This is love, Mic Cheque, and Mkurugenzi’s podcasts are becoming the most popular in Kenya

With an incredible four billion minutes of audio listened in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024, podcasts have solidified their position as one of Africa’s preferred storytelling tools.

There is no denying the continent’s passion for podcasting, whether it be for shared fun or personal development.

In South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya, shows that emphasize personal development—whether it is relationship management, money management, or health—remain popular. Listeners looking for motivation and practical guidance continue to be drawn to podcasts like The Success Addicted Podcast, Motivation Daily by Motiversity, and The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett.

Podcasts with a spiritual theme are also quite popular in South Africa and Nigeria. While Apostle Joshua Selman, a favorite in Nigeria, continues to be a go-to source for spiritual instruction, Christian Motivation episodes are extensively shared in South Africa. It is evident that Nigerian listeners respect both faith and stimulating discussions, since the country has produced half of all new shows in Sub-Saharan Africa this year and contributed 700 million podcast minutes.

Nigerians and Kenyans are adopting conversation-driven podcasts like I Said What I Said and The HonestBunch Podcast in addition to spiritual content. These shows speak to audiences all around the continent because they show a need for candid conversations about relationships, culture, and life.

Kenya’s 400 million podcast minutes in 2024 will be largely driven by humor, which is the most popular genre there. Inspired by internationally popular conversational podcasts like ShxtsnGigs, which topped charts in six of the top ten African podcast markets, shows like The 97s Podcast have become extremely popular.

Ensemble podcasts that resemble talks with close friends are very popular among Kenyan listeners. Two popular podcasts that provide pleasant humor even when discussing difficult subjects are Mic Cheque and The Sandwich.

In Kenya, relationships are another important topic of conversation. With its frank interviews, Julia Gaitho’s So This Is Love has won over viewers’ hearts and dominated three of the top five most-shared episodes nationwide. Using anecdotes of tragedy and recovery, the program examines the highs and lows of love.

In Kenya’s podcasting sector, female creators such as Julia Gaitho, Lydia K.M., Sharon Machira, and Murugi Munyi have established themselves. Their programs, like It’s Related, I Promise and The Messy Inbetween, combine comedy and sincerity to provide viewers a novel perspective on subjects that are most important to them.

With almost two billion minutes contributed, South Africa topped the list of podcast markets, followed by Nigeria and Kenya. For comparison, it would take about 30 millennia to play podcasts continuously on a single device.

According to Ncebakazi Manzi, Podcast Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at Spotify, “podcasting is here to stay.” “It enables creators to take control of their stories, share them on their own terms, and meaningfully interact with their communities.”

In Africa, podcasting is a movement rather than only a fad. Podcasts are revolutionizing storytelling on the continent, offering everything from heart-pounding humor to inspirational insights. The African podcast revolution is only getting started, as creators are daringly constructing stories and viewers are engaging more than ever.

TOP STREAMED PODCASTS IN KENYA:

1. The97sPodcast

2. So This Is Love

3. The Mkurugenzi Podcast

4. Mic Cheque Podcast

5. The Sandwich Podcast