MULTI-WEEK STORYTELLING FELLOWSHIP

Seven emerging storytellers. One creative journey from idea to finished work.

New Voices Africa

New Voices Africa is AIR's first international fellowship, created in partnership with Radio Workshop as part of the RESONATE Story Lab. Through workshops, editorial mentorship, field reporting, and hands-on production, fellows will develop original audio stories that explore youth experiences across the continent through the theme Africa Otherwise.

BUILD THE STORY. FIND YOUR VOICE. SHARE IT WITH THE WORLD.

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Develop Your Story

Strengthen Your Craft

Create for an Audience

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Plan
Career planning, growth, and positioning.
Develop
Learn the tools used by the world's top professionals.
Lead
Lead the way while inspiring others in the public media.

About the Program 

New Voices Africa is a creative development and production fellowship for emerging audio storytellers across the African continent. 
Built around the theme Africa Otherwise, the program invites fellows to move beyond familiar narratives and create stories that reflect the complexity of African youth experiences, including identity, history, resistance, imagination, innovation, and visions for the future.

The journey begins with an intensive workshop in Johannesburg and continues through a remote fellowship from September 2026 through February 2027. Through live workshops, structured learning, field reporting, and one-on-one editorial mentorship, fellows will report, script, refine, and produce an original short audio story.

The fellowship culminates at RESONATE Cape Town, where the cohort's finished work will premiere before an international audience.

Included With Enrollment

More Than a Workshop

New Voices Africa is designed to support the entire creative process, from the first idea to the finished story.

Participants receive a combination of live instruction, structured online learning, one-on-one editorial mentorship, and hands-on production support throughout the fellowship.

Between sessions, fellows will continue reporting in their communities, developing their scripts, refining their creative direction, and applying feedback directly to their work.

By the end of the program, each fellow will have taken an original idea through development, reporting, production, and completion, resulting in a finished audio story ready to meet an audience.

Who is this for?

Built for the 2026 New Voices Africa Fellows
This learning space supports the seven storytellers selected for the inaugural New Voices Africa fellowship as they develop ambitious, original audio work.
  • Exploring New Narratives – Creating work that challenges assumptions and brings greater complexity to stories about Africa.
  • Rooted in Community – Reporting from lived experiences, local communities, and the issues shaping everyday life.
  • Seasoned Professionals Seeking Growth – Experienced public media leaders who want to strengthen leadership skills, expand networks, or pivot their careers to remain effective and innovative.
  • Developing Their Audio Craft – Strengthening skills across research, interviewing, scripting, editing, sound, and production.
  • Ready for Editorial Collaboration – Working closely with mentors, facilitators, and fellow storytellers to challenge and strengthen their ideas.
  • Building Toward Finished Work – Taking a story beyond the concept stage and through the full process of reporting, refinement, production, and public presentation.






New Voices Africa 2026 Fellows

Beatus Blessings Msamange

Country: Malawi
Beatus Ble Msamange is a Malawian filmmaker, writer, and storyteller
based in Karonga. He is Co-founder and Creative Director of Equinox 13
Films, where he develops authentic African stories across film, theatre,
and community storytelling. A graduate of the 2024 MultiChoice Talent
Factory, Beatus is a 2025 Mandela Washington Fellowship alumnus and a
2026 Climate Justice Incubatee with Accountability Lab East and Southern
Africa. His work centers on character-driven narratives that explore identity,
belonging, and the complexities of lived experience.

Esohe Iyare

Country: Nigeria
Esohe Iyare is a Nigerian researcher and writer based in Lagos whose
work explores digital culture, women, and minority experiences. Her writing
has appeared in Radio Workshop, OkayAfrica, The Republic, and Minority
Africa. She holds degrees in Anthropology, Journalism, and Media and
Communication, and her research on kidfluencing was published in Natural
Law and Human Dignity: A Multidisciplinary Perspective (2025). Esohe is a
research volunteer with Communiqué HQ and the founder of African Writer
Weekly, a newsletter supporting more than 3,200 African writers across 60
countries.

Kabir Jugram

Country: South Africa
Kabir Jugram is a Johannesburg-based journalist and audio documentary
producer whose work amplifies the stories of African youth. His reporting
explores issues including youth unemployment, mental health, and
marginalisation, with a focus on community resilience and everyday acts of
empowerment. Guided by a commitment to dignity, fair representation, and
challenging harmful narratives about Africa and people of colour, Kabir
creates stories that reflect the complexity and strength of the communities
that shaped him.

Mary-Ann Nobele

Country: South Africa
Mary-Ann Nobele is a South African storyteller, podcast producer, and
mental health advocate. She was the reporter and central voice of I Will
Not Grow Old Here, an award-winning podcast that earned a 2023 Ambies
nomination and a One World Media Award. A Child Mind Institute
Communicator Fellow, Mary-Ann creates stories that explore mental
health, youth, and community empowerment. With a background in radio
spanning more than a decade, she is committed to using audio storytelling
to inspire change and amplify underrepresented voices

Nelly Madegwa

Country: Kenya
Nelly Madegwa is an award-winning Kenyan journalist whose reporting
focuses on climate change, sustainable development, health, and human
rights across Africa. Her work has been published by The Intercept,
Elephant, Minority Africa, taz, and Africa Uncensored. Combining
investigative, data-driven reporting with compelling human stories, Nelly
brings depth and clarity to some of the continent's most pressing issues.

Thando Mpungose

Country: South Africa
Thando Mpungose is a South African audio engineer specializing in film
and television. A graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand, he has
worked across recording, sound design, and mixing, earning the 2023 Wits
Film & TV Award for Best Sound Design for Where's the Chicken?
Through his company, Athletic Audio, Thando has contributed to projects
for Showmax, the Centre for the Less Good Idea, and the Foundation for
Human Rights, bringing technical precision and creative collaboration to
every production.

Oswell Moyo

Country: Zimbabwe
Oswell Moyo is a Zimbabwean multimedia journalist, media researcher,
and educator based in Kigali, Rwanda. His work explores journalism
education, media literacy, indigenous knowledge systems, and
environmental storytelling, with a focus on reshaping narratives about land,
ecology, and community. A founding board member of the Bulawayo Media
Hub and a part-time lecturer at Hanave University, Uganda, Oswell
combines research and practice to amplify marginalized voices and
advance climate journalism across Africa.
New Voices Africa connects creative development to production, and production to an audience. Over the course of the fellowship, seven storytellers from across Africa will transform early ideas into original audio pieces that offer new perspectives on the continent and the experiences of its young people. Their stories will premiere at RESONATE Cape Town. Africa Otherwise starts with the stories we choose to tell.
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Meet Our Fellows

New Voices Africa 2026 Fellows

Beatus
Esohe
Kabir
Mary-Ann
Nelly
Thando
Oswell
Country: Malawi

Beatus Blessings Msamange

Beatus Ble Msamange is a Malawian filmmaker, writer, and storyteller
based in Karonga. He is Co-founder and Creative Director of Equinox 13
Films, where he develops authentic African stories across film, theatre,
and community storytelling. A graduate of the 2024 MultiChoice Talent
Factory, Beatus is a 2025 Mandela Washington Fellowship alumnus and a
2026 Climate Justice Incubatee with Accountability Lab East and Southern
Africa. His work centers on character-driven narratives that explore identity,
belonging, and the complexities of lived experience.
Country: Zimbabwe

Oswell Moyo

Oswell Moyo is a Zimbabwean multimedia journalist, media researcher,
and educator based in Kigali, Rwanda. His work explores journalism
education, media literacy, indigenous knowledge systems, and
environmental storytelling, with a focus on reshaping narratives about land,
ecology, and community. A founding board member of the Bulawayo Media
Hub and a part-time lecturer at Hanave University, Uganda, Oswell
combines research and practice to amplify marginalized voices and
advance climate journalism across Africa.
Country: South Africa

Thando Mpungose

Thando Mpungose is a South African audio engineer specializing in film
and television. A graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand, he has
worked across recording, sound design, and mixing, earning the 2023 Wits
Film & TV Award for Best Sound Design for Where's the Chicken?
Through his company, Athletic Audio, Thando has contributed to projects
for Showmax, the Centre for the Less Good Idea, and the Foundation for
Human Rights, bringing technical precision and creative collaboration to
every production.
Country: Kenya

Nelly Madegwa

Nelly Madegwa is an award-winning Kenyan journalist whose reporting
focuses on climate change, sustainable development, health, and human
rights across Africa. Her work has been published by The Intercept,
Elephant, Minority Africa, taz, and Africa Uncensored. Combining
investigative, data-driven reporting with compelling human stories, Nelly
brings depth and clarity to some of the continent's most pressing issues.
Country: South Africa

Mary-Ann Nobele

Mary-Ann Nobele is a South African storyteller, podcast producer, and
mental health advocate. She was the reporter and central voice of I Will
Not Grow Old Here, an award-winning podcast that earned a 2023 Ambies
nomination and a One World Media Award. A Child Mind Institute
Communicator Fellow, Mary-Ann creates stories that explore mental
health, youth, and community empowerment. With a background in radio
spanning more than a decade, she is committed to using audio storytelling
to inspire change and amplify underrepresented voices
Country: South Africa

Kabir Jugram

Kabir Jugram is a Johannesburg-based journalist and audio documentary
producer whose work amplifies the stories of African youth. His reporting
explores issues including youth unemployment, mental health, and
marginalisation, with a focus on community resilience and everyday acts of
empowerment. Guided by a commitment to dignity, fair representation, and
challenging harmful narratives about Africa and people of colour, Kabir
creates stories that reflect the complexity and strength of the communities
that shaped him.
Country: Nigeria

Esohe Iyare

Esohe Iyare is a Nigerian researcher and writer based in Lagos whose
work explores digital culture, women, and minority experiences. Her writing
has appeared in Radio Workshop, OkayAfrica, The Republic, and Minority
Africa. She holds degrees in Anthropology, Journalism, and Media and
Communication, and her research on kidfluencing was published in Natural
Law and Human Dignity: A Multidisciplinary Perspective (2025). Esohe is a
research volunteer with Communiqué HQ and the founder of African Writer
Weekly, a newsletter supporting more than 3,200 African writers across 60
countries.

Your New Voices Captain & Program Manager

Meet Your Facilitator 

Christabel Nsiah-Buadi

Christabel Nsiah-Buadi, Executive editorial strategist, coach, and speaker, is an award-winning journalist, founder of Close Your Narrative Gap, and former Spotify executive who created and led the company's Behind the Mic podcast production fellowship. With experience spanning the BBC, NPR, American Public Media, and KCET, she brings extensive editorial expertise and a passion for mentoring emerging audio storytellers. 


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Meet Your program Manager

Keisha TK Dutes

Keisha “TK” Dutes is an independent audio producer, writer, educator, and the creator of The Secret Life of TK, a nonlinear experimental audio biography that explores identity, travel, and transformation in real time. With a career spanning nearly two decades across terrestrial radio, digital media, and podcasting, TK’s life in audio is all-encompassing.

New Voices AFRICA MENTORS

Meet Our Mentors

Bernard
Priscilla
John
Martina
Christopher
Mark
Veralyn
Vice-Chair of AudioUK

Bernard P. Achampong

A creative leader and media professional who advocates for creator ownership, intellectual property, diversity, and representation. He is the founder of Unedited, a production company behind groundbreaking programming including Sounds of Black Britain (Spotify) and 1Xtra’s Throwback Party (BBC Sounds). An eight-time Radio Academy Award winner and Rose d’Or nominee, Bernard has produced acclaimed work including HRH The Prince of Wales: Building Bridges and Skin Deep (CBBC). He also delivered Spotify’s Sound Up program for the UK and Ireland for three years and has championed immersive storytelling through major industry events and festivals.
media producer and storyteller

Veralyn Phelps

is a Peabody and Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist, media executive, producer, storyteller, and people-centered leader with more than 15 years of experience leading editorial teams, developing talent, and creating impactful journalism. Most recently, she served as an Executive Producer at NPR, leading the editorial vision for Code Switch and It’s Been a Minute. She is also an adjunct professor at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, where she teaches audio storytelling and mentors emerging journalists. Veralyn is passionate about building high-performing teams and helping individuals and organizations reach their full potential. She is currently pursuing an Executive MS in Human Resource Management at Baruch College.
filmmaker, podcast producer, writer, and educator

Mark Pagán

An award-winning journalist, filmmaker, producer, and the creator of the critically acclaimed podcast, Other Men Need Help. A former teacher, social worker, and b-boy, his work spans print, podcasting, film, and theater, appearing in outlets and festivals including The New York Times, NPR, the BBC, The Atlantic, The Whitney, and Slamdance Film Festival.
Supervising Producer at 99% Invisible

Christopher Johnson

A supervising producer at the top-rated podcast 99% Invisible. Before joining the show, he was lead producer of Slate’s award-winning documentary show Slow Burn. At WNYC, he co-hosted the series The Realness. He also developed, hosted, and co-produced the Audible Originals podcast 100 To 1. As a reporter, producer, and editor, Christopher has contributed to NPR, CBC, Deutsche Welle, WNYC, Jazz Night In America, and others. Christopher has been a course instructor at the Columbia Journalism School’s Audio Reporting Workshop, and he co-created and directed Oakland Voices - a community media training project in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Co-Founder of You Had Me at Black

Martina Abrahams Ilunga

A cultural worker and entrepreneur grounding contemporary media in the timeless art of oral tradition. Through You Had Me at Black and the holiday Black Storytelling Week, she creates spaces for collective memory, imagination, and connection. Editorially, she has guided award-winning audio projects including Our Ancestors Were Messy and NATAL. Today, Martina is building a community-owned model for independent storytelling. Across her work, she honors stories as both wealth and pathways to connection, healing, and liberation, centering Black voices, collective memory, and the transformative power of storytelling.
Founder and Creative Director of JKB Wash & Dry Productions

John Asante

a Ghanaian American, award-winning audio producer, showrunner, and consultant dedicated to amplifying Black, brown, and marginalized voices. Over his 15+ year career, John has produced and developed more than 30 podcasts for HBO, Netflix, Spotify, Audible, Imagine Entertainment, and others. Before founding JKB Wash & Dry Productions, he worked at Pineapple Street Studios, Stitcher, WNYC, and NPR. John is a member of AIR and The Podcast Academy and teaches aspiring podcasters through Radio Boot Camp and USC’s Storymakers Fellowship. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two rambunctious cats.
Story Editor & Producer

Priscilla Alabi

An award-winning Yoruba-American audio journalist, story editor, and podcast producer based in Brooklyn, New York, on Lenapehoking. At BBC Studios, she produces A History of the United States in 100 Objects. Her work spans radio news, narrative journalism, and documentary storytelling. She has led editorial teams, developed narrative series, reported original stories, and collaborated with creators including Lupita Nyong’o on the Webby Award-winning Mind Your Own. Her credits include This American Life, and she has received Ambie and NAACP Image Award nominations and multiple Signal Awards. She also teaches audio journalism at Columbia Journalism School and hosts 35 & Geriatric.

Program Structure (Modules & Classes)


Special Session: Descript Basics- Editing Your Audio

  • Facilitator: Kerry Donahue | Date: Thursday, August 27th, 2026

    Get hands-on with Descript, an accessible audio editing tool that makes editing feel more like working with a document. In this beginner-friendly workshop, you’ll learn the basics of navigating Descript, importing and organizing your audio, editing from the transcript, and making simple changes to improve the flow and clarity of your story. We’ll also cover essential tools and workflows to help you move confidently from a raw recording to a polished piece of audio.

Class 1: The Importance of Researching / How to Research

  • Facilitator: Joanne Griffith | Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2026

    Take a deep-dive into the bedrock of your audio storytelling process: research. It’s what will help you answer questions, it helps you set the tone of your work, and you can use the findings to sharpen your story’s focus. We’ll cover using research to develop your character voices, and the central question of your piece. Discover how pre-interviews can be used as a way to test assumptions about the story you want to tell before you dive in.

Class 2: The Art of the Interview

  • Facilitator: TBD | Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026

    What makes an on-air interview impactful, and what techniques can you use to engage the people who are helping you tell the story you want to tell on air? How do you create space for people to tell their stories, and under what conditions do you need to interview someone, and make them feel safe and heard? This class covers what makes an effective interview, from the questions asked to the interviewer's approach and way of being.

Class 3: Interviewing For Narrative Storytelling

  • Facilitator: Nichole Hill | Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2026

    Nichole Hill, award-winning showrunner, and creator of the hit podcast ‘Our Ancestors Were Messy,’ will lead this workshop on interviewing for a narrative, character-driven storytelling - elements that she uses in the show. Interviewing isn’t just about reporting on what you see, it can help you deepen your story, or even tell a story in new, innovative ways. What does it mean to listen out for tape that can create, shape, or even carry a scene? We’ll discover how in this session.

Class 4 : How To Choose Good Tape

  • Tuesday, October 20

Class 5 : Writing For The Ear 

  • Tuesday, November 3

Class 6 : Writing narration/ Sounding like yourself

  • Tuesday, November 17

Class 7 : Voicing/ Narrating your story

  • Tuesday, December 8

Module 1 Learning Goals / Outcomes:

  • Develop Your Career Strategy – Learn to plan, grow, and position your career for long-term success in public media.
  • Lead with Purpose – Gain the skills to guide teams and projects that reflect your organization’s mission and values.
  • Strengthen Organizational Resilience – Understand financial management, resource planning, and strategies to sustain and grow your organization.
  • Expand and Engage Audiences – Explore methods to build meaningful audience connections through digital innovation and effective communication.
  • Navigate Change and Complexity – Build leadership capabilities to manage disruption, foster strong organizational culture, and inspire teams in evolving environments.
Thanks to

Our Sponsor

CARS: Driving Leadership and Equity in Public Media

CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services), a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has been a foundational partner with PMWL, supporting programs like the CEO/COO BootCamp and Brave Talk to advance women into leadership and strengthen a values-driven public media ecosystem.
As a strategic partner, CARS provides resources, expertise, and a commitment to equity, powering PMWL’s Leadership Academy through workshops, mentorship, and professional development to cultivate the next generation of public media leaders.