South Africa’s newest, biggest podcaster is celebrating its second birthday on May 1st 2016.
My brother has a son who is just a few months older than Cliffcentral.com and his name is Luke. I have observed him and some of his friends and have found that two-year-olds are bright-eyed, energetic and unafraid. They push the boundaries to see how much their parents will let them get away with and they absorb everything like a sponge. All of these things are equally true with our young content business. In the space of the last two years, we have disrupted the media industry; made tremendous strides in writing the blueprint for a new kind of online hybrid podcaster/broadcaster; forged some incredible partnerships and created some of the best original content South Africa has seen in many years.
Cliffcentral.com prides itself on being the most innovative digital media business on the block. We pioneered unRadio, then unTV, and all the while we’ve found ways to tie advertising and sponsorship into content creation in a unique way. Our second year also saw the launch of our slick CliffCentral app, a re-design of our website and a constantly evolving line-up of shows that inspire, entertain, inform and empower. With a core audience very much at the heart of every new innovation, we’re always working on the next big thing, even if we’re not quite sure how it’ll turn out.
In our two years, we’ve had groundbreaking conversations about the things that affect all South Africans; made the news for many of the revelations our intimate interviews and high-profile guests opened up about; stirred up controversy and cooled down social media fury to a healthy, respectful temperature. We have become the voice of social media on the one hand, and a truly independent media platform on the other, with a show for every taste and interest… and we’re just getting started. Our line-up boasts more than 35 live shows a week and an increasing number of podcast-only shows that are growing their own audiences and communities. The list of well-known names and fresh talent in our stable continues to grow.
Despite my own very public battle with a large media corporation in January, I’ve had a very satisfying personal experience running this business with my partner, Rina Broomberg, along with our small and brilliant team. CliffCentral has fought alongside the biggest names to establish and grow our brand in the spectrum, partnering with great social entrepreneurship causes and influential people alike. We showcased young entrepreneurs and got them face-time with Sir Richard Branson and a trip to Global Entrepreneurship Week in London, courtesy of Virgin Atlantic. We’ve worked with brands, great and small, to do everything from launch new cars, to market new apps. Our listeners are global citizens who know what they want and know where to get it. In fact, they’re the most exacting, smart and sophisticated audience I’ve engaged with in twenty years of television and radio broadcasting.
We’ve passed all the milestones we laid out at the start of this venture, and I have no doubt that the future is ours. Thank you for being a part of this ever-expanding family, and for giving us a reason to keep producing Africa’s best digital content.
– Gareth Cliff