Podcasts are fast taking over the content creation space because of their convenience, which is being downloadable and also being less distractive. You can listen to a podcast while you do other things, like running or cooking, things which you cannot do with video or readable text.
Despite the low uptake of podcasting by Africans, due to high data charges and a lack of technical knowledge on how to start a podcast, there have emerged a great many shows on the continent. We hope with the introduction of podcasts on WordPress things will improve immensely.
Below are some of the great podcasts we enjoy listening to outlined in no specific order. We hope this will give you save you time on your search for African podcast.
Africa in My Kitchen
Hosted by Tunuka Media this show explores Africa through its cuisine. The hosts of Africa in my kitchen (AIMK) Ijeoma (the cook) and Yemi (the taster/test subject), do more than eat their way across Africa. Every fortnight they try out one meal from one African country.
The duo goes on to discuss the country, share some amazing facts about its history, its people, and geography before settling on the dish. Beginning with sharing the ingredients they reveal the recipe on how to prepare the cuisine.
What makes the show so interesting is their candid feedback on each dish. What ingredients would they add, which ones would they take away? Of course, cuisines are tricky sometimes they miss but most of the time they get it right
I asked my mother
In this podcast, German based-Kenyan Wanjiku Mwaurah dials up her mother who is in Kenya to candidly discuss pregnancy, womanhood, and motherhood.
Wanjiku sets a great example for all youthful Africans, modernity despite being advanced cannot comfortably exist without borrowing experiences from the past. Even though she stays in a first-world country she still finds value in the experience her mother has to offer.
This podcast delivers value as the two women from two different generations and two different continents compare notes, confront myths and share experiences about motherhood. Such a special relationship as the one Wanjiku has with her mother is rare to find in our modern society where parents are too busy for their own children.
Legally Clueless
Legally Clueless is a weekly podcast by Kenyan media personality & social activist: Adelle Onyango. The podcast is a space where people are reassured that it is okay not to know everything. It is also a space where Africans share stories from their lives; stories that teach, make us cry, make us laugh – real, authentic African stories.
This podcast has a 100 African Stories feature segment, where Africans from all over the world share stories and experiences. At one point Adelle managed to go on a tour of Kenyan Universities capturing a variety of stories that highlighted the Kenyan campus experience.
Adelle Onyango also runs a free group therapy program for African women who have survived rape under her Adelle Onyango Initiative.
The Journey Kwantu
South African Vusumuzi Ngxande takes us on a spiritual journey. Through his podcast, we confront deep-seated stereotypical views on African spirituality. The Journey Kwantu must be approached with an open mind to fully benefit from the interrogation of our beliefs and shifting of our blinkered view of the African spiritual world. Vusimusi says questions are just the beginning, and getting answers to our questions is just a single side of the story. “Some answers must be experienced otherwise we risk discarding answers simply because they do not fit our expectations.”
Is African spirituality all about sangomas, callings, and rituals? Can western medicine and African spirituality coexist? What is the cost of African spirituality on mental health? These are just some of the questions tackled on this insightful podcast. We love that with each episode, a new facet of African spirituality is revealed through dialogue and analysis that leaves you wanting to explore more about Africa, identity, and spirituality.
James Murua: The African literary Podcast
This podcast is hosted by one of the most famous names in the African literary space. Kenyan James Murua has been covering African literature via a blog by the same name since 2013. He specializes in sharing news about your favorite African writer, helping you not to miss the latest events, festivals, and book launches
Over the years the James Murua platform has evolved so much, adapting to changing times and trends. For instance, it used to purely focus on African authors but now the sphere has broadened to include black writers. This means, now you can expect to see a review, an interview, or a profile on any authors of color from all over the world.
James has since launched Livestream to enable book lovers to interact with their favorite authors.
The Lebo Lion
Hosted by South African Lebo Lion, this podcast is about conversation, education, and empowerment centered around marketing. The aim of Lebo is to equip African entrepreneurs, professionals, creatives, & students with digital marketing and strategy skills they need to take their hustle to the next stage.
From sharing nuggets via her Twitter handle to lessons with Lebo: a series that uses allegory representations such as slay queens to deliver marketing wisdom; Lebo Lion is emerging as one of the top voices on marketing in Africa.
Lebo also regularly brings onto her show prominent entrepreneurs who get to share from their business experience.
Nyamishana’s Podcast
“Hello there, My name is Nyamishana. Welcome to Nyamishana’s podcast! This is how the award-winning and well-spoken Prudence Nyamishana introduces you to her world. Her podcast challenges stereotypes, discuss social and political issues through in-depth dialogues and monologues with Ugandans through their lived experience.
She has hosted popular personalities such as Ugandan Activist Dr. Stella Nyanzi and recently launched a series called “The story of my mother”. Through this series, Prudence seeks to bring back the lost stories of Ugandan women who came before her generation. She rightfully points out how women’s stories are erased; from being called daughters of their fathers to becoming wives to their husbands, women’s stories remain told through the lens of their association but never as individual beings.
Afriwetu
A podcast rooted in Africa’s Story with the aim of Celebrating Africa’s History, People, Culture & Folklore. The podcaster’s storytelling and narrative skills are excellent, as she manages to infuse the audience into the story, to feel the experience as if they were present when the story unfolded. Afriwetu achieves its object of making Africans proud of their routes and igniting a desire to know about their identity through storytelling.
At its core, Afriwetu is about telling the African story of pre-colonial times. Taking an academic approach Mona-the podcaster follows the journey of African Civilisation by featuring different African kingdoms highlighting their rise, peak, and decline. Among the civilization she has featured are the Nyamwezi of Tanzania, Mutapa from Zimbabwe, Bachwezi Dynasty, and many others.
I Said What I Said
A humor-laden socio-cultural commentary podcast where Feyikemi Abudu and Jola Ayeye bounce ideas off each other sharing their unfiltered millennial experiences. 69 episodes later the friends who have forged a wonderful sisterhood through this show have raked in awards as well as emerge as the most listened to podcast in Nigeria.
I said what I have said has featured singer Teni, Bose Ugulu (Burna Boy’s mother), and Made Kuti among other popular personalities. The energetic duo continues to share unsolicited opinions on all things that are affecting Nigerian millennials making them so relatable to both men and women.
They unapologetically always say their mind and give words to what most people are afraid of saying.
We know there are so many great African podcast out there. These are just intended to give you a start on your discovery journey. If you feel we left out one of your best listens kindly plug us in the comments section below.
