It’s safe to say that in 2020 podcasts have officially solidified their place in the mainstream. At this point, there are almost as many podcasts as there are jokes about everyone having a podcast. Even Michelle Obama has her own podcast, and your uncle who makes his own toothpaste to avoid mind control through fluoride, unfortunately. After Joe Rogan landed an exclusive deal with Spotify; that is apparently worth $100 million, “Here’s the link to my podcast” became the new “Check out my Soundcloud”. Although, you may at times get the occasional cross over with a “Here’s the Soundcloud link to my podcast”. Be honest, chances are you’ve even thought about starting one? Hell, you and some friends might even have a few episodes floating about on the internet that you don’t talk about anymore?..or maybe not. Either way, while Joe Rogan might have people around the world thinking that podcasting is the new gold-rush—the realities of the South African podcast landscape, mean that only a handful of individuals are really making money through podcasting at the moment.
I’ve been hosting “The Almost Perfect Podcast” for nearly 2 years and I wouldn’t say that I am REALLY generating income from it. I am making some money thanks to Patreon and merchandising – and while it’s a greatly appreciated revenue stream – it’s not paying my rent just yet. With all this in mind, I reached out to some fellow podcasters to see how exactly they are navigating this still fledgeling industry in South Africa, and if they were making any bank. Simmi Areff, the host of “Lesser Known Somebodies” and founder of POC Podcasts, and Rutendo Nyamuda, the host of “In My 20s” and founder of Tinzwe Media were both gracious and open enough to share how they are making podcasting work for them in South Africa.
Read more here
Photo by Will Francis on Unsplash
