Podcasts have evolved over the past few years from being a platform largely associated with gossip and casual chatter into one of the world’s go-to media for information sharing and agenda-setting.
In 2024, United States of America president Donald Trump appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience during his campaign. Although his appearance on the podcast cannot be directly linked to his election victory, Trump admitted at his inauguration event at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C that through his son Barron Trump, he was able to leverage podcasts to capture a younger audience.
This highlights the growing power of podcasts globally. In Malawi, a similar trend has been observed since the early 2020s, with a rise in podcast platforms changing how people consume media and engage with issues affecting society.
Over time, podcasts have grown into a recognised form of media where individuals can raise pressing issues that impact communities. One of the most notable podcasts is Face2Face Podcast in Malawi which has made headlines in recent weeks as an agent of change in society.
However, this has not always been the case as in their early stages, many podcasts focused mainly on entertainment, offering audiences an escape from reality.
Fast forward Face 2 Face podcast was born and as Brian Mungomo Jnr, executive producer of Face2Face Podcast puts it, they identified a gap in the podcast space and aimed to launch a platform that addresses everyday problems.
“At the time, majority of the local podcasts and online media space platforms leaned heavily toward tabloid entertainment and music. While that has its place, we felt there was a gap for something more intentional based on conversations that reflect the real issues people are thinking about, but not always discussing openly. We were inspired by platforms like The Diary of a CEO podcast by Steven Bartlett, where dialogue is more reflective, more honest and more impactful,” he said.
And so the team went to work to establish themselves as the place where real societal issues can be discussed openly and without an element of playfulness.
Much of the podcast’s impact has been seen in recent weeks through the story of Brenda Diano, a business lady who faced challenges with the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) after her shop was closed by the tax collecting body. Following her appearance on the podcast, the Commissioner General of MRA Felix Kingstone Tambulasi met Diano for a roundtable discussion to discuss thr matter and hear her out.
“Brenda’s story found us before we found her. It came through as a lead and at first, it almost sounded too extreme to be true. But once we engaged her and understood her experience, it became clear that this was a story that needed to be heard. What stood out was that she had struggled to find a platform willing to carry her voice in a meaningful way. That’s where we felt Face2Face Podcast had a responsibility,” said Mungomo.
He further said that bringing her onto the platform created space for her voice to be heard and amplified.
“Bringing her on was about giving her the space to be heard, fully and authentically. In terms of impact, the episode helped amplify her voice to a wider audience and sparked important conversations. It shifted her from being unheard to being acknowledged and in the end moving the tax regulator into action that in itself is powerful,” he said.
Similarly, Podcast Malawi has also made significant strides. One of its highlights was hosting former president Lazarus Chakwera, which one of the hosts, Brandon Jones described as a major milestone.
“It was exciting and it also put a lot of pressure on the team because working with the State House is no child’s play, from coordination, security checks and everything in between just to make sure nothing goes wrong. All in all it was a very interesting challenge that we proudly say that we overcame and we did it the very best way to ever be done,” he said.
Brandon also dismissed misconceptions that the platform does not focus on current affairs, noting that they have a dedicated segment addressing such issues.
“It is quite funny how people choose to know us for one thing while overlooking the others. But looking at Podcast Malawi, we do tackle current affairs and we have a special segment that focuses on current affairs, governance, policy and everything in-between called the Emergency Meeting hosted by Henry Magombo,” he said.
Brandon further highlighted their collaboration with Tabitha Chawinga, whose story of resilience has inspired many young girls.
“The episode we did with Tabitha Chawinga was very impactful to the point that it was beamed to a classroom of young girls at one of the local schools to inspire them,” he said.
As podcasts continue to grow in Malawi, they are proving to be more than just entertainment platforms. They are becoming powerful tools for storytelling and accountability giving a voice to the unheard and influencing action where it matters most and it’s exciting to see how these platforms are overall affecting society in a positive way.
