According to POC Podcasts, of late, podcasts have significantly gained traction over traditional forms of media. The company says that, for many who are homebound and physically distancing themselves from the outside world, podcasts have been a new way to connect with one another.

"Within our busy lives, podcasts have become an easier way to consume information; bite-sized chunks of news and entertainment available at our fingertips," says the team at the company.

POC Podcasts have announced that new episodes of the podcasts will premiere starting from Monday, 30 of March.

Founder of POC, comedian and writer Simmi Areff says, "I have pioneered a space in the podcasting landscape in South Africa by independently creating high-quality digital audio for target audiences."

"Podcasts are an exciting new media with many growth opportunities and offer a democratisation of voices where traditional media companies are yet to compete," adds Areff.

Africa's eighth-best podcast Lesser Known Somebodies, which is third on the iTunes charts in South Africa, is hosted by Simmi Areff. The series presents a series of conversations with unearthed South African talents and household names, and it aims to uncover the lesser-known stories about them.

The podcast originally launched in 2017 and the latest statistics show that it is close to achieving 100 000 streams. The podcast was sold to Primedia for a year, and included its previous catalogue and new monthly episodes.

Baked The Podcast is a lifestyle based podcast by South African award-winning influencer, entrepreneur and mother Aisha Baker. The podcast was launched in January 2020 and has created a significant amount of traction. Aisha sits down with women working out issues facing millennials.

Hosted by Kgabo Legora, Son of A Son is a podcast by a father to other fathers about being better men and raising their children to be great humans. Simmi created and curated this content and also sold it to Primedia for their '16 Days of Activism for Women and Children' campaign.

Pod Off The Press, with Ferial Haffajee, aims to take news stories and break them down by providing deeper analytical insight and meaningful interviews. Ferial is Daily Maverick's associate editor. In her long and storied career, she has been editor-in-chief of both City Press and Mail & Guardian.

POC Podcasts has indicated that it will continue to expand and add to its library with more unique and engaging content, including experimenting in the non-English podcast market as it is an untapped resource of digital audio.

POC Podcasts is powered by Blu Blood. "Our business is about connecting people and this format and way of communication is exciting; we're optimistic about how this will build online communities and get information into the world," concludes Blu Blood MD Osman Osman.

The podcasts are available to for the public to listen to on mainstream podcast platforms. These include Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Listeners can additionally click here to listen.

Podcast schedule: 
  • Mondays: Lesser Known Somebodies
  • Wednesdays: Baked The Podcast
  • Fridays: Son Of A Son
  • Sundays: Pod Off The Pres
For sponsors and advertising inquiries, individuals are encouraged to contact [email protected].

For more information, visit www.pocpods.com. You can also follow POC Podcasts on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.