Catherine Nzuki

Associate Fellow, Africa Program
Catherine Nzuki

Catherine Nzuki is an associate fellow with the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She is also the host of the CSIS podcast “The Afropolitan.” Her research interests include U.S.-Africa relations, Africa’s role in the emerging multipolar world, the African youth boom, migration, and forced displacement issues. Catherine previously worked for the Project on Fragility and Mobility in the CSIS International Security Program. Prior to joining CSIS, she held internships with No Isolation, a tech start-up, and Oxford Analytica, a geopolitical analysis and consulting firm. Catherine was also an intern with the Tanzania Women's Chamber of Commerce. She holds a BA in politics with a minor in philosophy from Bates College. She speaks fluent Swahili.

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Audio Briefs

What Does the Expulsion of Pretoria’s Ambassador Mean for U.S.–South Africa Relations?

An audio version of “What Does the Expulsion of Pretoria’s Ambassador Mean for U.S.–South Africa Relations?,” a new Critical Questions by CSIS's Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Cameron Hudson, Khasai Makhulo, and Catherine Nzuki. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Cameron Hudson, Khasai Makhulo, and Catherine Nzuki — March 20, 2025

Audio Briefs
The Afropolitan

The new Alliance of Sahel States and the future of Africa’s legacy institutions

Three West African countries - Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso - have finalized their exit from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Another thing they have in common? All three countries are under junta rule after military coups that took place in recent years. They have since formed their own union - the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

Why have these three countries exited ECOWAS, and is this a crisis point for the regional bloc? Catherine Nzuki is joined by Beverly Ochieng, Senior Analyst for Francophone Africa at Control Risks, and a Senior Associate with the CSIS Africa Program, to unpack these questions and more.

Podcast Episode by Catherine Nzuki and Beverly Ochieng — March 6, 2025

Photo: iLab/CSIS
The Afropolitan

DeepSeek’s AI is cheap. Is this a game-changer for African startups?

Catherine Nzuki is joined by Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo, a fellow in the Center for Technology Innovation in the Governance Studies program at Brookings and a recent computer science Ph.D. graduate from Cornell University.

Podcast Episode by Catherine Nzuki — February 20, 2025

Photo: iLab/CSIS
The Afropolitan

The fallout of the U.S. aid freeze in Washington, Abuja, and beyond

Catherine Nzuki is joined by Andrew Friedman, Senior Fellow with the CSIS Human Rights Initiative, and Samuel Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, to discuss the impacts of the U.S. aid freeze and the future of foreign aid in Africa.

Podcast Episode by Catherine Nzuki and Andrew Friedman — February 6, 2025

Photo: iLab/CSIS
The Truth of the Matter

Africa Policy in the Second Trump Administration

Catherine Nzuki, associate fellow in the CSIS Africa Program, joins the podcast to discuss the impact of U.S. policy shifts on Africa, leveraging U.S.-China competition, and her new podcast, The Afropolitan.

Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz and Catherine Nzuki — January 27, 2025

CSIS the truth of the matter
The Afropolitan

Decoding demographics with Dr. Jennifer D. Sciubba

Catherine Nzuki is joined by Dr. Jennifer D. Sciubba, President and CEO of the Population Reference Bureau and one of the foremost experts in the field of political demography. 

Podcast Episode by Catherine Nzuki — January 9, 2025

Photo: iLab/CSIS