Africa Program

The Africa Program analyzes key trends shaping Africa’s present, future, and the continent’s evolving role globally. By centering African knowledge and agency, the program conducts forward-thinking research to foster debate and inform U.S. policy toward African countries.

Through examining the complex and rapidly evolving trends shaping Africa’s present and future, the CSIS Africa Program works to address the most pressing public policy issues facing Africa and U.S.-Africa relations. The Africa Program produces balanced and forward-thinking analysis to inform policy, foster solutions, and deepen understanding of Africa’s role in global affairs and its relations with the United States and the rest of the world. We achieve our mission through public convenings, working group discussions, publications, and partnerships with African think tanks and academic institutions. This work aims to foster dialogue that brings together key practitioners, policymakers, private sector leaders, and subject matter experts to analyze and develop practical options for addressing important challenges and opportunities in Africa as well as the continent’s evolving geostrategic role.

Contact Information

Media Queries

Focus Areas

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People, Power, Politics

From the evolving security and governance landscape to the rapid pace of demographic shifts, digitization, and urbanization, Africa is undergoing a profound emergence as an integral part of the new global order.

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Financing Africa's Future

Africa’s development pathway requires creative thinking and bold international cooperation that recognizes the continent’s unique challenges and opportunities. Innovative financing and strategic foresight are integral to bridging Africa’s infrastructure financing gap.

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Africa, the United States, and the World

The relationship between the United States and Africa is undergoing a vital evolution amidst a shifting geopolitical landscape. This moment calls for nuanced and adaptive approaches that balance U.S. interests with African priorities.

Featured Projects

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African Elections Tracking and Analysis

This project seeks to track, analyze, and report on elections across Africa, many of which shape the continent’s trajectory in global politics in the coming decades.

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Africa Policy Accelerator

The Africa Policy Accelerator (APA) is a professional network that meets monthly to discuss current political, economic, and security developments shaping U.S.-Africa relations. Through discussions and guest speakers, APA addresses challenges and provides career insights.

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Latest Publications

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Recent Events

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Into Africa

Into Africa Banner

Fearless music activists. Savvy tech entrepreneurs. Social disrupters. Into Africa shatters narratives that dominate U.S. perceptions of Africa. With the world’s youngest population, the decisions made across Africa today—good or bad—will shape the world’s future. Featuring in-depth interviews, the CSIS Africa Program sits down with policymakers, journalists, academics, and other trailblazers in African affairs to shine a spotlight on the people and stories shaping cultural, political, and economic trends across the continent today and for decades to come.

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All Africa Program Content

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Into Africa

Connecting the Dots: Africa’s Year Ahead

In this first episode, Oge is joined by Fonteh Akum, Executive Director of ISS, and Raymond Gilpin, Chief Economist and Head of Strategy at UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa, to reflect on the defining moments of 2025 and explore what 2026 may hold for the continent.

Podcast Episode by Oge Onubogu — January 15, 2026

Photo: CSIS
Into Africa

Into Africa is Back!

Into Africa is back with all-new conversations hosted by Oge Onubogu. Tune in starting January 15th for in-depth interviews with journalists, academics, and other trailblazers as we discuss the cultural, political, and economic trends shaping the continent.

Podcast Episode by Oge Onubogu — January 12, 2026

Photo: CSIS

The Weight of History and Alliances in South Africa’s Geopolitical Turbulence

South Africa’s foreign policy blends liberation-era ties, post-apartheid grievances, and strategic goals. Amid rising U.S. tensions, Pretoria champions multipolarity, sovereignty, and historical justice to shape its global alliances.

Brief by Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Cameron Hudson, Khasai Makhulo, and Catherine Nzuki — December 2, 2025

Audio Briefs

False Choices: Balancing Democracy and Development in U.S. Africa Policy

An audio version of “⁠False Choices: Balancing Democracy and Development in U.S. Africa Policy⁠,” a new Commentary by CSIS’s Oge Onubogu and Khasai Makhulo. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Oge Onubogu and Khasai Makhulo — October 21, 2025

Audio Briefs

False Choices: Balancing Democracy and Development in U.S. Africa Policy

The shift in U.S. foreign policy to prioritize commercial diplomacy over democracy support presents a false dichotomy. As African partners adjust to the U.S. retreat as an advocate for democracy, this approach risks long-term consequences for U.S.-Africa relations.

Commentary by Oge Onubogu and Khasai Makhulo — October 21, 2025

Responding to Trump’s New Foreign Policy Paradigm

Please join the CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy (GFP) Department for a discussion of the ways in which U.S. allies and partners around the world are navigating the Trump administration’s policies.

Event — October 6, 2025

Audio Briefs

Trump’s Africa Policy: Commerce and Domestic Politics Clash

An audio version of “⁠Trump’s Africa Policy: Commerce and Domestic Politics Clash,⁠” a new commentary by CSIS’s Oge Onubogu. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Oge Onubogu — October 6, 2025

Audio Briefs