Hi, this is Paul Zellizer, and welcome to the Awarepreneurs podcast. On this show, we dive deep into wisdom from some of the world's leading social entrepreneurs. Our goal is to help you increase your positive impact, your profitability, and your quality of life. Before we get into today's topic, I have one request. If you could hit subscribe and do a review on your favorite podcast app, it helps more people learn how to have positive impact through a values based business. Thank you so much. Today, I am thrilled to introduce you to Tony Do or Tony Anwuchekwa, and our topic is the power of podcasting in Africa. Tony Do is an audio content strategist with years of experience on air in production and management for multiformat radio stations, most recently at 93.7 on Chicha at 93.7 f m on Nietzsche, where he led a team of on air talents as programs manager to top three status in the region, growing the audience share by 75% in just 3 months.

He currently curates, produces, and hosts the informative hybrid newsletter slash podcast into the Podversed, which explores challenges and opportunities for podcasters from an African perspective. Tony, welcome to the Awarepreneur show.

Thanks for having me, Paul. Hello.

You've been doing great work for a long time, and our audience is super excited to learn about podcasting in Africa with the opportunities, the challenges. But before we get into that, Tony, just give us a little bit of background. How did you get so excited about podcasting in Africa?

Let's see. Well, let let's take it back a bit. I do have a radio background, and as you noted an introduction. So even while I worked on radio, I was doing a lot of I didn't come up with a term. I know I saw it somewhere, time shifted audio, which, you know, basically mean means audio on demand. So I played around with, you know, such ideas. And, originally, what I was trying to do was create content for syndication, which I did. I have one of 2 friends I was producing for at the time.

It was a paid gig. And it then evolved into some and I thought, oh, you know, if I'm doing this for other people, I should be able to do this myself. So in the process of, putting out my own stuff, I began to see and listen to what other people were doing on the continent. And then one of the platforms that drew my attention to what was going on on the rest of the con on the rest of the continent was, Africa Audfest. And they came up with a day to celebrate African podcasts, which I believe is, February 12. And then we started out in 2021. I think I was invited on a virtual panel, and it opened my eyes, opened my ears to, the many wonderful things happening on the rest of the continent. And then I got involved with Afriapods, which is a podcast hosting and monetizing platform on the continent based in Kenya.

And I was basically the business representative for my country, Nigeria, on the platform, and we were working on this convergence of radio and podcasts. It was my job at the time to speak to Nigerian radio stations about the benefits of having their live shows repurposed as podcasts. And it just went on from there. I discovered a lot of things on AfriPods. I discovered other platforms that were also pushing the African narratives forward. There was Jamit. There's still Jamit, by the way. Jollof Radio and so many of them.

So there were also bodies of communities in Nigeria that I became a part of helping to bring these communities together or bring these individuals into communities. We have the Naija Pod Hub, a creative partner with the Association of Podcasters and Voice Over Artists. And many of them began to pop up. So the conversations were getting louder. The conversations were getting clearer. There were people from all over the continent who were like, you know, it's about time we stepped forward and told our stories our own way. And, we really may not need traditional media or mainstream media to tell these stories if we have these platforms we can use. And, of course, Anchor, which is now Spotify for podcasters, became the most popular, podcast hosting platforms for African content creators.

And it's just been an exciting space. New things are happening here. I'm still trying to figure out some things as well because when you think you've figured something out already, there's a new tool or there's a new direction pulling you as an observer or, you know, one who has his pole, his fingers on the poles in that direction. So I think I really, really got excited about African podcasting around 2020, 2021, and I haven't turned back since. Instead, I've been looking for different ways to evolve and have these conversations in my own podcasts on platforms like yours now as well as, you know, being a guest or guest panelist on other platforms as well. Great.

And listeners, you know, Tony's already dropping awesome references like Afropods and the Niger pod hubs. I will put those links in the show notes. Tony, give us give us a pitch. If you're pitching, let's say like, actually, 2 pitches. If you're talking to a more traditional media outlet, let's say, a radio station, why should they care about podcasting? And then part 2 of the question, why would a business or an organization care about podcasting when they're operating on the continent?

Okay. So we begin with the first one, which is pitch into the radio station. What I do, first of all, usually, is study what the radio station is about. Pretty particular about the kind of radio stations I would want to have these kind of conversations with. For instance, if your core if your core format is music, I probably wouldn't be having a conversation with you. So stations like say child stations or top 40 formats may not necessarily be my target. But in Nigeria, we have we have a lot of mixed formats. So I'm basically talking to everybody.

But I'll be aiming, especially radio stations who have core conversations with influence people in the spaces of entertainment, all kinds of social welfare. So I'll be looking for stations who have these conversations that need to move be beyond when they're aired. Now listening habits are evolving. In fact, media consumption is changing on the continent. It's a lot different now consuming content from the way I used to consume content when I was much younger. When I was much younger, I had a cassette recorder set to a particular dial, and I wake up at particular times in the morning to catch the breakfast show or late at night to catch the late night show. But my rhythm has changed. The structures have changed.

Boom Box is no longer available. So I have to think about where my audiences will be. So if I'm having a conversation with CEO or a marketer or the business manager of the station, I paint that picture. You have this fantastic show. Right? It airs at 7:15, Monday to Friday. You have some of the most impressive analysts coming on board to talk about the state of the economy. But here's the thing, your target audience is in swift mode, and sometimes they might get to miss that show. But you see the content of what you're talking about is something that they still need to listen to.

What are you going to do about it? So this is why I bring in the technology. I've prepared the broadcast to podcast technology and as well as broadcast traditionally. It means that this service will be a piece of cake for you. All you have to do is set up the account, which, of course, places your radio station as a network, fill in the required details, metadata, name of the station, what the station is about, description, and so on. And then create a podcast around this particular show. It doesn't have to be the name of the show itself. It could be like an extension of what the show is. And then there are features within the dashboard that allow you to record the show every time at that scheduled time.

So you don't have to do this manually per se, although you would have to edit afterwards. But there's a scheduler or there's a scheduled recorder that allows you pick the time to record when the recording stops and then you edit and then make it available as a podcast. And then your social media team, of course, takes over from here and make sure that everybody connected has access to this show again. Now it's not just for those who miss it. It's also for those who caught it but might want to catch something else that they might have missed the first time or want clear reiteration of what they might have missed. And that's an opportunity. Now that's for the show itself and that's for stretching your listening engagement. But what about monetization? Well, most of these shows that you run on your radio stations, there is a there's a there's a strict time limit and structure to how adverts are being run.

But there's an opportunity to actually increase your purse by having a different type of ad run within the on demand version. And so it's an opportunity to upscale or have a conversation with your advertisers and tell them that look there's an opportunity to even have these messages spread further. What I usually even do with the Nigerian stations is this, son. This is based on my own experience. There were many products and services that were not deemed adequate for advertising on Android radio stations. But these this didn't stop a lot of them from approaching us. So I always found a way to repurpose what they were doing and sort of hide some of the core messages that would frighten our regulatory bodies and then have them share just enough information to allow people go check them out somewhere else. But with a podcast, there's a bit more freedom around what they can talk about, how they can talk about their products and services.

And if they choose, they can then, you know, becomes an extension of their own brand but through an on demand version. So this is a picture I would paint for a radio station to consider. And it's not just one show, it's it could be 2, 3 shows depending on how many shows that the programs team could sit down on the side that, you know what? We could actually do much more with these shows in on demand version than we are currently doing as the traditional mainstream radio show. So that's a like a picture of it, I think.

Awesome. So, Tony, let me ask you. Given that our audience are social entrepreneur focused, you gave such a great explanation there of some of the techniques and strategies and how you pitch it. And you mentioned kinda 2 buckets, 1 on the entertainment side. In our audience, like, we're cool people. We like interesting things, but you also mentioned the social welfare, and that's where it really starts to sync up with the listeners of this show and their interests. So can you give us some examples of some of the recent social welfare conversations that you've seen podcasters or radio stations who are leaning into podcasting in Africa who are really talking about some of the important social welfare issues of the time and are using podcasting to get innovation you know, social innovations out there, help spread the word, help engage communities, etcetera, in that more social welfare bucket.

Okay. I I can't say I have them off the top of my head but there are radio stations that even structured to serve this purpose and they're usually talk stations. One of the stations are I would say would be Nigeria info. They do have their own their own database or their own platform, their own personal platform. They're not exactly using too many obvious podcast platforms. So they have theirs. Nigeria Info was a sister or is a sister station to the radio station I used to work with, which was, Wazoo Bia FM then. So what Nigeria Info does, of course, is a lot of these shows that deal with health issues, that deal with economic issues, social issues, they make them available on demand on the radio station's website itself.

So it gives listeners an opportunity to go again and check out what they might have missed. And there are people I know that because they don't live in the regions where they can access this radio station live, it benefits them that they can always go to the website and check out the shows at a time that's more convenient for them. It's still early days. People are still skeptical about how podcasting works and how it will benefit them. So part of what I'm trying to do especially with my platform is spend as as much time educating on the benefits of podcasting, looking beyond, of course, the monetary, aspects, which is what a lot of people concentrate on. So there's still a lot a lot of education that needs to take place in the space. And fortunately, I'm also having conversations with lecturer friends of mine who are working in the academic circles helping to even structure how these messages go out.

Beautiful. And then what about for the leaders in more social enterprises or organizations with the social innovation or climate type mission? Earlier today, I was getting ready. I was super excited doing my research. And for instance, I put a post on LinkedIn, and one of the people who is commenting on that post is an awesome social entrepreneur from Africa named Emmanuel Trinity. I interviewed Emmanuel a couple years back. The social it's actually now a group. It's called Era 92. But Emmanuel and his team, they're teaching young people in Africa design skills and other web based skills, and they're helping folks living in extreme poverty get some marketable skills and raise themselves and their families out of poverty through a really valuable skill.

Again, that's called Era 92 group, and Emmanuel was super excited. I know I'm using him as an example because he is very robust in using podcast guesting as a strategy. He's out there telling the story of the Area 90 2 group on podcasts like Awarepreneurs, other impact oriented podcasts all over the world, and that's one of the ways that he attracts clients and leads for the kinds of skills that he's teaching young people, and then they have work to give these young people. And it's awesome both for them, and their families, and the communities they live in. And Emmanuel was super excited about this interview saying, you know, this is awesome. Right? And I know he's really good at it. That's one example of my network. What are some examples you've seen of impact oriented organizations on the continent who either have their own podcast, or they're guesting that somehow they're leveraging podcasting as a tool to get the word out about their mission, whether that's around health or poverty or climate or whatever.

Who's doing that well on the continent?

To be honest, Paul, I don't have a list of these companies because here's the thing. For those who are doing exceptionally well, it is possible that they're not as amplified as those who are doing it for entertainment purposes. You've just spoken to me now about Emmanuel Trinity. I've never heard of him.

You do need to read. I'm gonna make an intro because you 2 would have so much to talk about.

I I really am excited that he's doing what he's doing because it is the sort of thing I'm also looking for. Where we are or from my perspective, let me not speak for the entire continent. It's a lot harder for me to find these platforms and these people. And again, I think that might also be part of my problem because I now have to realign my perceptions about what podcasting is to the consumers on the continent. I saw a post earlier today on LinkedIn from the CEO of the Africa Podcast Network. And before that, I'd listened to him on a panel where some members of the some members of platforms on the continent were talking about the African perspective. And the big talk was about video podcasting. To be honest with you, Paul, video has been a consistent thing for consumption of media on the continent, especially with people having Internet access.

So it wouldn't surprise me if video podcasting is a lot more appealing to the consumers on the continent than those who would want to consume audio. So but here's the thing. Everything that's been passed on as a video podcast might not necessarily be a podcast. So I'm very quick to be dismissive of something that is thrown into, thrown in my face as a video podcast if I'm not certain that that's what it is. But I've also realized that when these companies or organizations decide that they want to start using podcasting, the first platform they're thinking about is YouTube, and they're going all in with video. So I think I'm going to give myself an assignment based on this conversation to go check out what's going on in the video podcasting space. I put that in quotes so I can really find out what it is Africans are doing in this space. I'm doing my best not to be biased about how it's being presented because I do believe that whatever is happening in the African space, especially with these companies and with these bodies, they are doing it through video more than they are doing it through audio.

Sure.

So and and I would love to hear any results you have because I love to amplify people who are doing impact work, whether it's audio, video, or both. I I like to think of it actually listeners as a continuum, not a not an either or. You know, I'm mostly I'm almost a 100% an audio podcast. But for instance, some people will post on YouTube just to have like a screenshot, you know, just a static graphic, and they'll post the audio on YouTube so people can listen there if they want. Other people will have some video, but it's not great. Other people will have highly produced video podcasts with all sorts of transitions and, you know, very high production value and really focused on video. So I like to think of it as a as a continuum rather than a on off switch. But that said, what so give us the pitch, Tony.

So if they're you know, we're on the impact end of the spectrum, leaders all over the world, folks who are really dedicated to making the world a better place in their home communities and in their region. So if I'm an impact leader in Africa, and I haven't yet really thought well, I'm listening like, oh, this is interesting, but this is a relatively new idea. Even if you don't have a 1,000 examples, why should I, as an impact leader, I'm leading a social venture, I'm leading something that's about social welfare, again, sustainability or the environment or helping uplift women and girls out of poverty, whatever it is, why might I give podcasting video podcasting, audio podcasting? Why might I give it a deeper look? What's in it for my organization and my goals? If I was really to do it well, what could happen for the issues and the funding for the issues that I care about?

Oh, that's a tough one. Well, let me let me begin with something that happened a few years back. I worked on a project called the hepatitis radio show, and it was it was an idea from a young youth pastor who was very passionate about young men's health and the fact that we seemed to be ignoring the the consequences of failing to identify our hepatitis status. And when he came to me with the idea initially, what he wanted was something that could go on radio all days a week for about 20 weeks. And I wondered. I was like, okay. So if you were able to get these recorded shows on radio and you got them on air and you paid for the airtime and the airtime elapsed, then what happens? And that gave us an opportunity to actually sit down and have a conversation around it. So he already has a platform where he was pushing out, his, educative assets around hepatitis awareness.

So what he did was agree with me that having a podcast would also reiterate the concerns. So within the website, we created a page and dedicated it to the podcast itself. What we did was host the podcast at the time on SoundCloud, and I believe the podcast is still doing quite well. Every now and then, there's a need to refer to the content within it to address any related situations. So it's the sort of thing I'll it's the sort of conversation I'll have as well. One of the things that podcasting does is help amplify authority. So you're either doing it for passion or you're using it as a medium to speak on the things that you're most concerned about, and then you're letting people know that you have solutions to these issues. And through podcasting, you're teaching people what the problems are and exactly how you're going to go about solving it.

So you become a voice of authority. So while people can choose thesis and papers and features and posts, you can also use a podcast to amplify everything you're working towards within your control. So that's exactly what I would say. You know, I'd share that impression. I'll be like, look, you're already doing this, But with a podcast, your voice gets heard. And here's the beautiful thing about podcasting itself, especially if you who is passionate about these projects is speaking directly. There is a power in the voice. There's a power of the tone.

There's a power in nuance. When people are able to listen to you and for sure identify your authenticity, they are more likely to believe you and support your cause. And it's also the same thing with video as well. So if you have visual assets of the various concerns and issues and how you're solving them, then these are the things that get amplified in the video version of what it is you're doing. There are some projects I'm working on with someone now. The primary projects are in video form. But my concern is to get those video artifacts, especially the conversations with, particular people around the continent into an audio format. But those are the kind of things that would happen on the continent.

Those are the kind of conversations that I would like to have with people on the continent. There are many ways to have these conversations. But with having a podcast, you have control of other narrative. It is your own voice. It is the amplification of your own authority over these particular issues, and people tend to trust podcasters.

Absolutely, Tony. I couldn't agree more when you say people tend to trust podcasters. So let's do this. In a moment, I have some more questions for you, Tony, about what is the ecosystem look like now compared to the past, and what are some of the emerging trends, and where do you think it's going in terms of the power of podcasting in Africa? Before we do that, I just wanna take a quick break and hear a word from our sponsor. Are you passionate about making a difference but feeling stuck on how to take your mission driven business to the next level? You don't need a lengthy coaching program. You need targeted advice from someone who understands the unique challenges that social entrepreneurs face. With my strategy session package, we'll focus on your most pressing decisions, whether it's clarifying your value proposition, optimizing your marketing strategy, launching a new product or service, or adjusting your pricing to align with your mission. These sessions are perfect when you know the direction you wanna go, but you need someone with experience to help you get there.

If you're ready to unlock your potential and amplify your impact, book your strategy session now. The link is in the show notes. So welcome back, everybody. We're talking the power of podcasting in Africa with Tony Onwu Chekwa and also known as Tony Do. And, Tony, right before the break, you were starting to give the case of how podcasting gives you when you're hosting a podcast or a video podcast, it gives you more just gravitas. It gives you like, in many ways, you could be, like, somebody who's really well known in academia, or you could be, like, a business leader who did a, you know, very significant startup, or you wrote a book that got a lot of traction. Right? Those are some ways to you could be an entertainer who then starts to lean into a social mission. Right? Those are some ways that one could get the kind of just respect that one needs to really move the needle on your impact goals.

And for me, this podcast means I get pitched all around the world. I have a very robust LinkedIn following and other social media. It just gives me a presence that I don't have. I'm not, you know, from Harvard or Stanford or one of these Ivy League schools here in the US or equivalent in other places. I don't have a famous book. I don't have a PhD. So it gives me a way to get into the leadership role that I want not from my ego, but because I have some big impact goals. I wanna help, and it's just given me leverage.

So I just wanted to kind of just cosign what you said there that if you're looking for more leverage to move the needle on your impact goals and you're not from a very esteemed academic institution, you don't have some massive business story that really wows people, you're not a musician or famous sports, you know, personality. Having a podcast can really give you access to places that you wouldn't otherwise have, so I just wanna cosign that. So, Tony, give us a sense. Let's say, okay, this is making sense, and whether somebody's leaning into actual podcasting, or they're gonna do a guest strategy like Emmanuel Trinity, they're gonna start reaching out and telling their story on existing podcasts, that's another great strategy. I've seen people use that really successfully. If somebody wants to get started, they don't have a podcast now, or they've never guested before, but they're like, yeah, alright, what Tony's saying is making sense, and I wanna leverage the power of podcasting for my Africa based impact initiative or impact organization. How do you suggest somebody get started?

Well, it depends on what the person exactly wants to do. Do they want to start a podcast, or do they want to start as guests on a podcast?

What what would you suggest? Like, why would

effective strategy.

Why would somebody do personally?

Here's the thing. Because I'm not one well, I used to be I used to be of the opinion that, you know, anyone can start a podcast and all that. But the truth is you're going to require just as much commitment to producing, publishing, and promoting your podcast as you would doing what you do. So it's I'm actually gonna have to present these two things to you. Which one would work best for you? I would suggest, of course, that guesting works for you first so that you build a sort of momentum. You build a sort of confidence and comfort in front of the microphone or in front of the camera for a bit and then decide, okay. You know what? I think I'm comfortable enough to now create an entire series. But if you have a sustainable budget, then you can actually build a team or you can work with a net work that can help put everything in place.

The successful podcasters on the continent usually are attached to networks. So unlike the indie guys who I represent, those podcasters usually leave all the heavy lifting to the network itself and just make sure they show up when it's time to record or maybe during the preproduction phases. So if you have a commitment that is time consuming, starting your own podcast might not be the best solution at that point in time, but that doesn't mean you can't think about it along the way. I think being a guest first is a good way to start. Making your presence felt, making what you what you're about known, keeping tabs and keeping records of those guest appearances can also help

you when

you now decide that, okay. If I've been talking about this thing on these platforms or on this person's show or these people's shows for so long, then I think it's time I can create something off it. Some can even go the cheap way and just create a Spotify playlist of all the guest appearances they've made. I know I did that. So it's also something that can be considered, but it comes down to budget and time. And to be honest, there's no one size fits all in this situation. So if I don't know what particular advantages or disadvantages the person has, I can't just tell you this is exactly what's going to work for you. I'll be very dishonest if I did that.

Yeah. That makes a lot of sense, and that's very similar to things I tell clients all the time. It can be if you're not sure if you're, like, ready to plant your flag and you're gonna commit for at least 3 years to doing a podcast, hosting it, then it makes sense. If you're less certain, starting as a guest is just such a smoother on ramp. You get to have the experience, share your message. Like you said, you can create a playlist, but you're not doing the production. You don't have to worry about making the episode graphic and uploading it onto your podcast player, and all all the things. Right? Editing, and production, and creating the marketing copy.

You let somebody else do that while you're kind of building your muscles and working on your messaging and just the being an effective communicator via the podcasting or video podcasting modality. So I I I cosign that a 100%. So, Tony, you've been in this for a while. You've actually been in radio and audio for, you know, quite a long time. Really excited about podcasting for maybe 5 years now. Like, if you project out, if you look forward 3 years or 5 years, where do you think podcasting in Africa is going?

I know it's gonna get bigger. My hope is that as it gets bigger, we have access to data that we can actually work with. Because to be honest with you, one of the biggest drawbacks about podcasting's growth on the continent is adequate data. The last set of data that we thought was pretty awesome that we could work with, apart from the ones I tried to do, was the one that Africa Podcast did about 2 or 3 years ago, but, you know, it's, it's past due now, and we really need to know who is consuming what on the continent. How many are we? Are we gravitating towards video at the rates that we believe we are? Because there's a lot of guesswork going on in this space. There are lots of assumptions going on in this space. So one thing I would love to see even next year is proper data driven content that can help us properly analyze our growth. There are people coming into the podcasting space with high expectations, and then they get shocked at the amount of work that is required.

Some of the podcasts in Nigeria, for instance, that are touted as successful podcasts are produced by networks, which means that even the hosts and presenters of these shows may not even know what's going on in terms of publishing, promotions, and marketing. They show up. They get paid to show up. So that's about it for them. But for the independent podcaster who has to think about the name, think about the description, come up with the promotional artwork and the promotional copies, the reality becomes so heavy that we begin to portray even before we started. And that's also one of my concerns with video because, yes, we've been doing video long before podcasting now became something we could talk about. A lot of people were doing stuff and putting on YouTube. People have been experimenting with Instagram and TikTok and now are gravitating towards YouTube as well.

But it is a lot of work and people don't see that work in the 1 minute 30 second clips that they often watch or in the 5 minute video clip that they watch. They don't realize how much goes into it or the quality of equipment that's required. So we're looking at data. We're looking at education. I really will be so excited to see more more awareness about the advantages and the growth of podcasting in tertiary institutions all across the country, even all across Africa. We've been doing it. I've been a part of, the broadcast radio master class since 2017. And then podcasting has just been, one of the features of the things we teach, which I take over.

But I always see that there's so much more that can be done because for all the years I've been doing it, we've been stuck at our basic level. It's always showing people the basics, but we don't follow-up with what happens next. I've created it. I've published it. I started promoting it, but I'm struggling with growing it. What do I need to do? How do I need to pay that? What do I need to change? So these are the things I'm really looking at. But I see I see a lot of growth. There's a lot of potential.

I'm hoping that more communities would be will be deliberate about collaborative growth because that is really the the most effective way a podcasting can grow on the continent. We no. No man is an island here. So we're all going to have to look for ways to bring our various collaborative skills to a collective purpose or a set of collective purposes to grow podcasting. But, yes, improvement in data, more education, and more collaboration.

Love that, Tony. And one of the things that I'm really passionate about is very similar. I see you know, if you're connected to a big network and they have the budget and, like you said, you're one of those hosts who's blast, they just write you a check, you do the content, They have a whole team that does the production and the editing and the marketing. That's awesome. But that's not my reality and not most of the podcasters that I know in the impact space. We, in fact, created what we call the Impact Podcast Network, which is a small cohort of impact focused podcasters, and we, you know, share ideas and help, you know, vet guests together. Hey. I interviewed so and so, but I think they might also be a good for your show.

And we share AI tools that make podcast, you know, production easier. AI is coming into the podcast space, and there's some very, very helpful tools that have reduced my costs and my effectiveness, like, for things with marketing. Cast magic is one of them. It really is one of the best AI tools that I've ever found in the podcasting space and makes my marketing so much more easy. Anyway, we share all that kind of stuff. A long winded way to say, Tony, like, if somebody is a podcaster in Africa, and they're not connected to some massive network with a big budget, and they want some of the leaner, scrappier other podcast hosts, and they don't yet have connection with that type of community, where can a host like that plug in? What are some suggestions of communities or conferences or online forums? Like, how do we help podcaster who are already up and running in Africa, but they feel more isolated than would be ideal? Any suggestions for where somebody like that can plug in?

Oh, yeah. Definitely. First one would be the association of podcasters and voice over artists. Now the idea behind this was because we didn't want to create something to cater to just one section of the audio content industry that's building. We wanted a situation where every voice, be it in voice over work, spoken word, poetry, podcasting as well, could have a immunity where they could come and then exchange and collaborate. And then we went if we went a step further by starting the 1st podcast awards show on the continent. We just had the 3rd edition on the 28th and it was just as successful as the previous 2.

And what's that called?

The APVA Awards. The African Podcast and Voiceover Awards.

Awesome.

That's the APVA. So, we had that, it's on YouTube. You can check it out, and that's on the APVA channel. So the APVA is there. I joined it in 2021 first as representative for Nigeria, and then I moved on to become creative partner for podcasts. And it's it's we're huge. I don't even know how many we are now, but I just do that. We have a very vibrant community, very active on WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook, and more and more people are coming in.

At the awards, we had various watch parties across the continent. We had about 3 watch parties in Nigeria, 2 in South Africa, 1 in Kenya, we had in Malawi, we had in Uganda. It was just amazing. And I think last year, we only had about 3 watch parties. This year, we had well over 7. So it was really incredible to, you know, see how we had evolved. And I realized this as well. The podcast awards became an amplification stage for many of these podcasters.

I remember in the first edition when I was, sending out congratulatory messages to podcasters that were nominated, there were shocked responses. Apparently, some people have been creating and not even paying attention to the fact that people were really enjoying their stuff. So when I reached out to someone and I was like, oh, you know, congratulations. You've been nominated for this award. And they're like, come. Who nominated me? Like, well, you have fans. We actually put it out there, and people were actually picking the shows that they really liked. So that helped as well.

I noticed that those shows actually grew bigger after the first edition. Some came back as returning winners again in the 2nd edition. Some didn't in the 3rd edition. 1 even actually did a podcast episode titled The Loser's Awards speech, which was quite exciting because, of course, it picked interest again. Oh, why didn't you win this year? So it's an opportunity. It's also encouraging because I'm finding that people actually are coming into the space and want them to create content that will have such an impact that would enable them to be nominated by people who actually benefit from these shows they do. So that's what the APVA is, that's for the entire continent. If you're hosting or if you're looking for a home to host your podcast, if you decide today you want to start creating podcasts, I will recommend AfriPods.

With AfriPods, it's just the same as you'd use a Spotify for podcasters or what's what's buzzsprout or any of the others, but it's free. And then, of course, as you grow your content and reach particular milestones, the monetization process can work with where AfriPods is actually working on something really important, which is how to ensure that creators on the continent can actually get paid. It's one of the challenges we have on the continent. It's very difficult for payment processes from country to country even though we really shouldn't be. So that's an aspect they're trying to fix, and it's it's a fantastic platform. I mean, even as an individual, if you have multiple ideas, you can create your own network on the AfriPods platform and then host your variety of shows right under it. And while you're on that platform, you're going to also discover the incredible array of shows, different languages. There are over 50 languages on the AfriPods platform, 50 African languages.

So it's always exciting to even see what other Africans are saying in their own native tongues, telling their own stories, sharing their own stories, and it's a fantastic platform to be on. So APVA for community, AfriPods, if you're looking for a podcast hosting platform. Please join the podcast movement as well if you're active on Facebook. It's people from all over the world who it helps. Yeah. So those are those are really the key ones. And if you, you know, if you spend a lot of time receiving emails, it makes sense to subscribe to Pod News. What James Crittland is doing with Pod News is absolutely amazing.

Covering every aspect of the globe as much as he can and just making sure that all the stories right there, you know, available to you anywhere you are in the world. It's like you're, you know, you have your own private globe and then you're staring into everything that's happening all over the world. So it's amazing. I I really recommend, Podnews. And then, of course, Into the Podverse as well. If the podcast is not your thing yet, my newsletter should also suffice. We we find the stories that Podnews might not be able to find, so that works as well.

Awesome. So listeners, we're gonna have a lot of links in the show notes. Thanks to Tony's wisdom. Really appreciate it, Tony. So, Tony, give us a sense of your work. You've been telling us, like, in a big picture of what's happening in Africa, which has been awesome and all these great resources. But, like, if I'm a listener saying, okay, that all makes sense. But what does Tony do, and who does he help? What would you say to somebody who's asking that question?

Okay. So, because I have a radio background, one of the things I decided to do in 2021 was have conversations with colleagues, acquaintances, and also people I've been a fan of. That's another beautiful thing about podcasting, podcasting allows me to talk to anyone anywhere in the world. And it's, you know, it begins with a hello, a self introduction. This is what I do. This is why I would like to have a conversation with you, and I haven't had a no till date. So my Tony Dole podcast was is basically that. It's 20 episodes.

I'm thinking of bringing in some archived conversations I had before I launched that podcast itself and then adding it to, you know, sort of give it some gravitas or give it some weight. But it's such an amazing show that's is also available in the US on radio stations that have an arrangement with podcast radio. So I'm excited about that. I have about 10 episodes playing in different places in the US. And it was just me having conversations with friends again in the radio space. And I was basically asking questions that fans would ask their favorite video stars if they had the time or if they had the opportunity. Usually, it's the on air personalities or the presenters that are asking guest questions, but people are also wondering what exactly are you excited about? How did you get into this profession? What's keeping you in it? If you weren't doing it, what else would you be doing? And I had incredible responses. It was such an exciting run for me.

And so that's the Tornado podcast, conversations with people in the radio space. And it's a masterclass, really. So if you're thinking of going into radio broadcasting, listening to that show will definitely cause you to put down some notes about what happens in radio, not just in Africa, but also in the US and in the UK. Then, of course, into the perverse is me actually trying to pay more attention to our particular struggles because we have very unique challenges as African content creators. And to be honest, whatever is happening in South Africa might not be representative of what's happening in Nigeria. So I'm trying to, like, get all these different perspectives and then present them on a singular platform for, you know, people to actually check out as well. And it's also a mirror for anybody outside the continent who is curious to also pair in and be like, oh, so that's what's going on in there. So that's what I'm doing with the interdepart first, checking out the challenges that we're going through, looking at how we're using the tools that are that exist for podcasters outside the continent.

And then, of course, something interesting is happening now. There are people on the continent decide who have decided to start creating tools that African content creators can start using themselves here. So that's also exciting for me. And, of course, the challenges, I did mention that monetizing audio content in Africa is a herculean task. We have issues with PayPal, Payoneer, Stripe here who do not have means of allowing us get paid via those platforms. But it's something we're working on, and I'm hoping we can clear it out soon. So that's what Interdepot verse is, innovation challenges and opportunities for African audio creators. It's also a way for me to showcase via playlists some of the exceptional podcast episodes taking place or being released weekly on the continent or in the country as well.

And then, of course, there's the newsletter, which, of course, brings in stories from different parts of the world. But I also try to put what's happening at home in the forefront as much as possible.

Awesome, Tony. And, again, I'll put links to those shows in the show notes. So, Tony, I could hang out with you all day, and I know you're busy and our listeners are too. There'll be lots of links that people can follow-up, and we'll let them know how to find you. But before we do that, if there was something you were hoping that we could get to today and we haven't touched on it, or there's something you wanna leave our listeners with as we start to say goodbye, what would that be?

Keep listening. Keep listening. There are stories. There are so many stories, and I don't think we can exhaust them. So please ignore the voices that are telling you that, we have too many podcasts. We don't have enough. Keep listening. If the video versions are the ones you even enjoy, keep watching them as well.

And if you have a story to tell, don't be afraid to tell it. You have a platform now that or rather a medium now that allows you to tell your story the way you want that story to be told. And that's what podcasting does. If you have an authority, then you can use podcasting as well to let people know that this is what your specialty is. But most especially if you're curious, if you're really, really curious about fascinating things going on around you in your world, then please don't be afraid to get on a podcast as a guest or even start your own and then bring in guests and ask them those questions.

Beautiful, Tony. Tony, if somebody liked what they heard today and they wanna get a hold of you, what's the best way to do that?

I'm active on LinkedIn at, Tony Owen Chukwah or Tony Doer Media. I'm also active on Instagram, x, and threads at Tony Doer Media.

Awesome. So, again, we'll put links in the show notes. Tony, thank you so much for being on the show today.

I'm really grateful to be on the show, Paul. Thanks. Thanks for having me.

And what Tony was saying earlier about podcasting giving you a way to reach out, I reached out to Tony on LinkedIn because I saw awesome things being posted about podcasting in Africa. I was like, we need to hear about this in our community. So what Tony is saying, this is literally a live example of that. So check out the show notes. Tons of great resources this week. Go talk to Tony about your ideas about podcasting in Africa. And like always, we love listeners suggested topics and guests. If you have an idea for a show, go to the Awarepreneurs website and look at our contact page.

We have 3 simple criteria. We try to be super transparent about what we're looking for. They're right there on our contact page. If you feel like an idea for a show checks those boxes, please email your ideas in. We're somewhere about a third of all shows now come from you, our listeners. You say, hey. I know this person, or I'm working in a start up, or I'm working in an impact organization. I'd love to see that number go higher.

So please go check out our contact page, look at those criteria, and send your ideas on in. Lastly, I just wanna say thank you so much for listening. Please take really good care in these intense times, and thank you for all the positive impact that you're working for in our world.