Podcasts have become one of Africa’s most beloved storytelling platforms. In 2024, Sub-Saharan Africa collectively played nearly 4 billion minutes of podcast content, showcasing a growing demand for this medium.
South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya were the top listeners this year, with South Africa alone contributing over 2 billion minutes. If you were to listen to podcasts nonstop on a single device today, it would take about 30 centuries to get through that amount of content.
“The numbers speak for themselves. Podcasting is here to stay. It allows creators to take control of their narratives, tell their stories on their terms, and bring their communities along for the ride,” says Ncebakazi Manzi, Spotify’s Sub-Saharan Africa Podcast Manager.
While podcasts offer a personal listening experience, trends emerge across Africa’s leading markets and beyond.
Mic Cheque Crew: Faith, Spirituality, and Motivation Through Audio
Motivational podcasts covering managing finances, relationships, personal growth, and health continue to resonate across South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya. Popular shows like The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett, Motivation Daily by Motiversity, and The Success Addicted Podcast are attracting listeners eager to learn from the experiences of successful individuals and improve their lives.
In Nigeria and South Africa, spirituality-themed podcasts are also a hit. In South Africa, Christian Motivation enjoyed one of the most shared episodes, while Apostle Joshua Selman remained a favourite in Nigeria. Nigeria, the continent’s second-largest podcast market, listened to 700 million minutes of content in 2024 and was responsible for half of the new shows published in Sub-Saharan Africa this year.
Despite spirituality’s dominance in Nigeria, shows like I Said What I Said and The HonestBunch Podcast show that conversational podcasts are also incredibly popular. Audiences in Kenya and South Africa share this affinity, favouring podcasts that blend humour, candid discussions, and personal storytelling.
3 Men Army: A Good Laugh with Friends
Humor-driven podcasts, such as ShxtsnGigs, which features best friends James and Fuhad, have garnered a wide following across six of Africa’s top 10 podcast-listening countries. Kenya’s The 97s Podcast, which showcases humorous and candid conversations between hosts Trevor, Frank, and Dante, recently reached the top spot for the first time.
In Kenya, seven out of the 10 most-shared episodes focused on relationships, with topics ranging from love and dating to sex. Julia Gaitho’s So This Is Love became a fan favourite, with three of her episodes ranking among the top five most-shared in the country. Her interviews, which explore the lessons learned from lost loves, have particularly resonated with listeners.
Other Kenyan podcasts, like Mic Cheque Podcast and The Sandwich Podcast, use humour to tackle serious topics, giving listeners a sense of connection and comfort. Women creators, including Murugi Munyi, Julia Gaitho, Sharon Machira, and Lydia K.M., elevate this comedic genre with shows like The Messy Inbetween and It’s Related, I Promise. This genre has helped drive the 400 million minutes streamed in Kenya in 2024.
Top Streamed Podcasts in Sub-Saharan Africa
South Africa:
- The Joe Rogan Experience
- The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett
- What Now? With Trevor Noah
- Motivation Daily by Motiversity
- Podcast and Chill with MacG
Nigeria:
- Apostle Femi Lazarus
- Motivation Daily by Motiversity
- Success Addicted Podcast
- Apostle Joshua Selman
- The HonestBunch Podcast
Kenya:
- The97sPodcast
- So This Is Love
- The Mkurugenzi Podcast
- Mic Cheque Podcast
- The Sandwich Podcast
Top Shared Podcast Episodes in South Africa
- Serial Killers – Killer Nurse Kristen Gilbert
- True Crime News: The Podcast – Pam Hupp charged with murder of Betsy Faria
- The Diary of a CEO – The Happiness Expert That Made 51 Million People Happier
- The Joe Rogan Experience – #2152 – Terrence Howard
- The Joe Rogan Experience – #2219 – Donald Trump
Top Shared Podcast Episodes in Kenya
- The Sandwich Podcast – MAISHA YA STUNNA Ft (LIL MAINA)
- So This Is Love – Melody and Kev ep1
- So This Is Love – Mathew & Scarlet – S4 | E1
- So This Is Love – Njoki & Njue – S4 | E2
- Heart II Heart With Mike and Shiko – EP 1 | Genesis – How it all began
Top Shared Podcast Episodes in Nigeria
- Apostle Femi Lazarus – Trauma
- Apostle Femi Lazarus – How To Deal With Pain That Is Not Going Away
- Success Addicted Podcast with the voice of Earl Nightingale, Napoleon Hill, Jim Rohn – How To Start Working On Your Goals and Visions, Even If You Don’t Like This
- Apostle Femi Lazarus – Trauma & Marriage
