By TAIYE OLAYEMI

Spotify, an online streaming platform, says it has invested 100,000 dollars into the new Africa Podcast fund initiative to support careers of up-and-coming podcasters across the continent.

Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Spotify’s Managing Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Lagos.

Muhutu-Remy said that Spotify had demonstrated its commitment to bolstering the careers of African creators through on- and off-platform support programmes.

“This is the first-of-its-kind podcast initiative on the continent, the Africa Podcast Fund, this is with the goal of supporting podcasters and further amplifying their stories.

“The $100,000 fund aims to bolster the careers of these podcast creators through financial grants, workshops and networking opportunities,” she said.

Muhutu-Remy said that the Africa podcast fund was offered to selected creators from African countries with the biggest podcast listenerships, namely South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana.

According to her, the grant also includes a Cameroonian podcast with large listenership both in France and in Francophone African countries, such as Cote d’Ivoire.

She said given the wide range of selected countries, the winning podcasts were recorded in a range of languages including Pidgin, English, French, Sheng, Ga, and Twi.

She noted that the fund would be administered by Africa Podfest, a Kenyan-based company focused on inspiring and elevating African podcasters by building a sustainable and inclusive podcasting industry across Africa.

“Independent emerging podcasters with growing audiences were selected as recipients for the fund, with a focus on supporting podcasts that showcase a range of voices in terms of varying podcast formats, gender, language and content.

“It is through initiatives such as this that Spotify’s goal of further platforming African creators on a global scale can be realised.

“It is a goal central to shifting a historically restrictive view of storytelling out of and about the continent,” she said.

Melissa Mbugua, CO-Director, Africa Podfest said, “Africa Podfest is excited about the development of podcasting in Africa particularly because the medium allows underrepresented African voices to tell the story of Africa.

“In alphabetical order of country, the 13 recipient podcasts are: Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa,” she said. (NAN)