In a stunning victory, Health For Mzansi’s podcast “Sisters Without Shame” has been crowned Africa’s best news podcast in the prestigious African Digital Media Awards. This comes a year after it was also named the Best Gen Z publication in the continent.
The annual competition, hosted by WAN-IFRA, recognises innovative African news publishers who meet the needs of their audiences. This year, South African publishers dominated the prize list.
An international panel of judges evaluated each entry in the competition. The esteemed panel included individuals such as Olivier Bot, deputy editor-in-chief of Tribune de Genève in Switzerland, and Cherilyn Ireton, executive director of the World Editors Forum at WAN-IFRA in the United Kingdom.
According to the judges, “Sisters Without Shame” impressed with its unique approach to addressing cultural stigmas and shame around discussions of health and wellness in South Africa. Through real-life stories and conversations with health professionals, the podcast aims to empower South African women to take an active role in their health journeys.
“This is a great listen: important and often taboo topics covered in a reassuring, thoughtful, and professional way,” remarked the judges. “The tone and pacing are pitch perfect, and the shorter duration works really well. The branding is also excellent. Lively, compelling, and vital.”
As winners of the African Digital Media Awards, Health For Mzansi’s “Sisters Without Shame” will now move on to compete in the next level of the competition against other regional winners for the coveted world podcast title. The winners will be celebrated at the World News Media Congress in Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, in June 2023.
Ronelle Louwrens, publisher of Health For Mzansi, expressed her delight at the award. “We are thrilled to receive this recognition for our work on ‘Sisters Without Shame’, she said. “At Health For Mzansi, we believe that discussions around health and wellness should be open and inclusive, and this award is a testament to that belief.”
Louwrens said Health For Mzansi is committed to empowering South Africans to take control of their health and wellness. “This award is a testament to our unwavering commitment to removing cultural stigmas and shame around discussions of health and wellness, especially in township communities.”
