After four decades of reporting from the continent, Jonathan Dimbleby returns to Africa on a 7,000mile journey to discover how it is changing
Mali, Ghana and Nigeria
He starts his African journey in the capital of Mali, Bamako, the fastestgrowing African city Following the course of the Niger river, Dimbleby finds not a continent of beggars but of industrious people, some of whom go to extraordinary lengths to make a living, freediving 20 feet to excavate building sand
Travelling northeast, he sees how tradition is preserved in an area where a sophisticated urban society has thrived for 1600 years Jonathan gets his hands dirty as the apprentice of a 74yearold mud mason in Djenne, a town built entirely of mud
In Ghana, one of Africa#39s freest and most stable countries, Jonathan sees a spectacular festival before playing a game of golf with the King of the Ashanti, who recalls his time working for Brent council Dimbleby attends the King#39s court to see what lessons the UK can draw from traditional African structures that promote harmony and reconciliation
Jonathan discovers that the African brain drain is turning into a brain gain as economic opportunity and patriotism draw people home Football unites Ghana like nothing else, superseding political and tribal divisions There is a rich seam of young football talent on the continent in the year that the World Cup is hosted by an African nation for the first time
In Lagos, Nigeria#39s business capital, Jonathan Dimbleby sees a different take on a city that is often depicted as a hotbed of violence, crime and corruption He is taken on a private jet by Africa#39s richest man, then savours the creative talents of two of African music#39s rising stars who are helping to cement Lagos#39s place as the continent#39s cultural hub
Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania
On the second leg of his illuminating journey across Africa, Jonathan Dimbleby travels 2000 miles through East Africa#39s Rift Valley
Starting in Ethiopia, where he was the first journalist to report the 1973 famine, Dimbleby discovers the great strides being made to safeguard the country from future catastrophes
In Kenya he finds out how mobile phones are revolutionising small businesses and even the lives of Masai tribes
In Tanzania he joins in a football match with the judges and guards of Africa#39s own Human Rights Commission and meets the street kids in DaresSalaam who are building an international profile for their music
Congo, South Africa and Zambia
On the final leg of his 7,000mile odyssey, Jonathan Dimbleby travels from Congo to Durban in search of the stories revealing contemporary Africa
He learns how China#39s billiondollar deals have rebooted African economies, once dependent on Western aid and investment
Passing through Zambia, Jonathan survives a training session with boxing world chion Esther Phiri and meets Hugh Masekela, who shares with him his view of Africa#39s emerging revival
