3 Takeaways from the African podcasting panel at Radio Days Africa #RDA2020
By Paula Rogo
Each week, I write a column about the growth of podcasting in Africa from my perch in Nairobi, Kenya.
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(July 16, 2020)
I was lucky enough to have been invited to be in a panel this week to talk about the rise and trends of podcasting in Africa.
The panel was part of the GREAT digital programming that Radio Days Africa, Africa’s largest radio conference, has been able to pull together amid Covid-19.
My panel on podcasting, called Online and On-Demand: Podcasts for Africa, also included Kim Fox of Podfest Cair; Chris Mottes, CEO of Hindenburg Systems; and Francois Retief of Iono.FM, the South African audio platform.
The podcasting space in Africa is small, so we all knew each other in one form or another, and it was such a pleasure to dig in deep, through great moderation by South African journalist Refiloe Mpakanyane.
These are my three takeaways from the discussion
1. We Need Stats…Stat!
We all know this. There is not enough data about podcasting on the continent. So everyone’s ears perked up when Francois was generous enough to share some data and insights from his company’s backend.
He has some great insights on advertising, pointing to the fact that advertising in podcasts in S. Africa has “exploded.” He also shares how Covid-19 has brought more people into podcasting.
Currently, at Africa Podfest, we are reworking the company structure, but a key part of our strategy involves research and data in order to help the African podcasting community with decision making. So far, we have released two very small studies: 1) The State of Podcasting in Kenya 2019, and 2) Kenyan Podcasts And Diasporan Audiences. These studies were spearheaded by our very own Melissa Mbugua. Check them out here.
2. Il ya a quelqu’un (Is Anyone There)?
In a discussion about languages, Chris brought up an observation about Francophone Africa’s adoption of podcasting. From his purview, there didn’t seem to be much uptake of the medium based on his efforts and interactivity in the region. I would agree: Francophone Africa has been slow to pick up podcasting
I don’t think it’s too forward for me to say that, as of 2020, podcasting is mostly being used by Anglophone Africa, with little to no activity taking place within Francophone and Lusophone Africa. From my observation, most of the podcasting activity in Francophone and Lusophone Africa is within the diaspora populations (France, Portugal, Brazil) but even then I am not seeing much. Can someone please show me I am wrong? I very much want to be wrong and I’d really love to dive into what’s going.
(Both Chris and Kim talked about the immense opportunities within Arab-speaking Africa!)
3. No Podcast Listener Left Behind
There was some conversation about monetization, but at one point, it seemed to revolve around the subscription model. I think the subscription model within Africa is a valid route. But I think what stood out to me about that particular conversation — and perhaps why I disconnected with it somewhat — is that podcasting is still so young in Africa.
There are people who haven’t even heard of podcasts. And if they have, they might not know how to access them — even if they have resources to. I don’t think this is a problem just within Africa, but any developing region.
THE EDUCATION AROUND PODCASTING IN AFRICA IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST BARRIERS. Yes, we can make advancements in technology and content, but if the people we are making it for can’t even access it…well, what is the point?!
I think that was a bit of a wakeup call for me, especially as Africa Podfest is reworking its strategic direction. We have to meet people where they are, not where we want them to already be. I love that Adelle Onyango brought home this point in last week’s column when talking about teaching corporate advertisers about podcasting through the syndication of her podcast for radio. She had to meet them at the point of radio, the place they are familiar with, in order to bring them over to discuss advertising on podcasts.
We, as practitioners and trailblazers of podcasting in Africa, have to remember that.
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You can watch the full session here. And you can read a writeup about it here. Have thoughts on the review? Drop a comment or hit me: info@kali.media.
