20 October 2015
On the 25th October 2015, Tanzanians will decide the future for their country and BBC Africa will be there with special programming on Radio, TV and online. BBC Africa will present the big national headlines as well as significant local stories throughout the election campaign.
The BBC Swahili audience can enjoy extensive coverage of the election via their mobiles and on social media. The coverage will focus on issues that are at the heart of the Tanzania election: corruption, water, education, health and the rising cost of living. There will be many special features that the audience can share and interact with, such as a look at women’s role in politics, Zanzibar and the state of the Union and the role of young voters.
Caroline Karobia, BBC Swahili Editor says: “This is an historic election for Tanzania. An estimated 23 million voters will be going to the polls to elect a new president and government. It’s perhaps the most competitive election between the ruling party and the opposition. Nobody can predict the outcome – so we will be there at every stage making sure our viewers share in the journey to find out.”
The Africa live page will be an important destination on the big day, Sunday 25th Oct. Throughout the day there will be commentary and analysis from our correspondents across the continent and updates will continue daily as the results come in.
BBCSwahili.com will host profiles of the candidates and articles on the key election issues.
A collection of stories on #Tanzania2015 can be found here: http://www.bbc.com/swahili/habari/uchaguzi_tanzania2015.
On this historic day both East and West Africa – in the Ivory Coast – will be hosting key elections for the continent and the BBC is uniquely placed to keep viewers accurately updated on both these happenings in real time.
4 August 2015
From Saturday 8 August, football fans in Africa can follow the exciting live action of the new season of the Barclays Premier League in four languages. BBC Africa will bring commentary from matches of the world-famous league to football fans across the continent – in French, Hausa, Somali and Swahili.
Broadcasts are available on BBC FM stations and partner radio networks. The programmes provide live match commentary and also interaction with pundits and fans across the continent via satellite links, telephone, SMS and social-media channels. Live updates from matches will also offered via live pages for each of these services on bbc.com, giving fans the chance to keep up with the matches wherever they are.
Solomon Mugera, BBC Africa Editor (pictured right), says: “We know that the English Premier League has millions of supporters from all across Africa and are very happy to be launching the season once again. Our commentary brings the thrill of these matches directly to fans, and there is more to come. In response to our audience’s growing interest in all things English Premier League, we want to give them an all access pass to players and clubs as well featuring the people who are the league’s heartbeat: its fans. Look out for our new and exciting online extras to support this season.”
How it will work
BBC Hausa
Weekly on Sharhin Gasar Premier League, commentators are Aminu Kado and Aliyu Tanko.
BBC Hausa reaches an audience of 18. 1million every week across Nigeria, Niger, and parts of Ghana and Benin. It is broadcast via 14 local FM stations.
BBC Hausa has over 872,000 fans on Facebook and over 110,000 followers on Twitter (as of July 2015).
Hausa-speakers anywhere in the world can access BBC Hausa multimedia content at bbchausa.com.
BBC Afrique (French)
Weekly on Samedi Foot, commentator is Emmanuel Coste.
BBC Afrique reaches an audience of 12.7million every week and provides content for 23 countries across Africa. It is broadcast via eight local FM stations.
BBC Afrique has over 382,000 fans on Facebook and over 124,000 followers on Twitter (as of July 2015).
French-speakers anywhere in the world can access BBC Afrique multimedia content at bbcafrique.com.
BBC Somali
Weekly on Tabinta Tooska ah ee Tartanka Premier League-ga Ingiriiska ee Sabtida, commentators are Ahmed Abdinur and Mohamed Deysane.
BBC Somali reaches an audience of 3.5 million every week across Kenya, Somali, Djibouti and parts of Ethiopia. It is broadcast via four local FM stations.
BBC Somali has over 299,700 fans on Facebook and over 32,000 followers on Twitter (as of July 2015).
Somali-speakers anywhere in the world can access BBC Somali multimedia content at bbcsomali.com.
BBC Swahili
Weekly on Ulimwengu wa Soka, commentators are Salim Kikeke and Hamisi Kizigo.
BBC Swahili reaches an audience of 16.6 million every week across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and parts of Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi. It is broadcast via 21 local FM stations.
BBC Swahili has over 973,000 fans on Facebook and over 55,000 followers on Twitter (as of July 2015).
Swahili-speakers anywhere in the world can access BBC Swahili multimedia content at bbcswahili.com.
23 August 2012
As part of the major expansion of its offer for African audiences, the BBC has announced the launch of its first ever TV news and current-affairs programme in Kiswahili, Dira ya Dunia (World Compass). From Monday, 27 August, BBC World Service’s partner TV stations – Star TV in Tanzania and QTV in Kenya – will broadcast BBC Swahili’s Dira ya Dunia, bringing the viewers 30 minutes of latest global news and analysis from the world’s leading international broadcaster.
Aired Monday to Friday, Dira ya Dunia will supplement Star TV’s and QTV’s programming with news coverage underpinned by the BBC’s global news services, giving audiences access to world-class news content. The programme also draws on the BBC’s strong presence across the continent, with correspondents in 48 African countries, bringing their regional insights and expertise to Kiswahili-speaking TV viewers.
BBC Swahili’s flagship radio programme, Dira ya Dunia, is a household name for millions of listeners in East and Central Africa as well as the diaspora audiences. With the launch of the new TV news programme of the same title, the BBC is further strengthening its offer, showcasing the BBC Swahili journalism talent – London-based presenters Salim Kikeke and Charles Hilary, output editor Mariam Omar, as well as reporters based in Burundi, DR Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and the UK.
BBC Swahili Editor, Ali Saleh, says: “With the launch of Dira ya Dunia on TV, we are responding to the huge switch in news consumption across Africa we have been witnessing lately, and to the needs of our audience. As we report and analyse regional and global news stories, be it politics, economy, business or culture, Dira ya Dunia wants to be free of clichés often associated with the African news coverage and will deliver BBC journalism in a dynamic and engaging style, based on our long-standing principles of independence, accuracy and unbiased reporting.”
The main presenter of Dira ya Dunia, Salim Kikeke, adds: “I feel privileged and honoured to be part of BBC Swahili’s move to TV broadcasting. We’ve put a huge effort into this project, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I hope very much that this new TV programme will soon become essential viewing for audiences across East and Central Africa.”
The unveiling of Dira ya Dunia is part of a range of major new programming launched by the BBC this year for Africa, on TV and on radio. It follows the recent launch of the BBC’s first ever dedicated English-language TV news programme for the continent, Focus on Africa, which is also available via Star TV in Tanzania and now on NTV in Kenya. In July, days before the opening of the Olympic Games in London, BBC World Service launched Newsday – a flagship radio programme aimed largely at the breakfast audience in Africa.
BBC Africa Editor, Solomon Mugera, comments: “Over decades of multilingual broadcasting to Africa, the BBC has forged unique relations with radio audiences across the continent, telling the African story to the world and bringing the world to Africa. The BBC’s growing multimedia offer is evidence of its deep roots and knowledge of the continent. As we embark on this new journey, we are really excited to be partnering with some of the leading broadcasters in the region.”
BBC Dira ya Dunia will be broadcast Monday to Friday, at 21.00 local time on Star TV in Tanzania and at 23.00 on QTV in Kenya. It also will be available for viewing via the BBC Swahili website, bbcswahili.com.
The BBC made its first broadcast to Africa more than 80 years ago. The combined audience on radio and television makes the BBC the largest international broadcaster in Africa.
