(Ecofin Agency) – On an African continent with a very strong relationship with orality, a format like the podcast is likely to be very popular. This potential attracts many people, but also companies who see it as a suitable way to promote their products and services on the continent.
Spotify has awarded a $100,000 grant to 13 African podcasts. The information was announced on October 24 by the music streaming giant in a blog post. “We offered the $100,000 fund to 13 creators from South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana, the four African countries with the highest number of podcast listeners. There is also a Cameroonian podcast which has a large number of listeners in France and in French-speaking African countries”.
The selected Kenyan podcasts are: “The Sandwich Podcast”, “Mantalk.ke”, “The Messy Inbetween”, and “Nipe Story”. They benefit from the funds alongside the Nigerian podcasts “I said What I Said”, “Tea With Tay”, “F&S Uncensored” and the South Africans “After School Is After School with Sis GU”, “The Journey Kwantu”, “ Wisdom & Wellness with Mpoomy Ledwaba”, and “Convos & Cocktails with Lesego Tlhabi. Added to this list are the Ghanaian podcast “Sincerely Accra” and the Cameroonian podcast “Si Maman m’had dit”.
The winning podcasts are recorded in multiple languages including Pidgin, English, French, Sheng, Ga and Twi,” Spotify explains.
The $100,000 will be raised through the Africa Podcast Fund, a fund created by Spotify for African podcast creators. The sum will be distributed by Africa Podfest, a company based in Kenya which wishes to work for the empowerment of African “podcasters”. “The podcast enables underrepresented African voices to tell the continent’s story”explains Melissa Mbugua, co-director of the Kenyan company.
The selected podcasts are expected to join those accessible on Spotify, providing unprecedented exposure for the vast majority of podcasters on the continent.
Servan Ahougnon
