and how demand from China for the skins of donkeys is worrying many across Africa. We visit a donkey sanctuary in Lamu, Kenya, and speak to one campaigner trying to stop the slaughter of donkeys for the export of their skins. We also hear how donkeys support economic freedom for women, from Emmanuel Sarr, regional director for the charity Brooke, based in Senegal. Image: A donkey. Credit: BBC

    Presenter: Vivienne Nunis Producer: Sarah Treanor

  12. Equal before the law?published at 01:00 British Summer Time 8 October 2021

    The vendor who changed Malawi: Mayeso Gwanda took the state to court after his arrest for an outdated and vague petty crime. While he was successful in changing the law, the African Union is calling for more to be done. Enforcing these sorts of minor offences leads to lifelong consequences for the continent’s most poor and vulnerable people. Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #TheComb Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com

    Produced by Rob Wilson

  13. Life at Kenya's Dandora rubbish dumppublished at 01:00 British Summer Time 7 October 2021

    We go to Dandora, one of Africa’s largest rubbish tips. A court in Nairobi has ordered the dumpsite to come up with a concrete plan to close by February next year. But what will that mean for the community relying on the waste to survive? We hear about life at Dandora through the eyes of Liz Oteng’o, who grew up relying on airline meals dumped at the site. Vivienne Nunis hears how she and her husband Remco Pronk, are fighting to change the lives of those growing up there today. Image credit:Getty

    Producers: Sarah Treanor, Lulu Luo

  14. Can technology transform emergency services?published at 01:00 British Summer Time 4 October 2021

    Getting to hospital in a medical emergency, in countries without a centralised ambulance service, can be critically slow. In rapidly urbanising Kenya, Vivienne Nunis meets Caitlin Dolkart – cofounder of Flare; a company which created a technology platform to dispatch ambulances anywhere across the country. But how do you direct an ambulance without accurate maps? We hear from Humanitarian Open Street Map’s Ivan Gayton how open source data is improving heathcare outcomes. Image: Ambulance operator Paul Ochieng disinfects a stretcher at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, on April 17, 2020. Credit: Getty

  15. Smart cities and broken dreamspublished at 01:00 British Summer Time 1 October 2021

    Do smart cities live up to the hype? Urban centres from New York to South Korea’s Busan are rebranding themselves as ‘smart’. From real-time crime mapping to lower energy use, smart cities promise a shortcut to a better future. But what is a smart city? The BBC’s Technology desk editor Jane Wakefield explains. Meanwhile, brand new metropolises are being planned across Africa, often envisioned as shiny tech hubs. Will they ever get off the ground? And why are global consultancy firms often a key part of the story? We visit Kenya’s Konza Technopolis, still a construction site 13 years after it was first promised. Konza CEO John Tanui says the project is on track but Kenyan writer Carey Baraka isn’t convinced. Picture: An artist’s impression of the planned Akon City in Senegal. Credit: Akoncity.com

    Presenter: Vivienne Nunis Producer: Sarah Treanor Reporter: Michael Kaloki

  16. WHO staff ambushed women for sex, inquiry findspublished at 18:02 British Summer Time 28 September 2021

    The agency apologises to victims after inquiry finds abuse by aid staff tackling the Ebola outbreak.

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  17. Can green energy power Africa's future?published at 01:06 British Summer Time 25 September 2021

    Energy access is a big issue for businesses in Africa, but can the continent go green as well?

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  18. Business Weeklypublished at 01:00 British Summer Time 25 September 2021

    In just over a month world leaders will meet for a decisive climate change summit - we’ll ask if politicians are willing to accept the end of exponential economic growth in order to protect the planets resources. We’ll hear why gas prices are spiralling and ask why small energy firms weren’t better prepared to withstand rising prices. As a new high speed train line is planned for Egypt we’ll take a close look at this new infrastructure project and ask if it will help deliver new prosperity to a country dogged by economic troubles. And, we’ll hear from the song writers campaigning for clear credits on streaming platforms. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Gareth Barlow.

  19. The secretpublished at 01:00 British Summer Time 16 September 2021

    ‘Neither a girl nor a boy’: Baby John Musamba was born with a rare sexual disorder which stopped her from developing either male or female reproductive organs. She was raised as a girl, and hid her truth for 26 years until finally telling her friends and the world, on a very public platform. Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #TheComb Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com

    Produced by Mary Goodhart

  20. Business Weeklypublished at 01:00 British Summer Time 11 September 2021

    In this edition of Business Weekly, we look at why one of the poorest countries in Latin America, El Salvador, decided to make Bitcoin legal tender. We also find out what happened when the cryptocurrency crashed on the first day it was rolled out. We hear about the devastating economic effect of covid in Kenya as it rolls out further curfew restrictions. Also, in a few weeks’ time, the matriarch of European politics, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, will step down. We hear what issues are playing on the minds of German voters as they get ready to head to the polls. And for years Lamu, Kenya’s ancient trading port, has been in decline. But government hopes the opening of a vast, new facility means it can be a commercial superstar once more. Plus, the chief executive of Babbel, Arne Schepker tells us why the company is listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and whether lockdowns have impacted on people’s desire to learn languages. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies.