When you look at the numbers, it becomes clearer. According to gsma.com, there were 489 million unique mobile subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2023, and an internet penetration rate of 43%. Of the 489 million unique mobile subscribers, 287 million of them had access to the internet.

What Are The Implications of Those Numbers?

The more mobile subscribers there are in the region, the more people there will be who have internet access. And the more people who have internet access, the more likely they are to consume digital audio content — like radio livestreaming.

From politics to sports, radio has remained a reliable source of information and entertainment for the average African.

From our records, there was an average time spent listening (ATSL) to radio livestreams of 24 minutes and 15 seconds in Kenya. In Ghana, it was 17 minutes and 15 seconds, and 15 minutes and 27 seconds in Nigeria.

What Are The Driving Forces?

Several factors are contributing to the rise of radio livestreaming in Africa. These include:

Convenience: Radio livestreaming offers users the flexibility to access their favorite radio shows anytime, anywhere.

Accessibility: With the widespread availability of smartphones and internet access, users can access radio livestreaming services on-the-go.

What Does This Mean for Advertisers & Content Publishers?

It is clear that contrary to what many would believe, radio is not dead in Africa. The numbers show that there are many people tuning in to their favourite radio programs/stations and listening to them online. 

Advertisers can leverage this to target audiences with their marketing communications. If you’re an advertiser or an advertising agency, Atunwa Digital can help you achieve your marketing objectives with targeted placements and access to the Atunwa Digital Marketplace self-serve dashboard.

You can send an email to info@atunwadigital.com for more information.

Content publishers can leverage this to optimize for more effective content delivery and monetization.

Get the 2023 Atunwa Digital Audio Report for free here.

The post How Africans Consumed Digital Audio Content in 2023 appeared first on Atunwa Digital.

Today, it is possible for Dennis Ochieng, a Kenyan, to listen live to his favourite program on Kiss 100 FM Nairobi, from Brisbane, Australia. As a matter of fact, if Dennis were to be too busy at work, he could easily get around to listening to that program much later as a podcast by simply logging on to atunwapodcasts.com.

Read Also: Digital Advertising: How Programmatic Ads Can Help African Content Publishers Smile To The Bank

Sadly, not many African radio stations can offer this to their diaspora or even local audiences because their streaming partners do not offer affordable options to convert their live shows into podcasts. Consequently, they lose these audiences and potential monetization opportunities.

However, let’s explore three tactics African radio stations can employ to retain existing listeners, reach more people, and improve monetization opportunities.

1. Ensure quality and uptime

One of the biggest challenges facing several African radio stations is a lack of consistency in managing their livestreams. For many different reasons — often poor or no internet connection — these stations experience a ‘dead air’, meaning they cannot be streamed for hours and sometimes, days. It is almost impossible to monetize ‘non-existent’ livestreams, therefore, stations must ensure they aim for at least 99% uptime. Also important is the quality of the content being streamed. Advertisers often look to deliver impressions on quality and available content.

2. Build & maintain a sizeable audience

Advertisers are keen on the size of audience a radio station has. The size of the audience largely determines how well they can be monetized. Therefore, deliberately building and maintaining a sizable audience is of utmost importance.

Read Also: Overcoming Payment Delays: How Atunwa Helps Content Publishers Deal With Cashflow Challenges

3. Find the right monetization & streaming partner 

Considering the current digital media landscape, it has become imperative for radio stations to offer their most popular programs in podcast/on-demand format. This helps with audience-building and retention and improves monetization opportunities. 

Also, with the bulk of digital advertising revenue accruing to content publishers in the US and Europe, most monetization  and streaming partners focus largely on those two regions and less on Africa. Therefore,  it is important to select the right monetization partner to help you monetize your inventory. With audio content monetization, make sure you’re looking towards an Africa-focused partner that can connect your station with quality global advertisers and a variety of ad networks.

If you are an African radio station owner or manager looking to properly monetize your inventory, reach us via mac@atunwadigital.com for a quick chat.

The post How African Radio Stations Can Monetize Effectively With Podcasts appeared first on Atunwa Digital.