International Podcast Day dedicates 30th September to promoting the growing phenomenon of podcasts and the technologies surrounding it.
Around the world, people listen to their favorite podcasts to keep up with the latest news, technology, entertainment, or information.
With topics spanning from entertainment, gossip to education, politics (current affairs) to personal growth, we bring you some of the most intriguing and informative South African podcasts across various genres you should check out – and are, most interestingly, led by women.
F1: Track This
In Formula One anything can happen, and it usually does. As the new season officially kicks off, radio and TV personality and motorsport commentator Kriya Gangiah is here to ensure you stay up-to-date with the latest Formula One news, debates and trending topics and comprehensive analysis before and after each Grand Prix.
He’s not alone, and will be joined weekly by the much-loved racing experts Avon Middleton, Matthew Kanniah and Richard Nwamba.
Each episode is a high-octane adventure, delving deep into the adrenaline-fueled world of Formula 1 racing. “Formula 1 is more than just a sport; it’s a lifestyle, a culture, and a passion. ‘F1: Track This’ is here to celebrate that passion and connect fans with the incredible world of Formula 1,” Kriya Gangiah said of the podcast. “With ‘F1: Track This’, I wanted to create a place where people feel safe talking and interacting with Formula One. Getting into a sport can often be quite hard, especially when a sport which people feel passionate about. I want this podcast to be one that is easy for people to digest the information that they are taking in and not be too complicated or to intense to understand.”
All Formula 1 aficionados, from seasoned racing veterans to newcomers looking to dive into the fast-paced action of the sport can listen to new episodes of ‘on iono fm, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other popular streaming platforms.
Wisdom and Wellness With Mpoomy Ledwaba
“Life changing. Gives me perspective. Motivates me. Gets me asking questions. Answers some of the questions that I have. Sometimes talks to my inner child. Touching and healing. Gives me a good laugh.. and and and.”
Glowing reviews such as these are common when one scrolls the internet looking to hear what South Africans thinks of Mpoomy Ledwaba’s wellness podcasts. In her interviews with a variety of guests ranging from musicians, TV and radio personalities as well as ordinary South African doing extraordinary things, Ledwaba uses her relatability and easy charm to engage in deep connections with her guests and audience through powerful and relevant conversations.
Engaging in meaningful life lessons and guests unique journeys, she inspires listeners to be the best versions of themselves. The multi-award winning social media influencer, along with her husband, gospel artist Brenden Praise, also owns a YouTube podcast show where they mainly focus on family.
In 2022, the couple competed for the Podcast of the Year Award in the inagural DStv Content Creators Awards – for their series ‘Our Love Journey With Mpoomy & Brenden‘ – with other popular SA podcasts and were announced as the winners. Earlier this year she made it onto the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, proving once again that it’s not audiences who resonate deeply with her content but brands and pop culture observers alike.
What with her 2022 nod as one the 13 content creators with the biggest poscast listenership from South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana who made it as beneficiaries of R1,8 Million Africa Podcast Initiative Fund by Spotify.
The Carol Ofori Podcast
South African television and radio personality Carol Ofori has made a career for herself thanks to her dynamic interviewing skills and vibrant personality. “I started this podcast because I felt like I wanted to explore so many conversations that I can’t explore on my normal music radio format,” Carol shares about the idea behind this new podcast. “I feel like there are so many unanswered questions and so many questions that people google that I can answer on a platform like this.”
So, Ofori teamed up with East Coast Radio to create a podcast where she speaks to seasoned professionals who are handpicked especially for their experience and insight or ordinary people who have interesting stories or lived experiences to share. The podcast was met acclaim from local listeners and peers alike, it’s no wonder it bag a nomination in the Best Podcast category at the 2023 DStv Content Creator Awards.
Listen to new episodes of ‘The Carol Ofori Podcast’ every Thursday on the East Coast Radio website, iono fm, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere else podcasts are consumed.
Thumb Stopper Podcast
Content creation become a lucrative industry around the world – and the South African landscape is growing exponentially too. One branch of content creation that has exploded is podcasts, with Spotify reportedly recording over 500 million active users. Staying on trend, The DStv Content Creator Awards, in association with Samsung Galaxy, have just launched their new Thumb Stopper Podcast. Omar Morto, who has been involved with the awards since last year, hosts the show, and he digs deeper into the lives of some of the most interesting personalities locally and internationally, brands and agencies that create the content you can’t stop watching.
The podcast aims to give fans candid, intimate and behind-the-scenes access to some of their favourite content creators and influencers across South Africa. Conversations will include guests like Manuela Dias de Deus, founder and CEO of the awards; DStv Content Creator Awards winner, Lemii LoCo; rapper and TV presenter, Nomuzi ‘Moozlie’ Mabena; award nominee, Zethu Gqola; and talented creators Tadéus and Yuzriq Meyer.
Omar is excited to host the podcast. “I’ve been a content creator for three years now, and with my time in the eco-system. I’ve learned that every creator approaches what they do in very different ways because none of us are the same. I get to sit down with amazing people from all walks of life; those whom you know from your timelines, and most importantly, those who are beginning to pop up.”
The Thumb Stopper Podcast, presented by DStv Content Creator Awards, in association with Samsung Galaxy, is available to stream exclusively on Spotify Podcasts for now, with new episodes dropping on Thursdays.
Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp’s Baby Brunch
Need support as a parent? It takes a village to raise a child, and having empowering conversations where moms, dads, and parents-to-be can unpack certain topics around children has proven to be extremely helpful. For Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp, creating a safe and educational space for parents to ask questions and get advice from professionals was the core reason she created the popular Baby Brunch podcast. After welcoming her first daughter into the world in 2015, the beloved Jacaranda FM presenter discovered a need for support from other moms and experts on parenting, and eight years later, her podcast remains one of South Africa’s most popular parenting podcasts.
“Children are my passion and it’s wonderful to know that we are helping so many parents with the Baby Brunch podcast,” Elana says. “What started out as a community for new moms has grown into a network for parents of babies, toddlers and teens. Dads and dads, moms and moms, black and white, all are part of the Parent + Baby Brunch community!”
Catch new episodes of Elana Afrika’s Baby Brunch podcast every second Tuesday on Jacpod, Jacaranda FM’s podcast hub.
