International Podcast Day 2025: Research Communication Is Changing. Here’s How Africa Is Leading the Way.

People are doing incredible research across Africa, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of all the amazing work being done. But thanks to the growth of digital platforms and a new generation of communicators, the world is starting to take notice. Podcasts are a global phenomenon, with more than 4.57 million shows legitimately indexed on multiple platforms and over half a billion listeners.
This International Podcast Day we are not only celebrating another season finale of Mazungumzo – African Scholarly Conversations, but conversations that have taken us from the front lines of public health to the halls of higher education policy, all while reinforcing a central theme: the future of African research is in our hands.
Our guests this season generously shared their insights, offering a roadmap for a more equitable and impactful African research ecosystem. Their conversations revealed powerful themes that challenge the status quo and highlight the urgent need for a new approach to research communication.
Challenging the Status Quo
This season was a masterclass in confronting the systemic issues that have historically marginalized African research. We heard from Dr. Nkemdilim Osuigwe, a champion of decolonizing knowledge systems. She shared her incredible journey from a child in post-war Nigeria to an award-winning librarian fighting to ensure that Wikipedia articles about Africa are linked to African libraries, not external institutions. Her work is a powerful reminder that “knowledge is power” and that the representation of African knowledge must not be pushed to a corner.
We also spoke with Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, Dean of the School of Public Health at Makerere University, who advocates for a shift away from traditional metrics like publication counts and journal impact factors. She argued that a paper’s citations aren’t always objective and that we need to look at its societal impact, such as influencing policy and improving service delivery. This is a cultural evolution in academia that she says is needed now more than ever. Similarly, Professor Hanae Lrhoul of Morocco discussed her work on a national open science strategy aimed at elevating local journals and languages, moving the focus from traditional impact factors to research that is socially and culturally relevant.
Allen Mukhwana, of the Science for Africa Foundation, addressed the need for equitable research partnerships that go beyond tokenism and dismantle colonial legacies. She emphasized that African researchers are not just “glorified data collectors” but intellectual leaders who deserve to be treated as equal partners.

Building Sustainable Ecosystems
Our conversations went beyond challenges to highlight concrete strategies for building a more robust and sustainable research landscape. Professor Nelson Ijumba shared his experience leading the merger of seven institutions to form the University of Rwanda. He stressed the importance of effective communication and providing incentives to overcome resistance and drive an increase in research output and PhD graduates. He also noted that universities must be proactive in exploring new opportunities for relevance and growth by aligning with national and global agendas like the SDGs.
Emmanuel Boakye, co-founder of the African Reproducibility Network (AREN), talked about building a continent-wide community to bridge the gap between global open science advancements and the realities of African researchers. He emphasized the importance of grassroots engagement and empowering early-career researchers to champion open science in their institutions.
Yousef Torman, Managing Director of the Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN), discussed how his organization is transforming research collaboration by building robust ICT infrastructure and fostering global partnerships across North Africa and the Arab region. He highlighted the shift to “service-oriented networks,” where organizations like ASREN focus on providing services and speaking the language of science to a minister or policymaker, rather than just talking about technical infrastructure like “routers”.
Matt Buys of DataCite explained the importance of persistent identifiers (PIDs) in making research outputs like datasets, protocols, and software more visible and accessible. He stressed the need for open, community-led infrastructure to ensure that credit is given where it is due, particularly for research from Africa and the Global South.
Innovating Communication for Impact
Finally, our guests offered powerful insights into how to make research communication more effective. Monica Akinyi Kay, a Project Associate at Busara Center, shared how behavioral science can transform research communication by understanding emotions, habits, and social norms. She explained that involving communities in designing messages builds trust and strengthens the link between research and real-world change. Her work highlights that communication should be a two-way street, where stakeholders are active participants, not just passive listeners.

Humanizing the Science, Honoring the Community
Behind every research paper and scientific breakthrough is a person with a story. In every episode of our podcast, we have aimed to go beyond the data and connect with the human side of science, exploring the personal journeys, dreams, and motivations of our guests. By doing so, we create a space where listeners can see themselves in these stories, fostering a deeper sense of connection and inspiration.
Our commitment to this vision is strengthened by our collaborations with other science podcasts. We understand that we are a part of a larger, collective effort to amplify African scholarly voices, hence partnered with other science communication platforms such as the Root of Science Podcast, the Immunology in Africa Podcast, My Science Journey, Farm to Table KE Podcast and SciDevNet’s Africa Science Focus to strengthen this effort.

See who’s Listening

Figure 2: Gender demographics of the Mazungumzo podcast audience. This shows that our content resonates broadly, fostering inclusivity across our community.

Figure 3: Geographic location of the Mazungumzo podcast audience. Our conversations are reaching far beyond Africa, demonstrating the global appetite for African scholarly contributions.

We are incredibly grateful to our guests for their candor and insight, and to our audience for being a consistent community that makes this work so rewarding. We’ve seen firsthand that a commitment to open dialogue can create a ripple effect, moving us closer to a future where African research is not only seen but celebrated.
As we look ahead, we are excited to continue this journey with you. We remain dedicated to telling the stories that matter, to amplifying the voices that need to be heard, and to building a sustainable platform that champions the future of African scholarship. Thank you for listening, learning, and sharing. Here’s to what’s next!