Are podcasts becoming the new radio for Africa’s entertainment industry?
Podcasts are redefining Africa’s audio culture, giving creators global reach and listeners on-demand stories that travel beyond borders.
• Podcasts are reshaping Africa’s audio culture, giving voices across the continent new reach and legitimacy.
• The continent now boasts millions of active listeners, led by Nigeria and South Africa, with Spotify and YouTube driving the streaming shift.
• While challenges around monetisation and infrastructure persist, the future of African podcasting looks dynamic, digital, and deeply local.
For decades, radio was the unshakable pulse of African storytelling, from talk shows and call-ins to late-night music mixes. It filled buses, barbershops, and kitchens, shaping how communities connected. But as smartphones began to outnumber transistor radios, a new kind of audio culture started to take shape.
That shift became impossible to ignore in 2022, when Spotify launched its $100,000 Africa Podcast Fund. Thirteen creators from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa were chosen for what would become a turning point in African audio. It was more than a grant program and was rather a signal that African voices deserved global microphones. For the first time, storytellers in Pidgin, Twi, Swahili, Ga, and Sheng were being funded, promoted, and distributed globally.
What radio once did for morning news and music, podcasts are now doing for culture, storytelling, and self-expression.
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Where are people listening as platforms change?
Podcasting in Africa has found its rhythm across multiple digital ecosystems, each playing a distinct role. According to a 2025 regional estimate, Spotify leads the pack with about 36% of podcast listenership across the continent, followed closely by YouTube at 27%, which continues to evolve from a video-first to an audio-friendly platform.
Boomplay and Audiomack together account for about 12%, particularly in Nigeria and Ghana, while Apple Podcasts maintains 10%. Local players like Afripods and Ngoma hold around 7%, with the rest split among smaller apps and browser players.
This distribution reveals a fascinating shift. While radio depended on geography and tower reach, podcasting depends on data bundles, downloads, and algorithms. The “radio tune-in” has evolved into a “press play” culture that travels with listeners across devices and borders.
What does the African podcast space look like in 2025?
The region's total podcast audience is projected to exceed 200 million active listeners in 2025, with roughly 25,000 to 70,000 active shows.
Nigeria leads with around 80 million listeners, roughly 35% of its population, making it the continent’s creative epicenter. South Africa follows with 42.7 million listeners, about two-thirds of its connected audience, and is home to hits like Podcast and Chill with MacG. Kenya stands at roughly 23 million, driven by Nairobi’s storytelling and Swahili-language formats. Ghana rounds it off with 15–18 million listeners, powered by shows like Sincerely Accra and The Soundbites Podcast.
Together, these nations form the cultural backbone of Africa’s podcast economy, combining music, commentary, and identity in ways that feel familiar yet entirely new.
Henry Chikwem
The Rise of African Audio Storytelling
Beyond entertainment, podcasts are becoming platforms for influence and education. Shows like I Said What I Said (Nigeria) and Nipe Story (Kenya) use real-life narratives to explore issues of identity, gender, and community.
For artists, podcasts have also become brand extensions. Instead of waiting for radio interviews or PR coverage, they’re building their own spaces for conversation and authenticity. A rapper might unpack the politics of fame; a filmmaker might deconstruct African cinema.
Brands are noticing, too. As audiences grow, sponsorships, branded episodes, and native audio ads are emerging as new monetisation paths. Unlike radio, podcast listeners are niche and loyal, giving advertisers more focused, high-value audiences.
Louis Eriakha
What are the challenges of podcasting in Africa?
Despite the growth, infrastructure and monetisation remain hurdles. Advertising frameworks are still forming, payment systems are fragmented, and audience metrics differ across platforms. And while mobile penetration keeps rising, streaming a 40-minute episode can still be expensive in regions with high data costs. Many creators use YouTube or WhatsApp audio snippets to reach low-bandwidth audiences.
Still, the persistence is remarkable. Every small studio setup, every neighbourhood recording, and every local-language show adds another layer to a growing ecosystem that’s learning to sustain itself. But the next five years could redefine African podcasting entirely. As platforms localise features, add languages, and expand analytics, expect new networks where producers in Lagos, Nairobi, and Johannesburg co-create pan-African stories and live tapings.
Universities and NGOs are also starting to see podcasting as a tool for education and awareness. And with AI-powered translation tools, a Twi-language podcast could soon reach listeners in Swahili or English without losing cultural nuance and improving monetization opportunities.
With 60% of Africa’s population under 25, the creative energy is boundless, and podcasts, being mobile-first and low-barrier, fit perfectly into that future.
Conclusion
If radio was Africa’s heartbeat, podcasts are its echo—sharper, faster, and borderless. No central stations. No gatekeepers. No frequency limits. Listeners decide what, when, and how they engage. Storytellers control their narratives. The continent’s creativity, once localised by geography, now streams globally. From Lagos to Nairobi, Accra to Cape Town, the airwaves are digital. The dial has become a download. And the voice of a generation isn’t broadcast anymore; it’s streamed.
Kelechi Edeh
