Afterfourdecadesofreportingfromthecontinent,JonathanDimblebyreturnstoAfricaona7,000-milejourneytodiscoverhowitischanging.
【Mali,GhanaandNigeria】
HestartshisAfricanjourneyinthecapitalofMali,Bamako,thefastest-growingAfricancity.FollowingthecourseoftheNigerriver,Dimblebyfindsnotacontinentofbeggarsbutofindustriouspeople,someofwhomgotoextraordinarylengthstomakealiving,free-diving20feettoexcavatebuildingsand.
Travellingnorth-east,heseeshowtraditionispreservedinanareawhereasophisticatedurbansocietyhasthrivedfor1600years.Jonathangetshishandsdirtyastheapprenticeofa74-year-oldmudmasoninDjenne,atownbuiltentirelyofmud.
InGhana,oneofAfrica'sfreestandmoststablecountries,JonathanseesaspectacularfestivalbeforeplayingagameofgolfwiththeKingoftheAshanti,whorecallshistimeworkingforBrentcouncil.DimblebyattendstheKing'scourttoseewhatlessonstheUKcandrawfromtraditionalAfricanstructuresthatpromoteharmonyandreconciliation.
JonathandiscoversthattheAfricanbraindrainisturningintoabraingainaseconomicopportunityandpatriotismdrawpeoplehome.FootballunitesGhanalikenothingelse,supersedingpoliticalandtribaldivisions.ThereisarichseamofyoungfootballtalentonthecontinentintheyearthattheWorldCupishostedbyanAfricannationforthefirsttime.
InLagos,Nigeria'sbusinesscapital,JonathanDimblebyseesadifferenttakeonacitythatisoftendepictedasahotbedofviolence,crimeandcorruption.HeistakenonaprivatejetbyAfrica'srichestman,thensavoursthecreativetalentsoftwoofAfricanmusic'srisingstarswhoarehelpingtocementLagos'splaceasthecontinent'sculturalhub.
【Ethiopia,KenyaandTanzania】
OnthesecondlegofhisilluminatingjourneyacrossAfrica,JonathanDimblebytravels2000milesthroughEastAfrica'sRiftValley.
StartinginEthiopia,wherehewasthefirstjournalisttoreportthe1973famine,Dimblebydiscoversthegreatstridesbeingmadetosafeguardthecountryfromfuturecatastrophes.
InKenyahefindsouthowmobilephonesarerevolutionisingsmallbusinessesandeventhelivesofMasaitribes.
InTanzaniahejoinsinafootballmatchwiththejudgesandguardsofAfrica'sownHumanRightsCommissionandmeetsthestreetkidsinDar-es-Salaamwhoarebuildinganinternationalprofilefortheirmusic.
【Congo,SouthAfricaandZambia】
Onthefinallegofhis7,000-mileodyssey,JonathanDimblebytravelsfromCongotoDurbaninsearchofthestoriesrevealingcontemporaryAfrica.
HelearnshowChina'sbillion-dollardealshaverebootedAfricaneconomies,oncedependentonWesternaidandinvestment.
PassingthroughZambia,JonathansurvivesatrainingsessionwithboxingworldchampionEstherPhiriandmeetsHughMasekela,whoshareswithhimhisviewofAfrica'semergingrevival.
