About the workshop
Hosted by the Radio Workshop, the African Podcast Workshop is offered at no cost to selected participants from across Africa. We identified 30 talented storytellers, creatives, and journalists from a pool of over 300 applications. Our fellows represent ten different African countries, and reflect an incredible range of experiences and interests.
Over the course of ten modules, they will learn foundational podcasting skills, including pitching stories, reporting, interviewing, selecting tape, writing for the ear, and conversational tracking. Each module will be presented through a combination of live instructor-led sessions, reading and listening exercises, collaborative group edits, and practical assignments that participants can do in their own time. Through mentorship from experienced editors and producers, participants will learn how to tell well-crafted, nuanced audio stories. As a final result, they will have produced at least one story to add to their portfolios.
The workshop will also include a series of expert-led webinars that will explore topics like show development strategy, audience-building, branding, and monetization. Through online social events, our African Podcast Workshop fellows will also network with other fellows and podcasters around the world.
Our Fellows
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Annonciata is a journalist based in Rwanda specialized in environment and climate change reporting, energy and water sanitation, Deforestation and biodiversity reporting. With a solid background in media relations and radio, she is currently Chief Editor of www.rwandanews24.rw. Annonciata was nominated by Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) to participate in the Fifth Session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in February 2021. She is a human rights defender.
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Bakang is a Botswana-born, Pan-African feminist with an ardent passion for sustainable development. She believes that her role in Africa’s socio-economic development story lies within the nexus of entrepreneurship promotion, corporate sustainability strategy and impact investing. As a result, she is a strong advocate for active corporate citizenship through social investment into SMEs and under-resourced communities. Based in Johannesburg, Bakang works within Enterprise and Supplier Development as a Programme Manager. She is also a co-Founder of Minds For Tomorrow, a women-led organisation that seeks to mobilise Botswana’s youth to effect positive social change within their lives and their communities.
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Drew is a young, ambitious woman with a background in political science, language and history. Cultural critiques, social justice inquiries and the impacts of our institutions are topics which she aims to archive and integrate into her writing and reporting. She aspires to uplift diverse voices through multi-media journalism, so that she can help her community stay informed, inspired and empathetic.
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Firdose Moonda is a journalist, specialising in sports writing, a yoga teacher, and a doctoral candidate at the University of Cape Town, researching the politics of yoga and the role it has in promoting social justice. Her interests lie in understanding the development of cultures through their social history, amplifying indigenous sources of knowledge, understanding accessibility to wellness practices, given the power dynamics of race and class and developing ways to promote education around wellbeing among a diversity of population groups.
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Halimah is a broadcast journalist for TVC Communications; one of the biggest media outfits in Nigeria. She started her journey in the media over seven years ago and currently co-produces the station’s flagship breakfast show; Wake Up Nigeria which pulls in over a million views per episode.
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Jamaine Krige is a South African author and award-winning journalist. She kickstarted her journalism career in the Johannesburg radio newsroom of the SABC, where she first fell in love with radio. It was here where she realised there are few things as powerful as enabling someone to tell their own story, in their own voice. She believes in the healing power of stories – for those who tell them and also for those who hear them. She has an Honours degree in Journalism from Stellenbosch University and an Honours Degree in Psychology from UNISA. Jamaine is passionate about training and has a special interest in trauma and mental health.
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Katlego is a Johannesburg based human rights defender. He holds a bachelor of laws degree from the University of South Africa. He is currently a Grants Officer at the Other Foundation. During his student activism years, Katlego, then a student radio producer, founded two LGBTQI+ rights organizations, and went on to become the founding board Chairperson of Serenity Rehabilitation and Development Home, an organization that provides support services to those suffering from alcohol and drug related challenges. Katlego is a fellow of the Human Sciences Research Council & University of Central Los Angeles leadership in stigma reduction programme, YALI alumnus, and a qualified LILO Master Trainer through Positive Vibes Trust.
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Kei Emmanuel Duku is a print and broadcast journalist who specializes in reporting on sports, gender/GBV, health, and environmental issues. He is also an activist who fights for the rights of the minority.
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Khatondi Soita Wepukhulu is a feminist investigative journalist based in Kampala. She is currently the East Africa fellow for 50.50/openDemocracy for its Tracking The Backlash project tackling global backlash against LGBTQI and women’s rights. She has contributed to TTB’s reporting on the global abortion misinformation investigation into Crisis Pregnancy Centres, the effect of COVID-19 on maternal health services and on sex workers in Uganda and the Dark Money Investigation into US groups funding anti-rights work in Africa. Her work has been published by the Mail and Guardian, The East African in Kenya and The Daily Monitor in Uganda.
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Makgosi is a columnist for the City Press, and is a disabled sex worker and activist.
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Mamello is a researcher at Open Secrets and a PhD candidate in Political Studies at the University of Cape Town. She holds an MPhil in Justice and Transformation from UCT as well as an MSc in Security, Leadership and Society from King’s College London. Before joining Open Secrets, Mamello worked for the Institute for Justice Reconciliation and the International Centre for Transitional Justice where she contributed to research on transitional justice issues.
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Mandisa is a Johannesburg based writer and author of The Girl from the Hole and the AfriCan Authors’ Awards 2020 Fiction Novel category winner, Anathi A Lifeless Womb and Amahle The Love You Seek, the first two of three books in her Truth-seeker series. Mandisa writes fiction that tackles the generational secrets within families and hopes to help black families, especially women, confront their hurt, heal it and free themselves from a life half lived. She believes fiction rooted in reality is one of the best ways to interrogate one’s past. Mandisa is married and a mother of two boys, her healing journey is deeply rooted in creating a healthier foundation for her boys.
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Mmatshepo is a broadcast journalist turned writer, storyteller and entrepreneur driven by her love for people, health and holistic wellness. She has dedicated her career to educating and helping African women heal through access to information and sustainable holistic lifestyle changes. She is also the producer and host of the Grapefruit podcast.
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Marie-Simone is a Zimbabwean-Senegalese woman, passionate about the emancipation of women, utilising various avenues. As a reproductive health specialist, she has focused her work on information dissemination as a means to combat stigma surrounding reproductive health in African contexts. As the founder of Vasikana Vedu, an organisation seeking to address issues around period poverty, she has leveraged digital platforms to support the organisation but to also create a community in which candid conversations can be had about reproductive health. She is of the firm belief that in the absence of information, choice becomes obsolete and it is her mission to provide information that empowers the marginalised to make choices for themselves. As a lover of digital media, podcasting is her new adventure in utilising her voice as a means to shift narratives and transform lives.
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Melusi is a senior researcher for Corruption Watch, an opinionista, a media spokesperson as well as a part-time podcaster. As a person living with a disability, Melusi attended Prinshof School for the Blind in City of Tshwane (former Pretoria) and he matriculated with entrance to university. Melusi went on to study at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg reading toward a B-Ed (Bachelor of Education) with Honours, and a Masters of Arts by dissertation, which he successfully obtained as a top-achiever for the programme in 2014. Melusi has been awarded the Liberty Life Award for the Best Masters of Arts by Dissertation Student, as well as the Anette and Henry Dubovsky Award. Furthermore, he was accepted into The Golden Key Society, and served as deputy chairperson of the Disability Awareness Movement at the university in 2009 to 2010.
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Min’enhle is an applied anthropologist with research interests on the ethics of artificial intelligence on healthcare infrastructures in Africa. She holds a Masters in Social Anthropology and an Advanced Masters in Cultural and Development Studies from the University of Cape Town and KU Leuven respectively. As a startup entrepreneur in technology, she values co-creative methodologies which support holistic innovation. As part of her public engagement, she will curate a podcast widely accessible to the African community.
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Paballo is an award winning content marketer with experience in working in the advertising industry and corporate. She is also the author two books, Tumi Goes to the Park, which is a children’s book as well as The Book of ProVerb, a memoir about the life of local rapper, businessman, Idols SA presenter and co-producer, Tebogo Thekisho AKA ProVerb. In July 2020, she led the launch of the ‘Tech Talk with Vodacom’ podcast which focuses on explaining tech concepts as part of making tech more inclusive. She is one of the founding members of the IAB South Africa Digital Influencer Marketing Committee. In her spare time she loves to read and paint.
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Ngozi is a writer, editor and communications professional. As a freelance writer, she covers gender, human rights, culture, and feminism. Her articles have been featured on platforms such as Inter Press Service, Culture Trip, and Women’s Media Center. With close to four years of experience in communications for development, her work focuses on creating strategic communications and partnerships, using digital media tools and channels. Ngozi is a FRIDA Young Feminist Fund Media Fellow (2018), a FRIDA Advisor and a Moremi Africa Leadership Fellow. She is also the founder and editor of Poda-Poda Stories, a digital platform sharing Sierra Leonean literature.
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Onesisa works in the development sector for a funding organisation. Her work focuses on community development, social innovation and advocacy for policy reform. She has an honours degree in Development Studies from Wits and is completing a Masters in Public Policy at UCT.
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Onyango is a certified trauma therapist, strategic digital advocacy trainer, mental health advocate, podcaster, writer and poet. His work centers on African Masculinity and its role in ensuring gender equity, especially championing for African men’s involvement in sexual and reproductive health and rights.
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Siphokazi is passionate about Information Studies. She furthered her studies at the Durban University of Technology and obtained a National Diploma and a Bachelor of Technology Degree in Library and Information Studies. Her years of experience include having worked at the Parliamentary Information Center in Cape Town and at the Msunduzi Municipal Library. She currently occupies the position of an American Corner Coordinator for Pietermaritzburg. Her years of experience have allowed her to gain various skills such as the understanding of library operations as well as good communication skills. Siphokazi is fluent in both isiZulu and English, she looks forward to acquiring more knowledge and fine tuning her skill set as far as Information Studies are concerned.
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Based in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Ras is a storyteller working with TransSmart on the Purple Royale Podcast. He is an LGBTQI activist, and human rights advocate and defender. He is a paramedic by profession and a psychology student. His passion is seeing people happy. He is a volleyball player. His everyday motto is, “Let’s spread love. Let’s preach love. Let’s give love. If you can’t do that, try at least not to hurt anyone.”
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In her work as an actor and a writer, Refilwe feeds off the premise that people need to see themselves in the content they are consuming. She is currently working as a lead actor on the TV show Generations the Legacy. She is also the Commissioning Editor of Rise Magazine issues 21-26. What is real is what people feel. What makes an experience authentic is how your body reacts to it. Refilwe creates from a deep sense of feeling the need to be seen and to see. She carries that forth with how she raises her children and weaves the magic of history and the future into one reality.
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Reuben is a project manager at the American Corner Pretoria, where he facilitates virtual and in-person programs under the American Spaces banner. He also serves as a librarian overseeing and managing print and digital resources at the space. He has been the manager for 6 years. He holds a BA in Information Sciences and Behavioral Psychology from UNISA (University of South Africa).
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Tian is simultaneously a Beijinger, Hong Konger, and Capetonian, as well as an independent researcher and entrepreneur who engages in cultural exchanges between Africa and China. He recently completed his PhD thesis in Anthropology at the University of Cape Town. He also runs an award-winning intercultural guesthouse in Cape Town, and established an Africa-China intercultural empowerment programme titled Wubuntu. He is a curious and creative individual and commits to narrating his explorations and sharing his reflections with the global audience on various platforms to bring the world closer.
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Siwaphiwe is a storyteller through words, visuals, and sound. She wants to share the healing of the body, mind & soul through movement. On a personal level, she values spirituality, authenticity, and creativity.
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Tasneem has just completed a masters in Sustainable Development at Stellenbosch University and is now doing some communications and research work at the SU’s Centre for Sustainability Transitions. She has always been interested in science communication and bringing research and knowledge closer to the public. She feels that the incredible knowledge we learn in universities should be opened up to the non-academic world, so that we can all engage with it. We need collective action to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges, like poverty and climate change, and Tasneem thinks storytelling is an important piece to the puzzle.
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Tee Cry has a diploma in music technology, and an NQF5 qualification in Film and Television Production and Operations. He is currently working at American Corner Cape Town as a MakerSpace Producer. His role is to shoot and edit videos for patrons who use their facilities. He also records, mixes and masters their music, and assists the U.S. Consulate Cape Town with their videos. During his spare time he also work as a freelance film maker.
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Vuyolwethu is a medical research scientist, who has published her research findings in international journals. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biosciences, her B.Sc. (Med) honors degree and her PhD in Medical Biochemistry at the University of Cape Town. Her PhD and postdoctoral research projects have been on cancer and HIV.
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Zanele loves a good story. She’s a South African journalist who has written about everything from food to fashion to gender and land issues. Podcasts and podcasting are her latest passion. Zanele is the host and producer of the podcast Golden City, a collection of the best stories she’s ever heard about Johannesburg.
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Zen holds a BA International Studies degree from Stellenbosch University. She also holds a PGDip in Sustainable Development from Stellenbosch University’s School of Public Leadership. As a postgraduate researcher at the Centre for Complex Systems in Transition (CST) she engaged in research around State Capture and governance issues. She is currently working as a researcher at Open Secrets and completing her MPhil.
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Eden is a queer Ethiopian based in Ethiopia. She is a co- founder of Queer Ethiopia and Editor of Ethio Queer podcast, a monthly podcast produced by Queer Ethiopia.
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Maryam is a Zanzibarian youth activist, photographer, SRHR Champion, and Young Reporter supervisor under the Zanzibar Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (ZAPHA+). She has a passion for telling stories, and believes that through the opportunity provided to her by the African Podcast Workshop, she can use podcasting as a way to share knowledge with her community. She believes that podcasts are not only a medium for entertainment, but also a platform where people can express themselves.
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