Radio Workshop

As we head into the holiday season, we’re re-releasing some of our favorite episodes you might have missed—this one is from 2023.

The story takes us to Lagos, where we meet audio producer Mo Isu. Mo suffers from severe anxiety—so severe that he knows it's time to get professional help. But will his stern, old-school father approve? Mo decides to face his fears and have a tough conversation. 

Since this episode was released, Mo has received an official diagnosis for generalised anxiety disorder. He says the episode became a point of connection, bringing his dad into his life in a new way. And when Mo shared his diagnosis, his dad had a surprising response: it all sounded relatable.

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Last Friday, South African women shut down the country a day before the G20 Summit - an initiative led by Women for Change. Across the country, thousands gathered at midday to bring the country to a standstill and honour those who have lost their lives to gender-based violence and femicide. With 16 Days of Activism approaching, it’s crucial that we keep this momentum going. 

Today, we’re re-releasing an episode born from 16 Days of Activism in Ethiopia, where — like South Africa — women face alarming levels of harassment and violence. Lella Miskir walks through the streets of Addis Ababa, armed with a small, red whistle. Her online campaign, #MyWhistleMyVoice, encourages women to blow their whistle every time a man catcalls them, acts inappropriately towards them, or assaults them. The shrill of her whistle is a reminder that across the continent, our struggles are shared.        

Last year, Lella faced death threats for her campaign, forcing her to flee to a remote island. Now, Lella has emerged from a transformative year, declaring herself "the monster that keeps respawning after they thought they killed it." In a powerful new act of resistance, she is hosting a workshop at a feminist festival and committing to a unique act of solidarity: screaming once a day for all 16 days, recording her cry for women worldwide. 

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For the past year, Siphesihle Magagula has been going door-to-door selling solar power. He convinced nearly all of his neighbours to buy a basic solar kit, bringing lights to about 400 homes for the first time. His neighborhood, Nomzamo, never had electricity before — despite being close to South Africa's biggest coal mines and power stations.  But some of his clients are disappointed. Their solar kits don’t have enough power to run fridges or TVs. Nomzamo is just one example of South Africa's attempt at a transition away from coal but will it bring justice to the 1.6 million homes that aren't connected to the power grid?

Show Notes

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This episode is part of "Power to Change," a series of stories examining South Africa's transition from coal to renewable energy through the lives of young people living in coal communities. Listen to This Coal Life, an earlier episode in the series.

We partnered with Context News, launched by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, which published a companion piece, written by Kim Harrisberg.

You can visit Peco Power’s website to read more about their solar power devices and their champion network.

If you want to hear more of our award-winning climate storytelling, listen to Zambia’s Sacrifice Zone.

Acknowledgements:

This story was reported by Siya Mokoena and Dhashen Moodley. Production assistance from Mo Isu and Malvin Shabangu. Thanks to Khuthala Environmental Care Group, GreenCape, Peco Power, VOC FM in Ermelo, and the residents of Nomzamo for their support. This episode was edited by Lesedi Mogoatlhe, with help from Kerry Donahue. Original music by Qhamani Sambu at Edible Audio in Cape Town. Sound engineering by Jo Jackson and Mike Rahfaldt. Jo Jackson is our Managing Producer. Clémence Petit Perrot is our Impact Producer with support from impact strategist  Andy Jones. Mike Rahfaldt is our Executive Producer. Vuyo Lutseke is our Executive Director.

This episode and the work of Radio Workshop would not be possible without support from the Doc Society, the UMI Fund, the African Climate Foundation, and the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust. Special thanks to Rob Byers, and also thanks to Hindenburg for supporting our projects across Africa with audio editing software.

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We can only do this work because of your support. You can make a donation at radioworkshop.org.

33-year-old Goodnews is a food delivery rider by day and an aspiring writer by night. He works 12 hours a day weaving through Lagos traffic to deliver as many orders as he can to customers. Although he is an engineering graduate, Goodnews is part of the 85% of working Nigerians unable to find formal employment. By joining the country’s growing gig economy,  Goodnews now earns three times more than he has at any other job, but he says the work isn’t all roses… 

 
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Show notes 

Sources: 

• Rest of World - Running a food delivery service in Nigeria is hard
• BusinessDay Ng - Half of Nigerians earn less than 50,000 naira a month
• Business and Human Rights Resource Centre  
• NPR - Lagos, Nigeria’s Megacity
• Fairwork Nigeria Ratings

Acknowledgements:

Luminate.

Thanks to Ngozi Chukwu of Tech Cabal and Bukola Adebayo of Context News for the reporting help.

Special thanks to Rob Byers, and to Hindenburg for supporting our projects across Africa with audio editing software.

Support the show

We can only do this work because of your support. You can make a donation at radioworkshop.org.

When 26-year-old Shacky called his friend at midnight from a Johannesburg park, he was ready to end it all. For years, both young men had carried their struggles in silence—unemployment, family pressure, and the weight of being told to “man up” no matter what. But that night changed their friendship forever. In this deeply personal story, 23-year-old reporter Kabir Jugram explores what happens when South Africa’s sky-high youth unemployment meets the toxic expectation that men must suffer alone. 
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Support the show

We can only do this work because of your support. You can make a donation at radioworkshop.org.

Forget the Africa you think you know. This is Radio Workshop.

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We can only do this work because of your support. You can make a donation at radioworkshop.org.

At just 21, Linda Mudzenda carried the hopes of Zimbabwe—and much of Africa—onto the Britain's Got Talent stage. Her show-stopping vocal performance earned her the Golden Buzzer, but it also represented something bigger: African talent claiming its place on the global stage. We sat down with Linda to hear her story and what this breakthrough means for her future.

Show Notes:

Sign up for Radio Workshop’s newsletter on Substack, and connect with us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Support the work of Radio Workshop by donating today.

Acknowledgements:

Luminate, the Constitutionalism Fund, the Shin Creek Trust, the Anne Levy Charitable Trust, the SCP Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Pam and Bill Michaelcheck. 

Special thanks to Rob Byers, and to Hindenburg for supporting our projects across Africa with audio editing software.

Support the show

We can only do this work because of your support. You can make a donation at radioworkshop.org.

The clock is ticking for 17-year-old Nonhlanhla Mashabana. For months, she’s buried herself in her textbooks. Now, instead of enjoying her matric dance like any teenager should, she can't shake her anxiety about the make-or-break final exams. They're just weeks away. In South Africa, the odds are against her: just 12 out of every 100 students who start Grade 1 will ever reach university. As Nonhlanhla prepares for her greatest challenge yet, the question is: Can she overcome a broken education system, or will it bring her down with it?  

Show Notes 

This is episode two of a series from Radio Workshop that explores the transition to higher education in South Africa. Listen to Episode One, Finding the Right Words.

Support the work of Radio Workshop by donating today.

Sign up for Radio Workshop’s newsletter on Substack, and connect with us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Sources: 

• Youth Capital Education Brief
• Public Servants Association of South Africa - Fixing Higher Education in South Africa
• Business Tech - University Fees
• Stats SA - Income and Expenditure Survey
• News24 - Campus crisis: 337 158 matrics qualify for university admission but there are only 202 000 places

Acknowledgements:

Luminate, the Constitutionalism Fund, the Shin Creek Trust, the Anne Levy Charitable Trust, the SCP Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Pam and Bill Michaelcheck. 

Special thanks to Rob Byers, Clotilde Angelucci at Youth Capital, and to Hindenburg for supporting our projects across Africa with audio editing software.

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We can only do this work because of your support. You can make a donation at radioworkshop.org.

In honor of Youth Day and the enduring resilience of South African students since the 1976 student protests, we're re-releasing Finding The Right Words.

Meet Nonhlanhla Mashabana, a spelling bee champion and high-achieving high school student who has the odds stacked against her. Growing up poor in post-Apartheid South Africa, she carries the weight of her family's hopes for a better life. As she walks down a road that has caused so many to stumble, how will Nonhlanhla navigate a broken education system?

Find out what happens next in episode two, Adulthood is Knocking, dropping soon.

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Ruby is a 30-year-old mother of three, and she’s ready to do whatever it takes to give her kids a better life. Even if it means leaving her family in Zimbabwe to become a live-in care worker in the UK. Now, halfway across the world from everyone she loves, Ruby works around the clock to make enough money to bring her family together again. But can Ruby sustain the punishing routine long enough to pull it off?

Acknowledgements:

Veryus Studio in Harare, Hindenburg, The Ann Levy Trust, The Shin Creek Trust, Luminate and The Ford Foundation.

Support the show

We can only do this work because of your support. You can make a donation at radioworkshop.org.