Top SA podcast ‘Don’t hold back: Say it loud!’ back for a second season

Numerous young South Africans eagerly desire an opportunity to openly discuss taboo subjects or navigate the complexities of their life decisions.

The Don’t hold back: say it loud! podcast, known for its candid and uplifting dialogues, stands out as one of the scarce platforms offering such discussions and excitingly, it is back with it’s second season which launched on the 15th of November 2023.

Nozibele Qamngana-Mayaba

Nozibele Qamngana-Mayaba is the host of this award-winning podcast and she’s known for her work on HIV-Aids and has a popular YouTube channel.

In 2013, after finding out she had HIV, Nozibele started talking openly about her experiences.

Nozibele is great at handling ‘tricky’ conversations because of her background. Her YouTube channel has over 200,000 subscribers, and she’s one of the biggest advocates for people with HIV in Mzansi.

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Coming in Season 2

In the new season of the podcast, some special guests will be Mzamo Masito from Google Africa, social media law expert Emma Sadleir, chef Wandile Mabaso, and futurist Graeme Codrington.

The podcast always focuses on having helpful conversations. People listening to it can learn things that might make their own lives better.

As the host of the podcast, Nozi brings a positive and clear style that makes it unique. The podcast is made by Jacaranda FM, East Coast Radio, and Deutsche Welle (DW).

The first season got attention from The Association for International Broadcasting. Nozi was nominated for an award in the Presenter of the Year – Radio/Audio/Podcast category.

These awards recognise really good work in journalism and factual productions on TV, radio, and online. Being nominated is a big deal because there were a lot of really good entries in 2023.

The international collaboration

Before launching, Deutsche Welle dedicated more than 20 hours to in-depth interviews with South African young people, using an approach that focuses on their needs.

The podcast for youth tackles important issues that matter to the youth of Mzansi, covering topics like dealing with debt, experiencing gender-based violence, handling toxic relationships, and coping with depression.

Jacaranda FM managing director, Deirdre King, explains that the primary goal of the podcast is to help the youth of Mzansi discover their own journey.

“The data collected to produce the podcast really highlighted that urban South African youth often feel isolated in their issues. 

“Don’t hold back – say it loud was crafted as an audio companion to help Mzansi’s youth find their own path, but with real-world anecdotes and advice that they can put into practice every month.

“This international broadcaster collaboration on a podcast is a first of its kind on African soil as Deutsche Welle, Jacaranda FM, and East Coast Radio have created a digital product together from scratch – a true collaboration.

“We are incredibly honoured to be Deutsche Welle’s production and distribution partner in Africa for a second season. It’s also really exciting to present the youth with an audio companion, backed by data, and produced with the utmost care,” elaborated King.

Claus Stäcker, Head of Programs for Africa at DW, also provided his perspective on the upcoming season of the podcast.

“With the second season, Don’t Hold Back is no longer an experiment, we know that Nozi is a popular host, we know that our topic focus is well received, and we know how we can bring the worlds of digital audio and analogue radio together.

“The response from users and international awards are proof of this. That’s why we’re really excited at DW to be starting a second season,” said Stäcker.

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