Spotify has revealed a first-of-its-kind podcast initiative on the continent, the Africa Podcast Fund, aimed at supporting podcasters and amplifying their voices .

The $100,000 fund will provide financial grants, workshops, and networking opportunities to these podcast creators in order to help them advance their careers.

This fund is open to creators from the African countries with the most podcast listeners, namely South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana. The grant also includes a Cameroonian podcast with a large following in France and Francophone African countries such as Côte d’Ivoire.

Due to the diverse range of selected countries, the winning podcasts are recorded in a variety of languages, including Pidgin, English, French, Sheng, Ga, and Twi.

Africa Podfest, a Kenyan-based company dedicated to inspiring and uplifting African podcasters by creating a viable and equitable podcasting industry across Africa, will oversee the fund.

The 13 recipients of the podcast fund are listed alphabetically by country:

• Si Maman M’avait Dit, which roughly translates to ‘If my mother had told me,’ hosted by Cameroonian, Diane Audrey Ngako.
• “Sincerely Accra” hosted by Joseph Nti and produced by Kwame Asante.