Introducing Anyoh Fombad & Her Africa-Centric Podcast
A writer celebrates the launch of *Living African*, a podcast by Cameroonian diaspora figure Anyoh Fombad that addresses taboo subjects—domestic violence, rape culture, queerness, family communication—through intimate conversations with guests. The piece argues that such platforms democratize media and give voice to conversations long suppressed in African homes.
One of the beauties of the internet is in the democratization of media. We have seen the rise of blogs, internet talk shows, independent journalism etc. This has broken up the monopoly of large media networks and has given a loud voice and reach to people who otherwise would not have had one. It has also given greater access to opinions and information to the consumers that we all are.
One the mediums through which this happens is podcasts. For our readers who are not familiar with or have never heard of podcasts, think of them as a radio programme on the internet. Just as you have the Facebook app, so do you have podcast apps/platforms. The most famous of them are Google Podcast, Apple podcast, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, and TuneIn Radio. People record themselves discussing a topic and upload them to any or all of these podcast platforms.
All you need to do is download any of these apps, search for the Podcast that you want to subscribe to, and voila!
I am a heavy consumer of podcasts. My podcast subscription list is as long as an arm and I am already finding it hard to keep up. That being said, I never fail to add a new podcast every now and then to my list, and on a good weekend I just binge through as many episodes as I can.
The latest Podcast I have subscribed to is called “Living African” by Cameroon’s very own Anyoh Fombad. Anyoh is Cameroonian living in the USA. She left Cameroon when she was teenager for her university studies, and she has been living in the US ever since.
According to the description the “Living African podcast is a podcast that sparks hard conversations that challenge questionable cultural and societal norms that threaten the wellbeing of the African community. The podcast features guests who share their stories; from heart-wrenching to exciting experiences, growing up in Africa and the diaspora.
By normalizing these open discussions, Anyoh hopes to encourage Africans to show their strength through vulnerability, as well as use their voices to challenge each other to be more understanding, accepting, and tolerant of each other and bring value to the community.”
In effect, it is a podcast by an African and for Africans.
What I like most about the podcast are perhaps the topics. My experience growing up, and that of many of my friends, was not one done in an environment in which the opinion of the child was generally considered. And so a lot of frustrations and issues were bottled up. This podcast is some sort of an exutoire that tackles some of the severing issues in Africa homes, which are also often taboo subjects.
Some of the topics explored are domestic violence, rape culture, being African and gay, communication in the African home, sex education, and many others.
My favourite episode of the podcast is one that deals with the current high rate of divorce amongst many young Cameroonians: “Why Divorce Wasn’t Common In Our Parents’ Generation.” On this episode, Anyoh has both her parents as guests and they talk in a very open way about marriage. Her mother, in particular, drops some very interesting thoughts on the topic that I strongly think anyone 23 years and older ought to listen to and take seriously.
The podcast is well-presented, well-recorded, and Anyoh has been able to put together a line-up of very interesting guests that really bring some serious contribution to the topics at hand. Anyoh also handles these interviews in a great way. She asks the right questions and is able to guide her guests to talk profoundly about the issues for which they are on the podcast.
All in all, it has been an enjoyable experience. I have listened to all but the last 5 episodes of the podcast so far and I have enjoyed every single one of them. If anything, CRTV Radio should pick it up and include it in their current programme rotation.
So, if you have a podcast app on your phone, do well to subscribe and give it a listen. And if you are not familiar with podcasts, perhaps you should start with this one. You won’t regret it. This is one of those instances where ‘support your own’ makes absolute sense.
- Wandji Wilfred.
P.S We want to take this opportunity to announce the PoiseSocial Podcast which will be coming up next month. Stay tuned.
In the early 2020s, podcasting had become an established medium for independent voices seeking to bypass traditional gatekeepers. For African creators and diaspora figures, podcasts offered a direct channel to reach continental and diaspora audiences on their own terms, speaking to generational shifts in openness around mental health, sexuality, and family dynamics.
The piece captures a moment when African creators were using digital platforms to normalize conversations their parents' generation could not have had openly. It remains significant as evidence of how diaspora voices mediate cultural change—both reflecting and accelerating shifts in what Africans are willing to discuss publicly. The writer's own gratitude for having a space to process childhood silencing speaks to the deeper hunger these conversations address.