The podcast trend has taken the world by storm, and African podcasts have been part of that phenomenon.
Trevor Noah launched one of his own. Ayomide Tayo, co-host of Nigeria’s “Loose Talk Podcast” explained the need for the new form of expression from an African perspective.
“We realized that there was no one curating or documenting Nigerian pop culture for our generation. In the next 5-10 years, this era would be gone. It would have been a tragedy that this era was not properly documented,” he told Pulse.
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In 2018, Apple said there were 525,000 active podcasts globally. In 2019, there are around 2 million podcasts indexed by Google, according to Google Podcasts product manager Zach Reneau-Weeden.
From Nigeria to South Africa, digital media entrepreneurs are bringing African culture and perspective to the world via podcasts, building a following and giving people a platform that was not possible a few years ago.
Here are 10 African podcasts worth listening to.
This South African-produced podcast covers tech innovation throughout Africa. Hosted by Andile Masuku, the weekly episodes deal with subjects related to Africa and tech, combined with opinions and analysis from the host and his guests. “African Tech Round-Up” is available on iTunes and Soundcloud. Critics say that its high-quality production, wide fanbase and mix of expert knowledge, witty banter, and balanced debate sets it apart from other similar podcasts, according to OkayAfrica.
One of the most popular Nigerian podcasts that have emerged and built a dedicated following across the continent and beyond is the “Loose Talk Podcast” hosted by journalists, Osagie Alonge, Ayomide Tayo, and Steve Dede. In the podcast, they discuss trending topics related to pop culture, politics, relationships, and more. Their first episode was released in February 2016, and since then, they have produced over 150 episodes of the podcast, according to Pulse.
Produced in Cape Town by architect and award-winning author Yewande Omotoso, the “Talking Heads” podcast aims to give a fresh approach to identify, showcase and create opportunities for African thought leaders. The show profiles some of the extraordinary Africans making a meaningful and affirmative contribution to their communities, cities, countries, the continent, and the world, according to Africa.com.
“The Chicken and Jollof Rice Show” is a podcast featuring four first-generation African-Americans and their perspectives on current events, pop culture and their bi-cultural understanding of the world, according to Podbean. The show is a mix of humor and serious discussion, with the hosts and guests taking on a variety of subject matter with their unique perspectives.
Popular South African comedian and host of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, Trevor Noah hosts a podcast called “On Second Thought with Trevor Noah”. Noah and his guests discuss a variety of topics including race, culture, sports, science, law, art, and capitalism. In March he joined celebrity podcasters such as American actress Lena Dunham and British comedian Russel Brand in creating content for new subscription-based podcast service, Luminary, DailyMaverick reported.
The “Not Your African Cliché” podcast highlights the complex stories of Africans on the continent and in the diaspora. It is hosted by four young Nigerian women and much of the content is drawn from their experiences in Africa and while traveling abroad. OkayAfrica described listening to the podcast as being like eavesdropping on an after-work chat between girlfriends.
Known simply as Dr. Ozi, the host of the show is a Nigerian woman documenting her journey as she moves from Africa to the U.S. Focused on the story of African immigrants abroad, she often uses the podcast to discuss issues surrounding healthcare, education and career options. Ozi has a Ph.D. in microbiology and molecular genetics, according to her page. A new episode is released every Thursday on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts.
Hosted by Cameroonian broadcaster Georges Collinet, “Afropop Worldwide” is an internationally syndicated weekly radio series and podcast that provides an online guide to African and world music. It has introduced American listeners to the music cultures of Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean since 1988, and proves to be an entertaining and engaging podcast for listeners. Live concert recordings of African artists such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Cesaria Evora, Gilberto Gil, Baaba Maal, Kanda Bongo Man and others are also featured on the podcast, according to Africa.com.
This podcast has not released a new episode in a year, but it still provides listeners with a wealth of previous episodes to enjoy. The “My Africa Podcast” is basically a selection of interviews with some of the continent’s most interesting musicians, politicians, entrepreneurs, and others. The show is hosted by Nigerian Osagie Alonge from Lagos, according to SoundCloud.
South African Brent Lindeque launched a blog called “Good Things Guy” documenting good news and great stories in South Africa, Africa, and the world, with a focus on South Africans in particular. The blog grew in popularity and it made sense for him to create a podcast that focused on the same positivity and the change he believes the world needs. Every Tuesday morning delivers good news to his listeners through a radio show that is then converted into a podcast, according to ApplePodcasts.
