Africa State of Mind

Ofentse Pitse (27), South Africa’s first black woman to conduct and own an all-black orchestra talks to Lee Kasumba about trials and tribulations of getting into the niche arts. Ofentse shares her dreams of playing at the Sydney Opera House   

Kenyan afro-pop band Sauti Sol speak to Lee Kasumba about taking their fresh sound of pop to the world. They discuss misconceptions about Kenyan music and what makes Africa youth tick. 

Black Coffee, South African DJ and record producer talks to Lee Kasumba about his upbringing, love for music and how he is using his skills to change the world’s view about Africa.

Tanzanian veteran businessman, Author and Leadership Coach Ali Mufuruki, speaks to Lee Kasumba about entrepreneurship skills on the continent and what is required to be a great leader. 

In this episode of Africa State of Mind, Lee Kasumba chats to the Chief Executive at OR Tambo Foundation - Zengeziwe Msimang. She shares her views about keeping Adelaide and O R Tambo’s legacy alive and intact. She also talks about her childhood in exile.   

Lee Kasumba interviews trailblazing Olympian Simidele Adeagbo about the winter Olympics. She is Nigeria and Africa’s first female skeleton athlete. They also discuss why Africans are leaving the continent in order to conquer the world. 

In a special episode celebrating Africa’s top athletes, Lee Kasumba chats to trailblazing Olympian Simidele Adeagbo, Zambian former international footballer Kalusha Bwalya and South African wheelchair tennis player Kgothatso Montjane.

Lee Kasumba chats to Nigerian musician and disc jockey, Florence Otedola who popularly known as 'DJ Cuppy' about the ups-and-downs of the entertainment industry and her annual festival in London.

Nigerian-born Moky Makura talks to Lee Kasumba about Africans need to do, to change and control the African narrative. She also discusses her work at the Melinda Gates Foundation.

In this episode of Africa State of Mind, Lee Kasumba speaks to African music trailblazers about the state of Africa’s music and new trends.  Asa Asika, the manager of Popular Nigerian Singer Davido shares his views on bad and good music contracts. DJ Cuppy discusses what it takes to make it in the entertainment industry and Kenyan musician, producer and Blinky Bill explains why he went on solo from his previous music band.

Mimi Kalinda Group CEO and Co-founder of Africommunications Group talks to Lee Kasumba growing up in South Africa and Democratic Republic of the Congo. She also discusses how Africa should control its own story. 

Chude Jideonwo is a Nigerian lawyer, journalist and media entrepreneur. He is the founder of Joy, Inc., an American benefit corporation with a Nigerian subsidiary, which aims to make people happier. All of Joy, Inc.'s profits are invested in charities.

From car guard to award-winning musician, Tresor shares his uplifting-story with Lee Kasumba.  Tresor is an ambassador for Nelson Mandela Children Fund and a United Refugee Agency ambassador advocating Refugees rights. 

In this episode of Africa State of Mind, we get a chance to speak to Lawyer and Activist turned Model Thando Hopa. Hopa shares some of her life challenges and how she overcame the struggle of living with albinism and reimagining what identity is.

Dr Wendy A. Okolo, Aerospace Research Engineer in the Intelligent Systems Division at NASA Ames Research Center speaks to Lee Kasumba about her career path and Africa’s position in the aerospace sector.  

Africa State of Mind with Lee Kasumba commemorates Africa Month with a special episode featuring Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, South Africa’s former deputy president and currently United Nations under-secretary-general and executive director of UN Women. Lee also speaks to Chude Jideonwo, Nigerian lawyer and co-founder of The Future Project and Acha Leke, the co-founder and member of the Global Advisory Council of the African Leadership Academy.  

British-Nigerian news anchor at CNN International Zain  Asher has an in-depth conversation with Lee Kasumba about growing up in the UK and how she dealt with discrimination at a younger age. She also talks about the importance of controlling one’s fate.

In this episode of Africa State of Mind,Lee Kasumba celebrates Press Freedom. She speaks to world-renowned journalists like Angela Quintal, Africa program coordinator for Committee to Protect Journalists, Nima Elbagir, Sudanese-British journalist with CNN and Femi Oke of Al Jazeera about the state of journalism and press freedom on the African continent and around the world.  

Tewolde GebreMariam, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines chats to Lee Kasumba about the state of Africa’s aviation industry and strategic growth of Africa’s most respected airline.

This year marks the 25th commemoration of a tragic event in Africa’s history – the Rwanda Genocide.  Lee Kasumba, host of Africa State of Mind along with the Rwanda genocide survivor, Prince Totto Théogène Niwenshuti, former Mauritian President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim and Mimi Kalinda, Group CEO and Co-founder of Africommunications Group pay tribute victims and survivors. 

In this episode of Africa State of Mind Lee Kasumba speaks to Femi Oke. She is a journalist at Al Jazeera, a radio broadcaster and founder of moderatethepanel.com.  In 2007 Femi Oke's work in Africa was recognised by The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Communications Agency with the presentation of the "African Achievers Award 2007". Femi was also named Nigerian media personality of the year in 2007 and picked up the Interaction media award in 2008 for her commitment to broadcasting the complex issues of Africa.

In this episode, Lee Kasumba speaks to Acha Leke -  the chairman of McKinsey’s Africa region.  Acha is the cofounder and member of the Global Advisory Council of the African Leadership Academy, a co-educational boarding school that aims to develop the next generation of African leaders.   Acha discussed why he thinks Africa has – at times – leadership crisis.  

Lee Kasumba speaks to  Susan Younis, the new Marketing Director for Urban Music at Warner Music Group about her love for African pop music and how she plans to elevate it. She also busts some myths about the entertainment industry

Sho Madjozi, South African rapper and poet, talk to Lee Kasumba about growing up in different countries in Africa, performing at The New York and Johannesburg Global Citizen concerts and her various careers before entering the music industry.

Pushie Watson is a dynamic Speaker & Pastor who is passionate about giving hope and touching people lives. She was first introduced to the African public as a television presenter in 1997 and grew to become a well-known face across the continent. Originally from Liberia, Pushie’s culturally diverse heritage lead her to further her education in Kenya and Ghana, followed by a study related gap year in the Gambia before finally immigrating to South Africa. She is now  the Head Of Women's Ministry at Rhema Bible Church.

In the latest episode of Africa State of Mind with Lee Kasumba, Efosa Ojomo, research fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation and founder and president of Poverty Stops Here talks about possible ways of eradicating poverty. 

Motivational speaker Mpumi Nobiva, who was one of the first Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy graduates speaks to Lee Kasumba about her tough upbringing, the plight of Africa’s youth and how they should take ownership of their future. 

In this episode of Africa State of Mind, we feature award winning journalist Jennifer Thomas. With a broadcast career spanning over 25 years, the former CCN executive producer and current Professor of Journalism at Howard University speaks to Lee Kasumba about her recent trip to SA and her participation in Media Freedom Week.

Lerato Mbele-Roberts, BBC World News journalist shares her career path and discusses journalism in Africa. She also talks about how Africans need to tell their own stories.   

Jokate Mwegelo is an actress, entrepreneur as well as the District Commissioner of Kisarawe district in Pwani region (in Tanzania). She talks to Lee Kasumba about youth leadership on the continent. She calls for Africa’s youth around the world to uplift Africa themselves.    

John Sanei, trend specialist, business innovation strategist and futurist chats to Lee Kasumba about the Africa’s preparedness for the fourth industrial revolution and the power of Africa’s youth.  

In this episode of Africa State of Mind Lee Kasumba has an in-depth conversation with Somi (born Laura Kabasomi) a singer, songwriter, and actor about her upbringing as a Rwandan and Ugandan descent in America. 

In this episode of Africa State of Mind Lee Kasumba has an in-depth conversation with Zimbabwean-born talent manager and founder of the Johannesburg International Comedy Festival Takhunda Bimbha. They speak about the explosion and state of comedy in Africa. 

Chinezi Chijioke, co-Founder & the CEO of Nova-Pioneer Education Group, talks to Lee Kasumba about his upbringing in Nigeria and the US. He also shares what sparked his vision to launch his network of accessible 21st-century private schools across Africa.   

On this special broadcast of Africa State Of Mind, we speak with David Lubinski, Senior Programme Officer of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation about the organisation's work on the continent. Over 1.7-billion people financially excluded due to slow innovation in payments. David Lubinski told Lee Kasumba why this is the case.

Nigerian-born Afrobeat saxophonist Femi Koya chats to Lee Kasumba about the influence of African music on global pop-culture.

South Africa’s legendary musician, Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse chats to Lee Kasumba about dropping out of school to launch a long lasting career in music.   

Lee Kasumba chats to one of the most powerful women in football - Isha Johansen.  The Sierra Leone-born entrepreneur and the current president of the Sierra Leone Football Association shares her for love football and reveals some of the issues that might be stunting  Africa’s the soccer industry.

Lee Kasumba chats to popular Nigerian musician and songwriter Banky W about leaving the US to focus on growing his entertainment empire in Nigeria. 

In a special broadcast of Africa State of Mind, Lee Kasumba visits Lebawi Academy in Ethiopia and chats to the school’s headmaster Panos Hatziandreas and some of his students about the project.

Lee Kasumba chats to Rozan Ahmed, an internationally established writer, creative director, advisor, advocate, and popular commentator who plays an influential role in leading new frontiers and shifting attitudes in the worlds of fashion and entertainment.

Markku Aikomus, UNHCR´s Senior Regional External Relations Officer and Spokesperson for Southern Africa region speaks to Lee Kasumba about the state of refugees in the world on World’s Refugee Day. 

Khethi Ngwenya and Liz Letsoalo members of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Johannesburg Hub talk to Lee Kasumba about their organisation’s work on the African continent and across the world. They also share their views on the future of Africa. 

On Africa Day, Pan-African restaurateur Chef Coco Reinarhz takes Lee Kasumba through Africa’s culinary history. He also tells Lee of how he and his family left Burundi for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and how his global travels influenced his cooking styles.  

Theoretical physicist Dr. Adriana Marais talks to Lee Kasumba about being one of the few Africans with the one-way ticket to Mars. 

Eddie Kadi, British-Congolese comedian and actor chats to Lee Kasumba about African nations learning to laugh at themselves and how African comedians are taking over the international space.

In the latest episode of Africa State of Mind Lee Kasumba speaks to Hollywood based Ghanaian Marketing aficionado, Koshie Mills about Diaspora Dialogues -  a  talk series that aims to bridge the gap between Africans and their descendants in the Diaspora, being African in Hollywood and running her successful business K3PR.

In the latest episode of Africa State of Mind Lee Kasumba spoke to CNN's Senior International Correspondent, Nima Elbagir about covering African stories.  Nima is responsible for breaking CNN's exclusive investigation of African migrants sold in underground slave markets across Libya.

Rohan Marley, son of iconic musician Bob Marley, recently made his way to South Africa as the ambassador of Away to Africa, a cultural tourism and destination management company. He speaks to Lee Kasumba about how special Africa is to him.

Maé-Bérénice Méité, multi-award winning French figure skater, talks to Lee Kasumba about breaking barriers and shaking up stereotypes in the ice skating world.  

Meryanne Loum-Martin is a Parisian lawyer turned entrepreneur and founder of Jnane Tamsna, a boutique hotel located in Marrakech, Morocco, talks to Lee Kasumba about challenges of running the only black woman-owned hotel in the area.