SemaBOX launches incubator focussed on women podcasters

Podcasting as a medium has been steadily growing  in Africa over the last few years and is being driven by audiences seeking alternative voices and more diverse storytelling.

A recent CNN Africa feature covered the impact of podcasting on media and media professionals across the African continent. In Kenya, podcasting culture is rising at a steady pace with media professionals increasingly looking to start podcasts outside of their day jobs. 

Podcasting is providing a brilliant opportunity to diversify the content landscape and to democratize the storytelling especially of minority or marginalised people. 

The DADA Podcast Incubator by SemaBOX

It’s against this background that Nairobi-based SEMABOX on Monday launched the world’s first women’s only podcast incubation program. The Dada Podcast Incubator will run from April 26 2021 for the next 100 days to platform the voices of amazing Kenyan women whose ideas and perspective scan resonate globally. 

Dada Podcast Incubator participants will receive: 

1. Access to a $15,000 in production credits to produce, record and package their podcasts  
2. Technical support and high end production equipment 
3. Capacity building training in Branding and distribution, production 
4. Warm introduction to funders and collaborators whenever possible 
5. Distribution and marketing support 

Dada Podcast Objectives

• empower new ventures into podcasting as a content creation medium;
• capture and share the rich content 
• strengthen the exchange around issues that would otherwise not be accommodated by mainstream media; 
• encourage new podcasters to explore the impact of their work and learn from their peers;  
• build a community of podcasters by inspiring a culture of podcasting 

This exercise provides the opportunity for participants to familiarize themselves with this new media while ultimately contributing to the support of locally produced content. 

PROCESS 

To support learning from various practitioners, SemaBOX has invited trainers with the relevant experience and background to participate in the incubation programme. 

For this initial cohort, 8 hosts have been selected for the incubation. This first COHORT was selected by invitation but in the future applications will be open to the general public, with due consideration to applications from women, LGBTQ+ persons and women-identifying individuals. 

SemaBOX will explore access to the necessary resources during the Incubation Process, including introductions to relevant funders and collaborations (i.e. NGOs, think tanks, academic institutes) for the participating podcasters. 

SELECTION CRITERIA (SUMMARY) 

Participants are selected on the basis of unique storytelling ability, public interest storytelling, and ethical approach to issues with consideration given to women, LGBTQ+ persons and women-identifying individuals. Participants have to commit to investing the necessary time before, during and after the productions.

DADA PODCAST INCUBATOR CLASS OF 2021 

1. Women and  Governance – Mine is a Comment Podcast by Wanjiru Nguhi
2. Theatre and the Performance Industry – The African Theatre Podcast by Sitawa Namwalie 
3. Mental Health and Self Awareness –  BTS Podcast by Sly and Wesh 
4. Social Justice –  Kisima Podcast by Joy and Gloria
5. Politics – The Running Mates Podcast by Cathy Irungu 
6. Women in Media – Zeda Talks Podcast by Mwende Ngao
7. Literature and Books – 100 on Books podcast by Nyambura Mutanyi 
8. Changing the world – Fearless with Uduak The Podcast 

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