BBC World News has announced that it will launch Africa Business Report, a new weekly flagship business TV programme presented by Lerato Mbele, covering key business stories and trends from across Africa.
The show will be broadcast on BBC World News (DStv channel 400) on Fridays and Saturdays from October.
The announcement by the BBC comes amid increased appetite by broadcasters to provide the continent with broadcasting services.
DStv has in recent months also seen the launch of new local news service channels and recently acquired the rights to 24-hour news services from the Gupta-controlled Africa News Network ANN7 and the SABC.
Ms Mbele presents the BBC World Service breakfast radio programme, Newsday. In her new role, she will be reporting for BBC World News and BBC.com.
Africa Business Report will be produced from the BBC’s production centre in Johannesburg and use correspondents in 48 African countries.
According to the BBC, the show will report on the continent’s latest business and technology news, "showcasing the latest trends across the continent, through a mixture of on-the-ground reports and high-profile interviews".
BBC global business editor Peter Eustace said Africa was thriving and the international broadcaster would like to tell the story.
"The BBC has a long history of reporting to audiences across Africa and along with the daily newscast Focus on Africa, Africa Business Report will continue that tradition," he said.
"Africa is thriving, and not only does it host some of the fastest growing economies in the world, but it is also leading the way in a range of technology developments."
