Podcasting on the rise

correspondent | Sunday December 12, 2021 06:00

While podcasting is really big in other countries, in Botswana it is slowly but gradually growing in visibility and attracted a wider range of participants

We are not part of the industry, we were cast out, nobody wanted us, we created our own lane,” MacG of one of South Africa’s leading podcast Podcast and Chill revealed recently after a backlash follwoing the interview he did with Jub Jub. Podcasting has over the years faced hurdles and a few podcasters like MacG stuck around and became part of a tiny platform that has now blossomed into an industrious platform. The pandemic year of 2020 exposed the risks and weaknesses in various sectors and has triggered the start of a whole new podcasting era. While podcasting is really big in other countries, in Botswana it is slowly but gradually growing in visibility and attracting a wider range of participants.

What started as a quiet online backwater is now increasingly growing in importance, drawing the attention of audiences and moneyed interests alike. The medium is heading into a future where it has firmly become part of the broader entertainment industrial complex.

Podcasts are not radio programmes.

The concept is simple and very similar and one of the main differences between it and a regular radio show is the fact that the podcast has no time to air and can be heard on demand and anywhere. Podcasts are not on a fixed radio station but can be found online and on visual and audio streaming platforms. The topics covered in podcasts are the most varied.

The current stage of technological development also allows anyone today to have an independent podcast because they just choose a quiet environment, record and upload. With significant growth, creators such as podcasters are increasingly excited about the endless possibilities. Some are already thinking about making a living from creating content for podcasts and some believe that this will be possible soon.