South African Podcasters Create Platform for Honest Conversations

In South Africa, a new digital platform is gaining traction for its straightforward and honest conversations. Because We Said So, spearheaded by Landiwe "Landzy" Gama and Zama Marubelela, provides a space for people to share their dilemmas and receive advice from the two hosts. This format is reminiscent of Sis Dolly, a popular column in Drum magazine that offered a safe space for black South Africans to share intimate and sometimes taboo situations.

The idea for Because We Said So was born out of Gama and Marubelela's private conversations, which they felt could be beneficial to a wider audience. They met at an event a couple of years ago and gradually developed a friendship that eventually led to the creation of their digital platform. The podcast covers a range of topics, including matters of the heart, personal relationships, current affairs, and pop culture, allowing the hosts to engage with what is happening around them and offer their perspectives.

Gama and Marubelela's approach to their podcast is characterized by their willingness to offer honest and sometimes blunt advice. They aim to create a sense of community and connection with their audience, who write in with their experiences and follow the hosts through episodes. The two hosts acknowledge that building a community in the digital space can blur the lines between the people audiences see online and the people they meet in real life.

Behind the relaxed exchanges audiences enjoy is considerable planning and preparation. Marubelela explains that the work begins long before an episode reaches the audience, involving equipment setup, set creation, pre-production, and editing. The hosts emphasize that creating digital content requires more than just switching on a camera and having a conversation.

For Gama and Marubelela, the community they have built has made the work worthwhile. People resonate with their work and appreciate their honest conversations. The hosts acknowledge that social media can create a sense of closeness, but they strive to maintain a positive and respectful relationship with their audience.

Beyond the conversations and community, there is also a business to build. Turning a friendship into a working partnership requires shared responsibility, commitment, and an understanding that the work extends beyond the fun of sitting together and talking. Gama and Marubelela have bigger dreams for their platform, including creating opportunities for other people to find their voices and share their stories.

The duo's ambitions extend beyond growing their audience; they want to create a studio and give other people the platform to spread their message and start their own podcast. Perhaps the beauty of what they are building lies in its potential to start with two friends recognizing that the conversations they were having privately were conversations other people needed to have, too.

Key points

• Because We Said So offers honest conversations and advice on various topics, echoing the legacy of Sis Dolly from Drum magazine.
• The platform aims to create a sense of community and connection with its audience.
• Gama and Marubelela have bigger dreams for their platform, including creating opportunities for other people to find their voices and share their stories.