In the 12 months and a half since Spotify launched in greater than 80 new markets around the globe, we’ve been paying shut consideration to the various storytellers and entertainers throughout the African continent and utilizing our platform to amplify and empower creators by means of activations on Fela Kuti’s birthday and Africa Day, spotlights on RADAR artists, and extra.
Now, we’re turning up the quantity on much more up-and-comers with a first-of-its-kind podcast initiative referred to as the Africa Podcast Fund. Through this initiative, we’ll help burgeoning podcasters and additional amplify their tales, bolstering their careers by means of monetary grants, workshops, and networking alternatives.
We provided the $100,000 fund to 13 creators from South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana—the 4 African nations with the most important podcast listenership. The fund additionally features a Cameroonian podcast with a big listenership each in France and in Francophone African nations, comparable to Cote d’Ivoire. And languages abound: Given the big selection of chosen nations, the profitable podcasts are recorded in a variety of languages together with Pidgin, English, French, Sheng, Ga, and Twi.
The recipients of the fund are unbiased rising podcasters with rising audiences. We targeted on supporting podcasts that showcase a variety of voices, codecs, languages, and content material from hosts of all genders. Our objective is to assist platform African creators on a worldwide scale and shift the traditionally restrictive view of tales concerning the continent.
“We’re excited about the development of podcasting in Africa, particularly because the medium allows underrepresented African voices to tell the story of Africa,” says Melissa Mbugua, Co-Director of Africa Podfest, the group that may administer the fund.
Get to know the 13 podcast recipients (in alphabetical order by nation) under.
Cameroon
Entrepreneur, journalist, and artwork collector Diane Audrey Ngako is the host of the French-language podcast Si Maman M’avait Dit, which roughly interprets to “if my mom had told me.” On her podcast, Diane Audrey offers the ground to friends, posing questions on what classes they’ve realized navigating their lives, careers, and relationships.
Ghana
Sincerely Accra is a well-liked Ghanaian podcast based mostly on city life within the nationwide capital, Accra. Episodes alternate between vox pops and in-studio interviews predominantly in English, with an occasional mix of Pidgin, Twi, and Ga. The podcast is fast-paced and colourful, that includes a mixture of personalities with thrilling and ranging discussions pushed by each the audio system’ opinions and popular culture. It’s hosted by Joseph Nti and produced by Kwame Asante.
Kenya
The Sandwich Podcast, which has probably the most listeners in Kenya, is hosted by 4 creatives: Joan, Kibz, Nyamita, and Owen. Delivered in a mixture of English, Swahili, and Sheng, the present covers matters that embody life experiences and anecdotes, and generally options different friends.
The Messy Inbetween is hosted by Murugi Munyi and Lydia Mukami, who use their lived expertise to cowl and provide recommendation about love, cash, work—and all of the issues that make life what it’s. TMI supplies a protected house for girls to debate their experiences candidly.
Mantalk.ke, hosted by Kenyan creators Eli Mwenda and Oscar Koome, acknowledges the necessity for male-led conversations round points comparable to poisonous masculinity, fatherhood, feminism, relationship, and self-care. The two hosts try to have uncomfortable conversations, even when meaning placing themselves on the spot.
Nipe Story—hosted and narrated by Kenyan author, journalist, and queer activist Kevin Mwachiro—offers a voice to written African brief tales. Mwachiro supplies a platform for African writers to have their brief tales heard.
Nigeria
I Said What I Said, some of the fashionable podcasts in Nigeria, is hosted by Feyikemi Abudu, an entrepreneur who is worked up about serving to small companies develop, and by Jola Ayeye, a storyteller with a core curiosity in modern African tradition. Each week, they dive into the Lagos millennial expertise and share their takes on present happenings in Nigerian society.
Tea With Tay, hosted by Nigerian content material creator Taymesan, covers societal points and private experiences in a enjoyable, light-hearted, and entertaining approach. Taymesan hosts celebrities and different friends for partaking topical conversations that highlight their distinctive and intriguing tales.
F&S Uncensored covers music, popular culture, and private experiences. Hosted by Feyikemi Akin-Bankole and Simi Badiru, the podcast gives commentary on trending pop-culture matters and knowledgeable opinions on how these matters have an effect on on a regular basis Nigerians.
South Africa
Hosted by Gugulethu Nyatsumba, After School Is After School with Sis G.U. goals to talk extra brazenly and actually concerning the battles that Gugulethu continues to face in her 20s. The podcaster fosters a reference to the viewers, sharing life classes and galvanizing emotional development.
South African podcast The Journey Kwantu, hosted by Vusumzi Ngxande, explores and questions issues round African spirituality and identification. On every episode, Vusumzi holds a dialog with a visitor the place they dig into probably the most complicated points round African beliefs.
On Wisdom & Wellness with Mpoomy Ledwaba, host and content material creator Mpoomy Ledwaba goals to foster connections along with her friends and encourage her viewers by means of essential conversations that contact on life classes and particular person journeys.
Convos & Cocktails with Lesego Tlhabi is a podcast hosted by the distinguished South African satirist Lesego Tlhabi, greatest recognized for her character Coconut Kelz. The focus of Lesego’s podcast is candid conversations that “we, as Black women, want to have . . . but often don’t.”