Afripods

Afripods is a podcast hosting and distribution platform with a strategic focus on the African continent. Founded in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2017 by Molly Jensen, the company aims to establish the most extensive library of African audio stories. Jensen, a Ghanaian-American, was motivated by a desire to see African history and stories recorded by Africans, moving away from a reliance on Western media narratives. She has over a decade of experience in management, sales, marketing, and technology. The company is also led by CEO Henrik Barck and Chief Content Officer & Head of Strategy Kevin Y. Brown.

The platform serves a tripartite market of podcast creators, listeners, and advertisers. For creators, Afripods provides free hosting, an online audio editor, and detailed analytics to track listenership across various metrics. It also facilitates the distribution of podcasts to major global platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Listeners have free, unlimited access to a wide array of podcasts, which can be streamed or downloaded for offline listening via the company's mobile app. The platform features content from over 30 African countries in more than 50 languages, including Kikuyu and Yoruba, making it easier to discover regional and vernacular content.

Afripods' business model is centered on monetization through advertising and sponsorships from global brands. A key component of its strategy is to enable African content creators to earn revenue directly for their work, a feature it pioneered by facilitating payments without the need for American or European bank accounts. In 2023, the company introduced a "Broadcast-to-Podcast" (B2P) technology, which allows traditional radio stations to convert their broadcasts into on-demand podcast content. This initiative has seen participation from over 110 radio stations in eight countries, significantly increasing their streaming numbers and expanding their audience reach.

Keywords: African podcasts, podcast hosting, audio streaming, podcast distribution, digital audio, content monetization, African storytellers, broadcast-to-podcast, pan-African content, audio-on-demand, podcast advertising, media platform, Nairobi startup, Molly Jensen, Henrik Barck, vernacular podcasts, digital storytelling, African media, audio content creators, podcast analytics