A Necessary Shift

Directors of Africa Podfest in 2023. L: Josephine Karianjahi; R: Melissa Mbugua. (photo credit: Marcus Olang’ www.stillsbymarcus.com)

Building anything worthwhile takes immense effort, commitment and time. Everything is impossible until it is done. The best way to predict the future is to invent it. Resting is part of the work. 

These are some of the words that have guided us since the beginning.

When we started Africa Podfest in 2019, the podcast scene in Africa was dotted with passionate tinkerers and creators who were mostly doing this work alone as experiments, out of having a vision or out of a need for release or artistic practice. They were few and far between and at the time the only country where regular media coverage about podcasting was taking place was South Africa. We were motivated by a sense of immense potential for an expanded audio industry to match the continent's population and excitement about opportunities for inclusion and diversity that podcasting offers, unlike anything that has come before.

Our impact

Since our first community gathering in Nairobi, we have been building this platform on a vision, commitment to our values and support from a committed group of people who believe in the mission too. It is a long term initiative. We are grateful and very proud of what has become reality in the African podcast scene: community among podcasters, platform builders, studio managers, producers, engineers, educators, media, intermediaries, academia, technologists and others who play a part in what is shaping up to be the industry foundation. We are proud of our community platform comprising our social media spaces, newsletter, database, podcast, Africa Podcast Day and other events. These channels have shone a spotlight on emerging African voices in a context where such few spotlights exist specifically to center them. Our intention has always been to make accessible a globally visible stage for those who would otherwise not have access to one. 

Our audacious vision is to cultivate conditions that lead to financial sustainability in Africa’s audio industry. Towards this, we have been intentional about advocating for and channeling funding directly towards podcasters. In four years, we have accomplished this through independent micro grants from Africa Podfest as well as through the inaugural Africa Podcast Fund in partnership with Spotify. It is only the beginning and there remains a huge investment gap. We spend a lot of time thinking, studying and fostering conversation about what possible models for further investment could shape into. Our work as part of the KaBrazen consortium has allowed us to extend our efforts across the digital audio value chain, working with some of Kenya’s top emerging audio storytellers and a top studio with a strong track record in Africa’s commercial audio space. The consortium has delivered Africa’s first bilingual children’s podcast to a global audience. In so doing, we have begun the work of developing a globally relevant podcasting value chain within the African context. 

Our research

Since inception, our research has been designed to bridge the knowledge gap for anyone seeking to invest their energy in the African podcasting space. We carried out community- focused studies that achieved a baseline understanding of the landscape across three of the largest podcast markets (South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria). Our studies examined audience behaviour and preferences. They also looked at underlying motivations from storytellers lived experiences, culture and economic opportunities.  Finally, our research analysed regulatory frameworks in the three markets and mapped the trajectory of African podcasting in relationship to global podcasting. We have made all this knowledge openly accessible online.

Along the way, we have learned by doing and evolved our approach from lessons learned. We view ourselves as an impact-driven business prioritising human, cultural, environmental and economic well-being. 

Having developed and tested multiple models for  sparking community connection online and in-person, we have also experimented with various business models to make the work possible. In the four years of our operation, our business has been sustained by a combination of investment from the directors and angels (friends and family), donations from individuals in our community, grants from organizations and commercial activities. As with every business, we have faced many challenges threatening the survival of our young organization. We are grateful for the support of everyone who has been an advisor, donor, service provider, volunteer, customer, audience and champion. You have provided the water, air and sunshine that we needed to keep going.

A new chapter

Towards the end of 2022, we announced the cancellation of our planned celebrations for Africa Podcast Day 2023 due to financial barriers. Since then, we have been witness as many other podcasting organizations around the world have either shut down, downsized or paused their operations for economic reasons in this season of great uncertainty. These developments have served as a call for deeper introspection for us. We are on a long-term mission to build an inclusive and financially sustainable African audio industry. Having taken on the role of entrepreneurs, we are aware of the risks that are inherent to this journey. We are also keenly aware of the need to uphold our wellness as individuals and as an organization. We have spent much of 2023 exploring what sustained wellness looks like for Africa Podfest through this uncertain journey facing the world.

Coming from our reflections and numerous conversations, we have taken a decision to shift away from an always-on model to a project-based model. This would allow us to continue meeting our operational costs while building up our next chapter of financial resilience. It would also allow us to keep our personal batteries charged so that we can continue to walk this journey in service of our community and mission. What does this shift look like for you? It means that our social media and newsletter will no longer be in year-round circulation. However, our website and podcast database will remain live. We will be back in future with updates and  announcements on new projects, so keep following us (@africapodfest) on social media and stay subscribed to this newsletter!

Once again, we are IMMENSELY GRATEFUL for the time and chance to do this work, and for YOUR continued support.

With gratitude and sending you joyful vibes to end the year,

Mel & Jo