With its launch on July 17, 2023, WAZO, meaning “Thought” in Kiswahili, will be available free of charge to all listeners through the Wazo ONE plan, marking a significant milestone for the region’s podcasting landscape.

The platform’s monetization capabilities will initially benefit Kenyan creators, with plans to extend support to Ugandan and South African podcasters in the third quarter of 2023.

A New Era for Kenyan Podcasters

WAZO pioneers the first-of-its-kind podcast distribution platform in Kenya, offering a fresh revenue stream for content creators while providing advertisers with access to an aggregated audience of over 39 million listeners across the SemaBOX creator network.

This transformative development presents advertisers with a streamlined solution to effectively reach the vibrant Kenyan podcast audience, filling the gap left by major Western platforms that have yet to offer monetization opportunities to Kenyan creators.

Dan Aceda, Founder and CEO of SemaBOX, expressed his enthusiasm about the launch, stating, “We are truly excited to bring WAZO online. Our goal has always been to empower podcasters to earn revenue, and we are confident that WAZO will be the tool that unlocks this potential. By introducing monetization from the start, we hope to inspire the rest of the podcast industry to follow suit. These talented creators are producing world-class content, and it’s high time they reap the rewards.”

Empowering Creators and Advertisers

In addition to offering a new revenue stream, WAZO will play a crucial role in aggregating data about Kenyan podcasts and podcasters.

This data-driven approach will equip podcasters with valuable insights to enhance their content and delivery, fostering their growth and success.

Simultaneously, advertisers will gain access to a wealth of information that empowers them to make more informed investment decisions, resulting in more effective campaigns and engagement with the target audience.

Grand Launch and Future Prospects

WAZO made its official debut at a creator event on July 17, 2023, capturing the excitement and aspirations of the African podcasting community.

The platform is now globally available through its web version, with iOS and Android apps set to follow shortly after.

The realization of this transformative platform has been made possible through the collaborative efforts of Baraza Media Lab and Africa No Filter, illustrating the industry’s commitment to nurturing African creativity and innovation.

With the launch of WAZO, the African podcasting landscape is poised for a revolution. Kenyan and African podcasters finally have the opportunity to monetize their craft and leverage their talent, while advertisers can tap into a vast audience of eager listeners through a comprehensive and efficient platform.

As WAZO continues to evolve and expand its reach, the future looks promising for African creators and the podcasting industry as a whole.

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Yesterday, I had an opportunity to have a conversation on South Africa’s Power 98.7 FM about a new product by Veezaviz, a technology firm based in Kenya which has produced an app that will help bridge the communication with the deaf community.

Listen in below:

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The first season of Mazao Talks will focus on agri-business development for the youth in 12 counties of Kenya where the project is implemented. The aim of the podcast is to connect listeners with MARKUP Kenya through stories of ordinary people with whom they can identify.

“We are extremely excited at this fresh opportunity to engage with Kenya’s young people and share research that we have built up at MARKUP Kenya. The future of this country relies on our ability to produce food at scale and this is only possible by getting our youth engaged in agri-business” said Mr. Maina Karuiru, The National Coordinator for the MARKUP Kenya Project. “

Mr Karuiru added “Kenya’s youth have a great appetite for technology and innovation and in agri-business this can enable them to make a lot of money and create millions of jobs. We hope that this podcast series can go a long way in showcasing this opportunity. “

The first season of Mazao Talks will consist of 12 episodes that will cover specific value chains in 12 counties. The content is built around the MARKUP Kenya studies and research results and also features contributions from industry stakeholders such as Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), The Horticulture and Crops Directorate, farmers and The Kenya Ministry of Agriculture.

“Podcasting is the future of media. It’s the best space to curate important conversations and to have them easily distributed online to the people who you want to participate,” said Dan Aceda the Founder and CEO of SemaBOX.

“We are excited to work with MARKUP Kenya on this project and look forward to engaging with the wider Kenyan public about opportunities in agri-business for the youth. We are also looking forward to finding even more innovative ways to create content that can be meaningful to people”

This Season of the Mazao Talks Podcast will be hosted by Jason Runo and Sheila Kari.

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The production which also airs on selected radio outlets across Africa employs varied techniques of creative storytelling including interviews with experts, policymakers, government officials and ordinary members of the public for their insights from different perspectives.

The series which began last year has just completed its first season and has covered topics like plastic waste management, legalization of cannabis cultivation for medical and industrial use in Africa, gender gaps in technology, role of indigenous languages in science, blockchain for farming and gender disparity in STEM courses among others.

Africa Science Focus is Produced by SciDev.Net, the world’s leading source of news, views and analysis about science and technology for global development.

I listen to this podcast on Spotify.

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She started the podcast in June 2020 and has so far produced 34 episodes. Her preferred style is interviews with prominent Ugandans about socio-political and economic developments in ‘The Pearl of Africa.’

Among notable names interviewed in her series are Dr Stella Nyanzi, Lisa Kanyomozi, Ruth Aine, Twasiima Bigirwa and Joel Muhumuza among others.

She covers topics such as politics, gender-based violence, gender rights, media, sex and a host of other societal issues.

The podcast also features various forms of art and literature reviews including but not limited to music. books and poetry.

The podcasts boast of a fine production mix of soothing narration, calm conversation embedded with relaxing background music.

I listen to this podcast on Spotify but it’s also available on Anchor FM (by Spotify).

Here is a recent episode:

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Wamathai (podcast named after himself) explores the Kenyan culture – from the arts to food, to music and travelling.

The podcasts take the interview format and in each episode, he talks to influential in the various sectors. Among the people who have appeared in the interviews include Wambui Kamiru (Artist/widow to Bob Collymore), Magunga Williams (Writer/Travel enthusiast), Paushinski, George Gachara (Heva Fund), Scarlet Nduta (Visual Artist), and Sally Kahiu (communications and Marketing at KAM ) among others.

Most of the episodes are recorded at Sema Box, a creative studio at Baraza Lab. The production is top notch and I am just in love with the natural flow of the conversations during the interviews. It sounds like guys catching up in a bar over a drink and they invite you into their conversation – the only difference is that you get to learn a lot bout their different journeys.

The episodes that really stuck with me were the interview with Wambui Kamiru and the one with Paushinski.

I listen to this podcast on Spotify, but it’s also available on Anchor (by Spotify), Apple Podcasts, Breaker and Google Podcasts among others.

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Her podcast tackles various elements of mental health at the workplace, school or even family level.

It’s not one of those overly produced podcasts with a lot of effects – it’s raw and real and if you have been listening to professional podcasts a lot it provides for quite a good break from that monotony.

I find being raw quite a good style especially when tackling a topic like this because it basically gets you inside her mind and you can follow through her thought process – and feel that heart to heart conversation coming from her.

I like the calmness in her voice – just someone out there sharing her experiences with her audience. In some episodes she has guests with whom they discuss complexities of some of the issues, but even with those there is a lot of rawness – there isn’t so much struggles with perfection. Guys just wanting to relate and express themselves around the issues.

One of the episodes that really got me is the one on emotional abuse in relationships. And the big question about why people stay in abusive relationships despite knowing very well what it does to their physical and mental health.

Another one I really love is “when you are a man.” About men trying to figure out what it means to be a man, especially for men who grew up without male father figures in their lives, or those who got bad examples of what being a man is from the men around them.

I listen to this podcast on Spotify, but it’s also available on YouTube as a vlog.

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While not all of us have had the opportunity to leave our birth countries to settle in new ones, the experience of being dropped into an unfamiliar territory is something we have all experienced at one point in our lives.

This podcast by Myra Anubi, a Kenyan journalist who recently moved to the United Kingdom, is inspired by her own lived experiences. The culture shock of a girl raised in Kenya trying to fit into the bustling life of London.

Making friends, finding schools for her two children, getting a job and just trying to remain sane – all of course in the middle of a pandemic.

In the now seven episodes of this podcasts, she talks to different people who have made similar moves to various parts of the world, sharing their experiences in their own words as she subtly tries to draw parallels with her lived experiences.

Stories from Kenya, Japan, India, Portugal, Brazil and of course the USA.

It’s the first time I am reviewing a podcast by a Kenyan and I can promise you the storytelling technique used in this one is quite engaging. Perhaps influenced by her previous experience working on Kenyan radio and her recent gig as a podcast producer for The Times UK.

Myra employs humour, wit and incredible sound production techniques that make each episode quite captivating.

My favorite episodes are ‘Naked in Japan’ and ‘The 44th Tribe, India.’

I listen to this podcast on Anchor (by Spotify), but you can also find it on Sound Cloud.

Have a podcast you like that you think we should feature? Leave us a comment.

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I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to improve or hone their communication skills. It will help you learn how to communicate clearly when put on the spot, how to easily convey complex information and how to manage your reputation (or that of a brand you represent).

In each episode, he sits down with experts from across the university to discuss public speaking anxiety, speaking off the cuff, the art of asking questions and crisis communication among others.

The examples given by the experts are very practical and easy to apply in day-to-day communication.

At the end of each episode, he asks the guests the same three questions:

1. If you are to capture the best communication advice as a five to seven-word presentation slide title, what would it be?
2. Who is a communicator that you admire and why?
3. What are the first three ingredients that go into a successful communication recipe?

My favorite episode is “Make ‘Em Laugh: How to use humor as a secret weapon in your communication. I think it’s a favorite because it’s something I struggle with. Mostly, the things I find funny are not that funny to others.

I also like, the science of influence, how to communicate power, how to get more of what you want, showing your smile behind a mask and how to quickly capture readers and keep them engaged.

I listen to this podcast on Spotify but you can also get it on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts from.

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