There is a particular cruelty in being told to lower your voice before you've even learned what you have to say. Sofiyat 'Sofi' Ibrahim knows this all too well. When the world tells you that you are too much, you have two choices: shrink, or make the volume your superpower. She chose to turn up the volume and reclaimed herself: The Odditty.

At 28, Sofi, aka The Odditty, is one of the most formidable voices in the podcast industry. Her show, ‘Am I Too Loud with The Odditty?!’, has become the unapologetic companion for listeners across the world, shedding light on conversations one usually has behind closed doors, in group chats, and on late-night phone calls with the one friend who tells you the truth. With over one million followers across her social platforms, she has built a community that recognises itself in her "Podfam”, and returns not just to be entertained, but to feel seen.

Born in Nigeria and based in the USA, Sofi's journey to this moment was never linear. She arrived in America in 2014 with a plan that looked nothing like a podcast studio.

The plan was to be a UN ambassador, a gender equality advocate. And with a bachelor's degree in Political Science and a master's in Peace and Conflict Studies, the plan looked like it was on track.

"I always wanted to be an international UN ambassador for the longest time," she says, with the kind of laugh that suggests she has made peace with the detour. "But I also love documenting. I love fashion. I love beauty. I love yapping."

So she did what made sense: she documented her life online. And then, first quietly and then all at once, her name became the thing nobody could scroll past.

There’s something instantly grounding about Gugulethu Nyatsumba. Maybe it’s the voice - calm, clear, and deeply human. Maybe it’s the way she’s managed to make vulnerability feel like a superpower.

In a world where curated perfection often takes centre stage, two dynamic women are breaking the mould and inviting us into the beautifully unfiltered conversations of The Messy Inbetween.

It All Begins Here

It All Begins Here

It All Begins Here

It All Begins Here

It All Begins Here

Three podcasters walk into a studio on a late spring afternoon in Johannesburg, South Africa, ready to shoot the November / December cover of “The Podcast Sessions” magazine.

Like family, each unique in personality, yet bound by the fact that their podcasts are all housed under the same company, People of Colour Podcasts (POC Pods).

Having spoken to each podcaster, they have much to share on life, lessons and the liberty to be their true selves behind the mic. POC Pods was started by Simmi, who longed to see greater diversity and representation among the voices heard on the radio. His company now produces five shows including: "Lesser Known Somebodies"; "Baked, the Podcast", "Son of A Son"; "Pod off the Press"; "Short Fine Legs" and their latest offering "Open Wide Say 'Ah'".

With no official qualification in audio, Simmi says everything he’s learned from scratch.

“I learnt editing by myself, I learnt how to record - but of course those skills came to me when I was in radio but taking them to a podcast level is something different… I watched a lot of YouTube Videos, to be honest - the school of YouTube [is my] University - I am a Cum Laude [graduate] in that.”

One key aspect of holistically producing a podcast lies in making sure you have incredible audio - after all, it’s the business of audio.