Beats, ballots and Zambia's election music episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 11, 2026 · 22 MIN

Beats, ballots and Zambia's election music

from Focus on Africa · host BBC World Service

Zambia's 8 million registered voters are expected to cast their ballots on August 13, when the country will hold presidential and parliamentary elections. Fourteen candidates are gunning for the presidency but many see it as a two-horse race between incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema and opposition leader Brian Mundubile. The vote comes amid concerns of high cost of living and unemployment. We look at how candidates used music on the campaign trail to sway voters. And we explain the often-strained relationship between rap music and politics as Moroccan rapper El Mehdi Lyoubi better known to his fans as Mehdi Black Wind is on trial for controversial lyrics. Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Basma El Atti, Keikantse Shumba and Ayuba Iliya Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga Technical Producer: David Kinyanjui Editors: Rhoda Odhiambo and Maryam Abdalla

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 11, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

Beats, ballots and Zambia's election music

0:00 22:58

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Focus on Africa?

This episode is 22 minutes long.

When was this Focus on Africa episode published?

This episode was published on August 11, 2026.

Can I download this Focus on Africa episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!