Another thing you can can do while there’s no ZESA…

So, podcasts. They’ve recently gained a resurgence in popularity over the past two to three years and I’ve been caught up in that wave of getting hooked on them all over again. But before I explain their recent resurgence or highlight the vibrant local podcast scene that’s had me excited over the last few months of this year, I’ll say the same thing I wrote on the title; you should definitely try them out, and here’s why.

Podcasts aren’t a new thing on the internet, in fact one could argue they are one of the oldest mainstays of the modern web, with their origins dating back to the original iPod. Back then, podcasts where essentially described as “radio shows” for the internet (not to be confused with internet radio) and while that statement has stayed largely true, podcasts have evolved to be more diverse, engaging and even downright crazier than any form of a radio show could actually have. That range and uniqueness is exactly why I’m a huge fan of them now. My current crop of podcasts ranges from tech based podcasts from sites like The Verge to entertainment or niche based ones like the variant comics podcast to arguably everyone’s favorite Zim Podcast at the moment, Sadza In The Morning(more on this later). These 30 minute to an hour or so shows accompany me on a commute, during a workout or while I generally do some other menial job that can let me listen to something while I do it. Podcasts are meant to almost be anything you want them to be; educational, insightful, funny, spiritual, objective, subjective or probably whatever else fits your taste. The list is endless and honestly that’s the whole point of them.

Now as for how you listen to them well most smartphones either come with a built in podcast app or have a recommended one. iOS users will know of the Apple Podcasts app that’s existed for years, while Android users may gravitate between Sticher , a legacy podcast app that’s served the Android community well, or Google Podcasts, the newer Google made Podcast app that’s based on simplicity and easy access. Streaming service Spotify has even become a huge podcast hub as their resurgence in popularity over the years has become a key focal point for the company, but of course if you’re currently in Zim and don’t use Spotify already, this might not be the best option for you. In fact, it likely won’t be because of the way I prefer to use podcasts: offline. Yes, you could stream them on all the services I mentioned but for me podcasts are probably still at their best when downloaded and listened to later, even on other devices. While I do use Google Podcasts often I also tend to prefer downloading a specific podcast from the site it’s hosted on my pc and keeping it as an mp3 file for easy listening, or at least use Google Podcasts download feature which makes the file a little harder to transfer, but is essentially the same .

Offline listening has also led to what I would call my podcast life-hack; listening to them when there’s no electricity. Seriously if you’re looking for a fun or engaging enough way to pass an hour or more’s worth of time, while likely saving your phone or PC’s battery and maybe even learning something or having a laugh, podcasts are probably the best answer. A really good one might have you go through a few episodes, not even noticing that the time has passed, though of course this depends on one’s taste in podcasts and general attention span.

And as for that local scene of podcasts I was talking about? Well, I could argue it’s one of the most interesting and entertaining creative spaces we have in Zim right now. While some people are quick to always compare the quality of a lot of our artistic and entertainment products against foreign contemporaries(and do have a right to do so when all is considered) , most of the podcasts I’ve heard from our local lands are honestly some of the best ones I’ve been listening to all year. These are variated, unique and engaging shows that stand firm on their own and are only made better by the fact that they offer local perspectives on certain issues or are driven by local developments and stories. I’ve already mentioned the hilarious yet often insightful Sadza In The Morning, and I’ll go into further details about others such as the Undomesticated Podcast and Two Broke Twimbos in our recommendation list below, but honestly, as much as I recommend that you need to check out podcasts , one of the ones you check out definitely has to be a local one. And with that I think I can actually give you a bit of a starter guide on podcasts to try out below.

Recommendations:

Now a quick disclaimer before you read any of these, as I said podcasts are very subjective and tend to differ a lot based on what you’re looking for. There’s probably a podcast about almost anything you can think of so if you’re looking for podcasts about a specific topic you might want to just do a quick “podcasts on ABC” Google search and see what comes up. And if you’re already a fan of reading certain websites, magazines or even a fan of certain YouTube channels, chances are they might have a podcast as well so you may want to check that out. Now without any further ado;

The Vergecast

Category: Tech products, policies and reviews.

Availability: Most Podcast Platforms.

The VergeCast is one of my favorite tech site podcasts and perhaps the easiest for a techie to get into. Each week tends to cover either big stories from the Verge’s site and other big developments that weren’t covered as a written story or YouTube documentary. There’s also exclusive interviews with top tech execs and CEO’s from Google, Amazon, Microsoft and so on. The show also tends to be pretty funny in case you’re looking for a bit of a laugh and tends to keep a light demeanor that most people can relate to.  I’ll only put this as my tech site focused podcast recommendations but other recommendations the Engadget podcast, The Waveform MKBHD podcast , and platform specific podcasts like Android Central, Windows Central and so on.

Sadza In The Morning

Category: Uhhh…Zimbabwe? And lots of jokes from two dude with non-connecting beards?

Availability: Most Podcast platforms.

Now to be honest, chances are you don’t need any introduction to these guys. After all we could likely make a fair guess that over the past year, they’ve become the most popular Zimbabwean Podcast both in and out of our nation’s borders. The best part about this hilarious cast though is its relevancy and contemporary look at our country and its issues. Sadza In The Morning mixes two guys who sound like they live in Zimbabwe, and has them go on for an hour or so about, well, Zimbabwe. It’s creative, engaging and again one of the funniest podcasts I’ve listened to in ages (and I listen to podcasts strictly based on comedy). If you somehow haven’t listened to this already, go do it! Right now! And usakanganwe kubvisa EcoCash.

Pivot

Category: Modern Business, Tech ,Stocks and Financials.

Availability: Most podcast platforms

If you’ve ever watched the TV series Billions, then Pivot should feel familiar to you in that if the characters from that show were real, it would cover them on a weekly basis. The show talks about modern business tycoons, their strategies, the effects those businesses are having on the stock market as well as people’s daily lives. It often explores the interlinking relationships between tech, business, finance and other parts of modern businesses and helps one gain an understanding of all those aspects as well. Not to mention co-host Scott Galloway’s jokes about billionaires are priceless, and tend to be the type of jokes you want to steal for your twitter posts.

The Undomesticated Podcast

Category: Lifestyle, tips and discussions on the modern Zimbabwean woman

Availability: YouTube

Now this podcast is a good representation of creative endeavors in our country giving people a voice. It covers topics based on tradition, culture, social norms, sex, careers, your work and personal life and a wide gamut of other topics mostly from the perspective of two young, modern Zimbabwean women. Despite this there actually is quite a lot to learn here for men as well, especially on episodes with male counterparts that bring up interesting conversations and debates between the sexes. Unfortunately, UD Podcast is currently only available on YouTube, which does make sense for most of the approaches the episodes take but it does mean passive listening or finding an mp3 file to download and listen to on the go won’t be an option, though this may likely change in the future.

Jordan B. Peterson

Category: Human Psychology and social behavior

This Canadian clinical psychologist and professor has gone from college professor to social media zeitgeist from essentially sharing great psychological advice on social media, be it on YouTube or otherwise. This podcast is also a prime example of the Jordan Peterson experience, with perhaps life-changing advice on human social norms, structures we form in all our relationships, professional or personal, insight on gender norms and social constructs like class or race and a whole other list of issues. There’s a reason why he’s gained such a following online, and this podcast is a good showcase of that.

Two Broke Twimbos

Category: More Zimbabwe? Just kidding, this is the Grandaddy of Zim podcasts

As we said, if there was a Godfather for Zimbabwean podcasts, this one would be a candidate. Two broke Twimbos covers contemporary Zimbabwean news, social, economic and political issues, and has special interviews with local celebrities and talent as well. It’s another fun romp to have while driving or commuting to work and if you’ve been following their funny “beef” with Sadza in The Morning you’ll enjoy listening to both.

Now again, this is a very short list based on a few key areas that a few people in the TZP crew thought you should check out, but as we said before, podcasts are very subjective and you’ll likely have ideas of the type of podcasts you want to listen to. We definitely didn’t mention any religion or spiritually based podcasts or anything to do with romantic relationships and all their shenanigans, let alone any entertainment-based podcasts and so on and so forth. Again, variety is key here, and you should all really go out there and find whichever podcast appeals to you. Point is though, get started, trust me, you’ll thank me for it later.

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