The Africa Program Podcast
Unfiltered. Unapologetic. Insightful.
Dizolele Advisory | Reliable Sources, Trusted Analysis
THE PODCAST
THE ADDED VALUE
THE HOST
THE PODCAST
The Africa Program Podcast is the signature audio and video series from Dizolele Advisory — your gateway to sharp, unfiltered conversations about the forces and dynamics shaping Africa today.
Hosted by Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, the program brings in policymakers, business leaders, academics, journalists, and cultural voices for in-depth discussions on politics, governance, security, and the ideas defining Africa’s next chapter. This is not another news recap.
It’s a space for strategic insight — where data meets lived experience, and analysis meets candor.
THE ADDED VALUE
Africa’s story is too often told from an outside perspective, not with Africans. This podcast flips that script — providing a platform rooted in African agency and evidence-based storytelling.
You’ll gain:
– Context-rich analysis of current affairs, elections, and economic trends.
– Firsthand insights from African experts, reformers, and thought leaders.
– Deep dives into geopolitics, climate, technology, and regional integration.
– Practical lessons for policymakers, investors, and citizens shaping the continent’s future.
THE HOST
Mvemba Phezo Dizolele is the Founder and Managing Director of Dizolele Advisory.
A seasoned policy analyst, writer, and broadcaster, he has advised Fortune 500 companies, multilateral institutions, and non-governmental organizations on governance, security, and development issues across the continent. A former senior fellow and director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), he brings depth, balance, and authenticity to global conversations on Africa’s future.
Suggestions or guest ideas? Email podcast[@]dizolele.com.
The episodes
Unfiltered. Unapologetic. Insightful.
Welcome to The Africa Program, your essential podcast for fearless conversations and sharp analysis on everything Africa. Tune in for thought-provoking dialogue with changemakers, thinkers, writers, and leaders from Africa and beyond. Whether you’re seeking context, challenge, or clarity, The Africa Program delivers unfiltered insights and unapologetic truths.
Hosted by Mvemba Phezo Dizolele — storyteller, analyst, and founder of Dizolele Advisory — this show connects the dots across the continent’s political shifts, artistic movements, economic transformations, and security dynamics. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts — and join the conversation at www.Dizolele.com.
Sierra Leone is often remembered for its brutal civil war and the Ebola crisis. But beneath those defining chapters lies a deeper story, one about youth, power, and the long struggle for dignity.
In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with award-winning author Marc Sommers about his book We the Young Fighters: Pop Culture, Terror, and War in Sierra Leone. Their conversation explores the historical roots of youth marginalization in Sierra Leone, from the legacy of the Atlantic slave trade to the authority of paramount chiefs and the political economy of exclusion that shaped the pre-war and post-war state.
With nearly two-thirds of Sierra Leone’s population under 25, the country is profoundly young. Yet generations of youth have been expected to wait their turn, often denied economic opportunity, social recognition, and political voice. Sommers explains how young Sierra Leoneans turned to global pop culture, including Bob Marley’s liberation message, Rambo’s defiance of unjust authority, and Tupac Shakur’s reclamation of “thug life,” to assert identity, dignity, and resistance in the face of exclusion.
The discussion also examines post-war democracy, radical inclusive education reforms, unemployment, gangs, and the ongoing question of whether governance can keep pace with a youth-majority nation. It is a timely conversation about power, belonging, and why Sierra Leone’s future depends on whether its youth are truly heard.