Rwandan podcasters have been called upon to prioritise building audiences, authentic storytelling and collaboration over immediate monetisation as the country’s podcasting industry continues to develop. The call was made during a discussion by professional podcasters held on Friday, August 28, at Braxo Hub in Remera. The talk brought together Fabrice Rutayisire of Ballerzone Podcast, Peace Mwiza of Mind Over Matter Podcast, Arafat Mugabo of The Voices Podcast with Arafat, and James Munyaneza of The Context Podcast. Titled “Podcasting, the New Media Frontier,” the talk was organised by Braxo Hub and Bait Al-Sudan. Braxo Hub is a coworking and technology centre, while Bait Al-Sudan is a collective of Sudanese creatives in Rwanda working in arts, media and culture. The speakers discussed challenges facing podcasters, including production costs, finding guests, monetisation, audience growth and adapting to changing media consumption habits. Munyaneza, who has worked in traditional media for more than two decades, said podcasting gives media institutions and young creators an opportunity to adapt to changing audience habits. He urged creators to identify the communities they want to serve instead of attempting to appeal to everyone. “Masses is no longer the thing,” Munyaneza said, encouraging creators to identify a niche and consistently provide value to it. He also urged African creators to tell stories based on their own experiences and realities, saying they have an opportunity to contribute more of their perspectives to the global digital information space. Monetisation was also identified as a major challenge, with the speakers cautioning creators against expecting immediate financial returns from podcasting. For Rutayisire, aspiring podcasters should not wait for perfect conditions before starting. He gave an example that he began podcasting without prior knowledge of the field or access to a dedicated studio. “You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to have everything to start,” he said, encouraging creators to use available tools, including smartphones. He said starting with a small audience should not discourage creators from pursuing their ideas. Mugabo advised aspiring podcasters not to abandon their existing sources of income too quickly. “Don’t think about quitting your job, but use your job to advance your podcast so that it becomes the future of your job,” he said. He said creators can spend money on equipment and production only to receive a small number of views after publishing, but encouraged them to remain focused on producing content. “I don’t care if my video got 20 views or 30 views,” he noted. Mwiza said her experience with Mind Over Matter Podcast showed the importance of identifying where an audience is concentrated. The podcast initially explored different audio distribution channels but later focused more heavily on YouTube after recognising stronger audience engagement there. She also emphasised collaboration, encouraging emerging creators to attend industry events, connect with other creators and seek opportunities to work together. “Do not walk the game alone,” she said.
