Global streaming platform Spotify has demonstrated its commitment to bolstering the careers of African creators through on- and off-platform support programmes.

In line with this, the company has announced a first-of-its-kind podcast initiative on the continent, the Africa Podcast Fund, with the goal of supporting podcasters and further amplifying their stories.

The $100,000 fund aims to strengthen the careers of podcast creators through financial grants, workshops and networking opportunities.

The Africa Podcast Fund is offered to select creators from African countries with the biggest podcast listenerships, namely South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana.

The grant also includes a Cameroonian podcast with large listenership both in France and in Francophone African countries, such as Cote d’Ivoire. Given the wide range of selected countries, the winning podcasts are recorded in a range of languages including Pidgin, English, French, Sheng, Ga, and Twi.

The fund will be administered by Africa Podfest, a Kenyan-based company focused on inspiring and elevating African podcasters by building a sustainable and inclusive podcasting industry across Africa.

“Africa Podfest is excited about the development of podcasting in Africa particularly because the medium allows underrepresented African voices to tell the story of Africa,” says Melissa Mbugua, Co-Director, Africa Podfest.

Independent emerging podcasters with growing audiences were selected as recipients for the fund, with a focus on supporting podcasts that showcase a range of voices in terms of varying podcast formats, gender, language and content. I

It is through initiatives such as these that Spotify’s goal of further platforming African creators on a global scale can be realized - a goal central to shifting a historically restrictive view of storytelling out of and about the continent. The grant aims to support careers of up-and-coming podcasters across the continent.

The recipients are Ghana’s Joseph Nti and Kwame Asante of Sincerely Accra, Diane Audrey Ngako, host of Si Maman M'avait Dit from Cameroon, Kenya’s Joan, Kibz, Nyamita and Owen, hosts of Sandwich Podcast, Murugi Munyi and Lydia Mukami of The Messy Inbetween and Eli Mwenda and Oscar Koome who host Mantalk.ke.

The others are Kevin Mwachiro, host of Nipe story, Nigeria’s Feyikemi Abudu and Jola Ayeye of “I Said what I said”, Taymesan hosts Tea With Tay, Feyikemi Akin-Bankole and Simi Badiru hosts F&S Uncensored.

Also, South Africa’s Gugulethu Nyatsumba,, host of After School Is After School with Sis G.U, Vusumzi Ngxande of The Journey Kwantu and Mpoomy Ledwaba of Wisdom & Wellness with Mpoomy Ledwaba and Lesego Tlhabi of Convos & Cocktails with Lesego Tlhabi are beneficiaries