How to make a podcast in South Africa

From Johannesburg to London to Montreal—and now to the world. How did a chance meeting at The Podcast Show lead to South African podcasters using their shows for good?

In this episode, Paulo Dias talks to Jérémie Mani, co-founder of Podcasthon.org, about the third edition of the initiative—the first to feature South Africa and other English-speaking countries.

Find out more about Podcasthon and Jérémie below:

Jump to:

Jeremy's Background (00:01:24)

Journey into Podcasting (00:02:04)

Podcasthon Overview (00:03:44)

Charity Episode Mechanics (00:04:41)

Challenges Faced in Previous Editions (00:06:06)

Community Power in Podcasting (00:10:48)

Promoting Charities Through Podcasting (00:15:49)

Final Thoughts on Podcasting's Impact (00:20:48)

Future Plans for Podcasthon (00:22:46) Podcasthon homepage · Podcasthon on LinkedIn · Podcasthon on Insa · Jérémie's LinkedIn · The South African Podcasters Guild

Welcome to Season 2 of How to Make a Podcast in South Africa.

In this season we're talking to members of the South African Podcasters Guild about how THEY make a podcast in South Africa.

We uncover the stories and the host behind the podcasts, learn how they create their unique magic, and how they're growing their shows.

In episode 1 we're talking to Russel Wasserfall, who produces the award-winning show "A Table In the Corner". Russel covers the everything related to food in South Africa, interviewing top chefs, farmers, butchers, food critics, baristas, brewers, and more.

His show has grown from strength to strength, attracting a growing audience of industry professionals and devoted foodies. A Table in the Corner is a true success story in South African Podcasting, and Russel's has beaten a track through the wilderness that other podcasters could very well follow.

If you'd like to listen to A Table in the Corner, clicky the linky.

And if you'd like to hear more about Russel specifically, you'll find a special, autobiographical episode in which I took over his show and interviewed him for the benefit of his listeners. A Table in the Corner · The South African Podcasters Guild

In this episode we have a conversation with Gavin Kennedy from Solid Gold Podcasts and Audio Books. We wrap up the first South African Podcast Awards, talk about what makes a podcast awards-worthy, get Gavin's feedback on his judging experience, and more.

We also talk about the challenges and opportunities around expanding our categories, giving creators feedback on their shows, and the dangers of awards-chasing.

The conversation wraps up with thoughts on the future of podcast awards and how to better support podcasters in South Africa. I hope you like it.

00:00 Introduction and Host Banter

00:49 Solid Gold's Award Wins

02:27 Podcast Quality Essentials

04:03 Judging the Awards

07:13 Challenges in Podcast Hosting

14:44 Engagement and Innovation in Podcasts

17:43 Awards-Worthy Podcasts

19:21 Evaluating Podcast Hosting and Creativity

20:01 Challenges in Defining and Categorizing Podcasts

22:01 The Role and Impact of Awards

23:14 Feedback and Judging Criteria

24:41 Reflections on the Awards and Future Plans

26:37 Addressing Category Specifics and Challenges

29:10 Sustaining and Growing the Podcast Community

34:21 Concluding Thoughts and Future Engagement Full list of SAPA winners · The South African Podcasters Guild

TikTok, once solely the realm of dance videos and lip syncs, now offers so much more.

To explore how podcasters can leverage this platform, we were joined by Morne Ebersohn, a TikTok strategist who helps brands and creators navigate the medium.

Could he hold the key to blowing up your podcast through, well, probably lip syncs and dance videos?

Listen to find out

Time Stamps:

Understanding TikTok (00:01:11)

TikTok's Growth and Audience (00:02:35)

Content Consumption on TikTok vs. Other Platforms

Customizing Your TikTok Feed (00:03:49)

What Makes Good TikTok Content? (00:04:36)

Algorithm and Content Discovery (00:05:40)

TikTok as a Discovery Platform (00:06:18)

Using Hashtags Effectively (00:07:45)

Video Content and Podcast Promotion (00:08:19)

Balancing TikTok with Other Platforms (00:09:41)

Creating Engaging TikTok Content (00:10:35)

Live Streaming on TikTok (00:12:41)

Pre-Promotion Strategies (00:13:45)

Storytelling through TikTok (00:15:28)

Primary Medium Focus (00:16:12)

TikTok Functionalities: Duets and Stitches (00:17:03)

Practical Use of Duets and Stitches (00:19:04)

Using Stitching for Content Creation (00:19:52)

The Importance of TikTok Trends (00:20:42)

Pressure of Going Viral (00:22:13)

Defining Your Brand on TikTok (00:23:30)

Monetising TikTok Content (00:25:22)

Brand Integration in Content (00:30:27)

Promoting Podcasts on TikTok (00:30:45)

Consistency in Posting (00:33:05)

The Commitment to TikTok (00:35:20)

Get in touch with Morne on https://morneebersohn.com/

________________________________________________ The South African Podcasters Guild

How important is interview technique, and how can you improve it?

In this episode, I speak to expert interviewer Wayne Turner, who has decades of experience in radio and podcasting.

With over 8,000 interviews under his belt, Wayne shares invaluable insights on the importance of improving interview skills, the need for continuous education, and the significance of active listening.

He covers practical tips on pre-interview preparations, building rapport with guests, and handling common challenges during interviews.

Wayne also offers advice on scripting and improvisation to ensure engaging and high-quality content. The South African Podcasters Guild

In this episode we test a few popular mics that are popular with podcasters, from cellphones up to R10 000 mics and talk about what to look for in a mic, why the most common mics you can buy are the WRONG mics, and why you should just start with any mic you have, even if it's just in your phone.

LISTEN WITH HEADPHONES ON IF YOU CAN.

Huge thanks to Tuerk/Turnkey Music for sending us a couple of mics to test, and also giving South African Podcasters Guild members a discount on a few different packages.

This is part 1 of our new series "How to START a podcast in South Africa", brought to you by the South African Podcasters Guild.

If you're a South African Podcaster, join the Guild at www.sapg.co.za and/or register your podcast on the SA podlist to enter the South African Podcast Awards. Registration is free and once you're on the podlist, you'll be considered for the awards.

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

00:28 Importance of Good Sound Quality

00:59 We want to help you improve your sound

01:11 Mid-Range and High-End Equipment

02:09 Dynamic mics, cardioid patters, and test mics

05:46 Universal Audio SD1, Rode Podmic, Shure SM58

11:36 Buy dynamic, not condenser, Shure SM7dB

17:01 Cellphone mics

20:51 Hiring a studio for recordings

21:45 XLR vs USB

24:55 Laptop mics suck

26:07 Using Lav Mics and Other Options

29:56 Conclusion and Final Tips

30:45 Let's swap mics and compare Register your show on the Podlist to enter the South African Podcast Awards · Turnkey Music · The South African Podcasters Guild

"Experience the magic of VoiceMap’s GPS audio walks, cycles, drives and even boat rides. They’re like podcasts that move with you, to tell stories about what you’re seeing right now."

Iain Manley has been developing, growing, and working on VoiceMap for ten years now, and 2024 is turning out to be a big year for this South African startup. They're seeing big growth and selling lots of tours.

I bring VoiceMap to the attention of SAPG members because if you're someone who loves to travel, write engaging scripts, and produce immersive audio, VoiceMap could be your dream side hustle.

Listening notes: This was a very relaxed conversation and both Iain and I speak pretty slowly in this episode, so feel free to rev us up to 1.5x or even 2x if you're feeling saucy! VoiceMap · The South African Podcasters Guild

After an hour in conversation with Jayne, I can see why her clients (which include Graham Norton) trust her. Besides her long list of achievements, she has a wonderful sense of humour and an aura of calm competence that must be very appealing when starting new or complex project, and she's worked on projects of every size and type.

If you produce branded podcasts or want to, this is a deep dive for you.

We discuss about podcasting before it was podcasting, the fine balance of brand and authentic content, the differences and similarities between the UK and SA podcast industries, working with a celebrity like Graham Norton, and her passion podcast, The Friendship File.

I've included links to as many of Jayne's shows as I can find. Enjoy! The Graham Norton Book Club · The Friendship File · Jayne's company, Podcart · Change Your Tune · Insight Story, for Kapersky · The South African Podcasters Guild

In our first member profile, I chat to the father & son team behind Baird Media.

Hendrik has a background in theater and acting, and Ethan is a highly-experienced sound engineer.

They've been joining forces in the podcasting business since 2021, but this year they're working on a game-changing project for them and (I hope) the beginning of something big for South African podcasters.

Audio fiction is not easy, but it's beautiful. Big projects, engrossing work, complex problems, and an opportunity to touch people deeply.

In this episode we hear what makes the Bairds tick, and their plans for audio fiction in South Africa.

Enjoy. Baird Media · The South African Podcasters Guild

What are the questions every podcaster wants answered about monetising with ads?

Well, in part 2 of my conversation with Francois Retief, COO of iono.fm, we hit almost every one of them, including:

1. What's the average audience size of a South African podcast?

2. What's a good audience size for my podcast?

3. Okay how many listens do I need to make R10 000?

4. How many listeners do I need to monetise a show?

5. What is syndication and how does it work?

6. How can we use analytics to improve our podcasts?

7. Where should I advertise my podcast?

8. Does guest quality affect how much you can sell ads for?

9. Is it more effective to sell your own ads or go through a service like iono?

10. Are brands more interested in niche or large audiences?

And more!

Team:

Audio recording: Rebekah van Zyl

Videographer and editor: Jason Hans

Host and audio editor: Jon Warncke The South African Podcasters Guild