It’s official: the world’s best podcast is produced by Food For Mzansi! The agricultural news publication took home the top prize in the Best Podcast category at the prestigious Digital Media Awards Worldwide.
Held in Copenhagen, Denmark, at the 75th World News Media Congress, the ceremony solidified Food For Mzansi’s position as a global leader in digital journalism innovation. The publication, known for its engaging content and focus on empowering farmers, was the only African media company to clinch the top prize.
Food For Mzansi also emerged as runner-up in the category for Best Native Advertising category for its Meadow Feeds campaign. The publication came second in the world, behind a campaign by Bonnier News, Sweden, for that country’s Heart and Lung Foundation.
However, Food For Mzansi’s big win came for their Farmer’s Inside Track podcast. The global panel of judges commended the podcast for its “good targeted content” and “concise storytelling”, highlighting its ability to effectively connect with its audience.
Ivor Price, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Food For Mzansi, says, “We honestly didn’t see it coming – we don’t have a podcast studio and most of our recordings are done via WhatsApp and Zoom. This award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our entire team, who are passionate about sharing the stories of South Africa’s agricultural heroes.”
From local heroes to global force
Farmer’s Inside Track has built a dedicated audience not just in South Africa but in over 90 countries around the globe. The podcast delivers valuable insights into agriculture through interviews with farmers, industry experts, and agripreneurs. It currently offers three different podcast editions each week.
“We’re thrilled that Farmer’s Inside Track has been recognised on the global stage,” says Kobus Louwrens, co-founder of Food For Mzansi. “This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire podcast team, especially Duncan Masiwa and Dawn Noemdoe, our fantastic hosts, and Meagan van der Vent, our technical producer.”
Louwrens describes Farmer’s Inside Track as a vital resource for newly commercialising farmers across Africa.
“By sharing the stories and insights of experienced agricultural professionals, we aim to empower these farmers with the knowledge and confidence they need to succeed. This award motivates us to keep sharing these valuable stories and continue to be a champion for South Africa’s agricultural heroes,” he says.
Noemdoe, who was originally the only Farmer’s Inside Track host when the podcast launched, adds, “Farming is a relentless journey to gain knowledge and better farming practices to succeed. South African farmers, in fact, all farmers globally, continuously search for ways to do better, failing forward to succeed.”
Now, with Farmer’s Inside Track’s more than 400 episodes, she notes, “I’m happy to play a part in enriching farmers’ knowledge and abilities through our weekly podcasts. We recognise there is an abundance of information, innovation, and agricultural practices available, and all we strive to do is bridge this gap for our local farmers.”
Celebration of global digital media innovation
WAN-IFRA, the global organisation for the world’s press, recognised excellence across various digital media categories. Awards were also given for innovative uses of AI in both revenue strategies (Ekstra Bladet, Denmark) and newsroom workflows (Russmedia, Austria).
United Daily News Group in Taiwan impressed with their data-driven approach to boosting subscriptions, while The Hindu Group in India stood out for their audience engagement project connecting people to their city.
The competition also highlighted other creative endeavour’s, including Newslaundry in India’s user-focused news app and Bonnier News in Sweden’s native advertising campaign that raised awareness for a health cause.
Amedia in Norway grabbed the award for best news website with their personalised content platform, while The Guardian in the USA took home the best newsletter prize for their “Reclaim your brain” series.
Further afield, awards were presented for compelling video content (South China Morning Post, Hong Kong), impactful data visualization (Reuters, USA), and a fact-checking initiative (Agence France-Presse) that empowers users to verify information online.
READ NEXT: Food For Mzansi wins big at Africa Digital Media Awards
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