Salamu, marafiki. Greetings, friends. This has felt like a month of great change in the world. While spaces and economies have opened up bringing renewed energy in some places, they have closed up even more in others. African countries are facing a third wave of coronavirus infections and accompanying restrictions in movement. Political conflict has closed off some communities from the world. Spaces for free expression online are under threat from authoritarian states and have shrank. As social media has become the target of crackdowns, we at Africa Podfest reflect on what room there is for podcasts in this new reality. Podcasts fill the very real and urgent need for authentic community connection, storytelling and ultimately, identity building. While digital space is under attack, the people whose voices are audible, and in many cases can only be heard in these spaces: youth, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ communities, also have an opportunity to define new spaces and methods to reach each other and build their communities through audio tools and emerging technologies in the audio space. We remain more determined than ever at Africa Podfest to continue seeking opportunities to connect pioneers in African podcasting and sparking growth in the ecosystem. As we enter the second half of this action-filled year, we wish you strength in community and joy in exploring the possibilities in your podcasting journey!
In the meantime, we continue to work on some exciting projects that we anticipate to share with you soon.
With gratitude,
Melissa Mbugua, Co-Director, Africa Podfest.
African Podcaster Showcase
In case you missed it, throughout June we have been featuring podcasters from Botswana, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe on our Instagram. This Saturday 3 July, catch Melissa and Josephine in live conversation with these amazing pioneers of podcasting. The conversations run from 10am - 11am Nairobi time and 2pm - 3pm Nairobi time. You also get to ask them your questions about podcasting in their countries. Follow us on social media (@africapodfest on all platforms) to make sure you don’t miss the July edition of our showcase campaign!
Resources and Opportunities
Audience Survey Template: Designing your audience survey can feel like a lot of extra hard work that you didn’t sign up for. The good news is that Edison Research has made a free DIY listener survey for podcasters to make their own and collect the most relevant information from audiences. Download it for free (no registration required) here.
SoCreative Digital Meetups: As a podcaster, you are a pioneer in the cultural and social space, building your product in a time of extraordinary dynamism. Explore how to approach change and lean into transformative cultures, opportunities for growth and rethink how sustainability can emerge, quite literally, in the midst of a crisis. Register for the July meetups here.
Design Thinking Zeal: Our co-founder Josephine was part of a meetup organized by Design Thinking Zeal, a global community of design thinkers who are building for communities. Watch the recording #27 of this insightful meetup on the seven essential skills of innovation as taught through the lens of songwriting.
Paid Promotion
Think African
The Think African podcast series is a seasonal bi-weekly offering that examines the biggest questions that define the world from an unapologetically African point of view. It is unafraid to critically engage with contentious, fraught and messy conversations and grapple with the complexities of the African continent’s history and present. The series is host, Jedi Ramalapa, Editor in Chief, Sound Africa.
The Think African podcast is brought to you by Sound Africa in cooperation with the Heinrich boll Stiftung, Cape Town and African Arguments. It’s available every other week on all podcasting platforms.
Partner with us
Africa Podfest inspires and elevates African podcasters to build a sustainable and inclusive podcasting industry across Africa. Our intention is to achieve this by simplifying podcast learning, placing a spotlight on African podcasters, and centring voices that have been in the margins. We welcome support from individuals and institutions. Email us to inquire about institutional partnership hello@africapodcastfestival.com