Afripods is a Kenyan podcasting platform that focuses on the African market.

History

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Afripods was founded in Nairobi, Kenya by Molly Jensen in 2017.[1][2] Jensen claimed in the Daily Nation that she wanted to develop a platform where African history could be recorded by Africans, saying that she "felt embarrassed as an African that I relied on western media."[3] Inspired by the success of African radio networks, she founded Afripods to replicate that on a smaller scale.[4] A 2022 report by Baraza Media Lab found that Afripods was one of the most used podcasting platforms in Africa and the most used homegrown platform.[5] In 2023, Afripods began converting traditional radio station's shows into podcast form, describing the new model as being "on-demand radio."[6]

As of 2023, Afripods hosts podcasts in 50 languages and from 30 countries across Africa.[1][4]

Business model

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Afripods describes podcasting as a "low-cost way to preserve African culture, traditions, and language."[6] To that end, the company offers a full-service podcasting platform, offering hosting and distribution services for podcasts along with promotion for creators.[1][6] The company also operates an advertising network for podcasts.[1] Podcasts hosted by Afripods are available on Afripods own platform, along with platforms like Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.[7][8]

Afripods was the first podcasting platform to pay creators directly in Africa, without the need for them to create an American or European bank account.[4]

Podcasts

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Reffat, Lara (2023-06-16). "This podcast platform is amplifying African voices". International Journalists' Network. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  2. ^ Kanali, Nixon (2023-07-19). "SemaBOX wants to help African podcasters monetize their podcasts with a new distribution platform". TechTrendsKE. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  3. ^ a b Muia, Sylvia (2022-05-21). "How podcasts are taking over the African narrative". Daily Nation. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  4. ^ a b c James, Kyle (2023-10-25). "Afripods: A podcast hosting platform focusing on African stories told by Africans". DW Akademie. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  5. ^ "Discovery Tour, Data Edition: Mapping out the present & future of African audio storytelling" (PDF). Baraza Media Lab. 2022-04-01. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  6. ^ a b c Khalid, Amrita (2023-09-05). "How Afripods is trying to grow the podcast market in Africa". The Verge. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
  7. ^ Oniang'o, Maurice (2023-08-15). "African podcasters are now recognised globally. Can they transform this success into a viable business?". Reuters Institute. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  8. ^ "Podcasts: The future of storytelling". The Citizen. 2022-05-29. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  9. ^ Apolot, Catherine. "17 Interesting facts you didn't know about socialite Anita Fabiola". Watchdog Uganda. Retrieved 2024-05-15.