Still stuck on the last 4 or 5 :-
1) Instruments independent business expert used to probe planet (8) ????M?A?
2) Pert girls showing endless pluck (7) G???N?S
3) Novosibirsk? Snob is upset with this Russian place (5) K???V
4) African with no audacity about to go into retreat (6) ?E?Y?N It has to be KENYAN (NAYNEK backwards), but NEK isn't NECK and "about to go into retreat" seems to be saying the same thing twice.
5) Female slave in South Africa overlooked by priest (5) E?I?A It has to be ELISA, but the name of the female black slave in Uncle Tom's Cabin was ELIZA not ELISA.