Podcast
Afri-CAN by Pharo Foundation
Hosted by Afri-CAN Podcast · EN
Africa: lost continent, aid-dependent basket case of economic development failures? Forget the old clichés. Francesca Beausang and her guests explore the ideas and concrete innovations through which Africa is becoming a model of innovation-driven development for the world. Afri-CAN is a podcast run by Pharo Foundation, a mission-driven, impact-oriented organisation that designs, funds and operates economic development programmes towards a vibrant, productive and self-reliant Africa.
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Why Africa’s Future Needs Science
3w ago00:38:51Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we explore why science is investable, why it matters more than ever in an age of growing scepticism, and how Africa’s young people can be inspired to see science as a creative and powerful force for solving society’s most urgent challenges. The conversation also highlights the new telescope being built in Namibia as part of Sera Markoff’s BlackHolistic ERC Synergy Grant, and what it represents for African science, global collaboration, and the future of discovery.Our guests are esteemed scientists Sera Markoff, Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy at the University of Cambridge and a leading member of the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, and Tolullah Oni, Clinical Professor of Global Public Health and Sustainable Urban Development at the University of Cambridge and Founder & CEO of UrbanBetter. Together, they offer a thoughtful conversation on science, innovation, data, culture, creativity, and the importance of making science more inclusive, exciting, and relevant to the next generation.
Transcribe →Forced Migration, Climate Change, and the Fight to Stay
Apr 2800:32:02Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Afri-CAN, we speak with Rania Sharshr, Director of Climate Action at IOM, about the human story behind climate-driven migration.As climate emergencies become more frequent and more severe, communities around the world are being forced to make impossible choices. But as Rania explains, many people do not want to leave their homes or depend on endless cycles of assistance. They want long-term solutions that allow them to adapt, rebuild, and stay.Together, we explore why climate migration must be understood through people’s lived experiences, not just data. We also discuss the role of local governments, the private sector, and communities themselves in shaping practical, lasting responses to the climate challenges they face.
Transcribe →Feeding Recovery in Rwanda
Apr 1700:34:39Tap to summarizeWhat if food security is only half the story?In this episode of Afri-CAN, we sit down with Nassir Katuramu, CEO of Solid’Africa, to explore a question that does not get asked enough: if a country can produce enough food, why do so many people still struggle to access the nutrition their bodies actually need? Solid’Africa is a Rwanda-based organisation focused on ending nutrition insecurity, and its work starts with one simple but powerful idea: food should not just fill people up, it should help them heal. We unpack how Solid’Africa identified a major gap in access to nutrient-dense meals, especially for vulnerable hospital patients, and built a one-of-a-kind model around medically tailored meals designed to support recovery. The conversation also looks at how the organisation works across the supply chain and alongside government to make that model possible at scale. It is a thoughtful conversation about food, health, dignity, and what development looks like when we focus not just on feeding people, but nourishing them.
Transcribe →Venture Labs, Failure, and Startup Success in Africa
Apr 500:44:32Tap to summarizeWhat does it really take for entrepreneurs in Africa to succeed — and are venture labs part of the answer?In this episode of Afri-CAN, we explore how venture labs can help build stronger startups by giving aspiring founders the space to test ideas, fail fast, learn quickly, and grow with the right support. We also look at what these innovation models still lack, how they compare to accelerators and similar programmes, and what may be holding back deeper, more meaningful innovation across the continent.Joining us are Lyndsay Holley Handler, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Delta40 Venture Studio; Jannek Hagen, Rwanda Country Director at Pharo Foundation and the mind behind Pharo Foundation’s new venture lab set to launch by the end of 2026; and Stephen Khan, a Master’s student at the University of Edinburgh studying entrepreneurship and innovation. Together, they unpack the role of venture labs in Africa’s startup ecosystem and discuss the “3 C’s” they believe are limiting true innovation on the continent.
Transcribe →Can Solar Power Help Feed Africa?
Mar 2700:31:11Tap to summarizeWhat does climate action look like when it starts on the farm?In this episode of Afri-CAN, we speak with Jon Saunders, COO of SunCulture, about how the company is helping smallholder farmers across Africa through affordable solar-powered technology. SunCulture’s model centres on off-grid solar systems designed to improve access to irrigation and farm productivity, while also making that technology more accessible through financing and support. We explore the story behind SunCulture, the problem they are trying to solve, and why this work matters far beyond agriculture. At the heart of the conversation is a bigger question: how can climate innovation strengthen food security in Africa, and why does that matter not just for the continent, but for global stability too? This is a thoughtful conversation about technology, resilience, and what it takes to build practical solutions that meet people where they are.
Transcribe →Africa, Innovation, and the Rise of Civilisations
Mar 2000:25:38Tap to summarizeWhat helps civilisations flourish — and what causes them to fall behind?In this episode of Afri-CAN, we are joined by Johan Norberg, author of Peak Human, to explore the role of innovation in the rise of the world’s most secure and prosperous societies. Drawing on the ideas behind his work, Johan reflects on how progress happens when people are free to experiment, borrow, combine and improve ideas in ways that no planner could ever fully predict.We also examine what happens when fear begins to overpower curiosity, and how civilisational decline can follow when societies become less open to exchange, experimentation and outside influence. The conversation looks at why imitation often comes before innovation, how cultures of optimism are built, and why openness to new ideas matters so deeply for long-term progress.Finally, we bring the discussion to Africa today: what can the continent learn from the history of flourishing civilisations, and what kind of role models are needed to show that the impossible can, in fact, be done?
Transcribe →Are Soft Skills Africa’s Missing Link?
Mar 1400:46:51Tap to summarizeWhat really helps young people make the transition from school to work in Africa: technical skills or soft skills?In this episode of Afri-CAN, Wendy Cunningham from the World Bank makes the case for soft skills — or, as she puts it, socio-emotional behavioural skills — as a crucial part of employability and success. She explores how these skills affect earning potential, job opportunities, and business performance, and explains which ones matter most for both employees and entrepreneurs across Africa.The conversation also looks at the bigger picture: how investing in these skills among young people could create lasting change across the continent. From education to enterprise, this episode asks whether Africa may need to think differently about what truly prepares people for work.
Transcribe →Scaling Quality Early Childhood Education in Africa
Mar 800:35:10Tap to summarizeHow can Africa scale high quality education that develops the whole child?In this episode, we define quality education as academic rigour plus scientific inquiry, critical thinking, and socio emotional development, producing learners who can engage global issues from a locally grounded perspective. Nafisa Shekhova (Aga Khan Foundation) explores innovations to expand early childhood education for low income and internally displaced children, including thoughtful use of EdTech and partnerships with existing community models such as Quoran based schools (madrasas).Follow Afri CAN on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for more conversations on development and innovation across Africa.
Transcribe →Music, Consciousness, and Student Success
Mar 300:28:35Tap to summarizeHow can African education systems support both academic results and the deeper life skills students need to succeed?In Music, Consciousness, and Student Success, we explore how music and consciousness-based learning help develop the “whole child” — strengthening resilience, focus, and long-term outcomes from pre-school to tertiary education.Guests: Kimball Gallagher (Juilliard-trained pianist, founder of 88 International) and Tahirih Danesh, PhD (Law) (CEO, Africa College Foundation; leading Education Town).Follow Afri-CAN on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for more conversations on innovation, development, and what’s working across Africa.
Transcribe →A Lost Boy’s Fight for Water Justice
Feb 1600:38:16Tap to summarizeWater can be life, livelihood – or a trigger for conflict. In this episode of Afri-CAN, we explore how rivers, wetlands and shared basins shape both survival and geopolitics in Africa.Our guests are Edoardo Borgomeo, water management lecturer at the University of Cambridge and award-winning expert on water planning under climate change, and Deng Chol, one of the former “Lost Boys of Sudan”, now a doctoral researcher at Oxford studying the socio-hydrology of the Sudd wetlands.Deng shares his powerful journey of walking over a thousand miles as a child and the story of a water system serving millions of people in South Sudan that almost became a pawn in regional power struggles. Together, he and Edoardo unpack how we can move from water as a source of tension to water as a platform for cooperation, combining diplomacy, science and ancient practices.Listen to find out what it would take to build truly peaceful water agreements in Africa – and why the future of entire communities can depend on how we share a single river.
Transcribe →