Bataung Moeketsi

WITH online alternatives taking over radio or television broadcasting space, podcasting seems to be the new in-thing in Lesotho.

A podcast is a digital audio file availed on the Internet for downloading or streaming, typically available as a series, of which the new instalments can be received by subscribers automatically. Just like video files such as YouTube or Vimeo, podcasts use several available audio platforms to reach their audiences.

Senate Moshoeshoe, a young woman in her late 20s, has taken up podcasting through a series of audio and visual discussions on wide-ranging topics under the banner, Hey Shooter.

The inaugural episode of Hey Shooter went live on 17 August 2020 under the topic ‘The Stocktaking’. Senate says the episodes are influenced by the American sitcom, Seinfeld, but would have a local touch.

The episodes will be released bi-monthly on the first and last Sunday morning of each month on various platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Anchorfm, Overcastfm and YouTube.

Senate is the sole host of the podcast but she intends to invite guests from different walks of life. On the first episode, she was joined by her younger sister Liako, as well as Thato Mathule and Genevieve Savary-Williams.

In an interview with the Xpress People, Senate said that Hey Shooter was a society and culture podcast centred on opinions and conversations “where we talk about everything and nothing”.

She started podcasting because of her love for radio which dates back to the turn of the millennium. At the time, she would occasionally tune in to PCFM where the Queen of Denva was her favourite radio personality.

It was between 2012 and 2013 while she was a student at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa that she got hooked to radio.

“As I grew older, my love for radio broadened beyond music as I moved towards content production. This led to me working as executive producer at the varsity radio station, Rhodes Music Radio.

“Fast forward to 2016, I was introduced to podcasting. I instantly fell in love with how much one can learn from those organic, raw and unrestricted conversations,” she said.

The late Reggie Osse, Angela Yee, Oprah Winfrey and Bishop TD Jakes are some of the podcasters who have influenced Senate.

The Johannesburg-based Mosotho lady said her podcast’s slogan “Podcast about your journey” was inspired by the Rocket Juice & The Moon song which shares the same name as the podcast and features R&B sensation, Erykah Badu.

“I believe everything that happens in our lives happens for a reason and is there to help guide us to our destiny, much like a journey to ‘the sun’.

“Through talking about our individual experiences, we can learn, unlearn and relearn from one another. We learn from the challenges that we face at work to relationships, social issues and events that make us cry or laugh and so on. It is like a shared online diary where we highlight individual experiences and perspectives.”

Senate said the target audience of her podcast is from 16 years and above as she thinks it is important to not only engage the youth but to speak on matters that adults wish they would have known while they were younger.

She said it was paramount to include adults in the conversation “so that they know the impact of their parenting on today’s society”.

Senate said she hopes her podcast will become successful as it will not only focus on the latest trends or securing deals with brands as other podcast tend to.

“Hey Shooter is about podcasting conversations that will hopefully bring hope, healing and growth for all of us.

“There will always be something to talk about as we all have different perspectives that are all equally important, ,” Senate said.

Although she is fairly new to the podcasting space, Senate says she is prepared to work hard and provide quality content and grow as a podcaster. She said she is ready to take the wins and losses that come along with any new challenges.

Apart from being a podcaster, Senate spends her days working for a global tax reclaim company and is also a businesswoman. She is also the chairperson and co-founder of the Mpho Foundation, a non-profit depression awareness organisation that was established in 2018.