SME South Africa Introduces Weekly Podcast Featuring Industry Experts And Entrepreneur Advice

Podcasts have risen in popularity in recent years. In fact, it’s estimated that nine out of ten South Africans above the age of 18 listen to podcasts. Their prevalence as a top way of consuming content is due to the ease of interacting with it across various platforms, and the authentic “humanness” that listeners connect with.

The SME South Africa Podcast is a curated collection of interviews with industry experts and entrepreneurs,” says Maryna Steyn, Editor at SME South Africa. “It provides authoritative yet accessible professional mentorship to help you start, manage, and grow your business.”

The first few episodes will be dropping on all major platforms on Friday, 15 May, with weekly episode releases.

Launching the SME South Africa Podcast

“We know that our audience trusts the information that we deliver, and bringing that in an audiovisual format was the logical next step for us,” Steyn explains. “This isn’t too different from what we are already doing with our monthly webinars, but where webinars are focused on actionable advice and live interactions with entrepreneurs, the podcast is on-demand

Although it can’t be ignored that this was the natural next step for the brand, introducing audio is more than just filling a gap in their offering – It’s intrinsic to what SME South Africa aspires to be: An SME ecosystem where South African entrepreneurs are supported through tools, resources and networks so they can contribute meaningfully to the economy.

“Making guidance and mentorship accessible to entrepreneurs is the cornerstone of everything we do. Whether that is providing free downloadable business resources such as templates and e-books, or a robust collection of guides and articles that dive into industry updates, exploring the “how-to” side of business or speaking to founders about their entrepreneurial journeys, our community of entrepreneurs are at the centre of our world. Just as we offer unbiased reviews, access to funding and on-demand mentorship, introducing a podcast that tackles the relevant, burning questions that business owners have is another way that we serve our audience and empower them to make informed decisions,” she explains.

Topics that matter to South African entrepreneurs

The SME South Africa Podcast aims to build on the existing content offering that SME South Africa is known for, while allowing us to dive deeper into topical discussions. “Another reason why we chose to pursue podcasting is to create a conversation between one of our esteemed journalists and a hand-selected expert, where we address relevant topics that speak to the real-time issues that South African SMEs experience. It’s raw and real and unscripted. Our guests only share what they have witnessed first-hand and what solutions they themselves have found to work.”

“In light of our recent article that explores business owners’ unpreparedness when they apply for funding, listeners can look forward to the first few episodes tackling how to educate yourself about your business’s funding needs, improve funding readiness and understand the different types of funding.

Accessing Information without boundaries

Steyn adds that being available on audio means that vital business information can be accessed from anywhere in the world. “For entrepreneurs who are always on the go, you will be able to listen to insightful discussions - It’s uninterrupted learning while you commute to your next meeting.

“You can access this expert advice on demand in audio format on all your favourite podcast platforms.

She elaborated that the team is excited to bring more business guidance and insights to all South African entrepreneurs.

“This is just the beginning. We hope to bring other podcast series to life that focus on topics that our entrepreneurs enjoy or want to explore more, be it entrepreneurial journeys or business opportunities. There might also be some brands that support SMEs who might join us on this journey, too.

“We are confident that the SME South Africa Podcast will allow every aspiring and practising entrepreneur to grow through practical insight from industry leaders, she concludes.

The SME South Africa Podcast is available on YouTube, Apple Podcast and Spotify.