Africa – We Are Not The Machine (WANTM) is the globally renowned production powerhouse behind commissioned factual content for distribution on the BBC and ARTE Digital, and the co-production of the independent documentary Softie (Sundance 2020). WANTM has ventured into the scripted podcast space, having launched its first project, ‘After The Credits Roll,’ on 9th July 2023 on audio podcast platforms.

“After The Credits Roll” is inspired by the experiences that the protagonist of the award winning documentary I AM SAMUEL (Hot Docs 2020) had when the documentary was released in Africa. Production was done by AMP Studios in Nairobi, a leading sound engineering and production company. The podcast is being distributed as a special episode on the ‘Nipe Story’ podcast, a popular Kenyan podcast that revels in the storytelling of authentic short African fiction. It is also globally available for free on the documentary’s website.

“We are inspired by the incredible and entertaining work of podcasters in Kenya and Africa. The podcast space is becoming an important platform for the inclusion of diverse and exciting voices,” says Toni Kamau, the News Emmy nominated founder of We Are Not The Machine. “The popularity of podcasts is dependent on their ability to be non-traditional, and thus, radically honest and inventive.” This wave is not just in Africa, but also all over the world, with 464.7 million podcast listeners tuned in to alternative thought. It is predicted that there will be around 504.9 million podcast listeners worldwide by the end of 2024.

We Are Not The Machine is in development on a slate of scripted podcasts celebrating the richness of African history and the multitude of experiences of young Africans; telling all stories, from all points of view. “Podcasts are a great place to develop intellectual property and build audiences for scripted African content. We would love to meet with writers and co-develop projects in this format. The future is thrilling, and it is collaborative,” adds Ms Kamau.

The podcast was released in tandem with a series of short essays written by lyrical writer Kiprop Kimutai, and inspired by Samuel’s journey from childhood, all the way to his relocation. I AM SAMUEL director Pete Murimi worked closely with Kiprop Kimutai on the essays. “The point of these stories is to share the lived experiences of this Kenyan man, and illustrate the true power of friendship and community, even beyond borders.” These essays are distributed for free also, on the website, and through social media platforms.

 Toni Kamau is a News Emmy, PGA and Peabody nominated producer, and founder of the female led We Are Not The Machine Ltd, which tells stories of African outsiders, rebels and changemakers for global audiences. Recent features include Emmy nominated, Oscar qualifying, multiple award winning “Softie,” directed by Sam Soko (co-produced with LBx Africa), which premiered at Sundance 2020, and “I am Samuel,” directed by Pete Murimi, which screened at BFI LFF 2020, and premiered across Africa on AfriDocs in October 2021. Toni is currently in post-production on a feature documentary exploring the impact of climate change in Africa, in production on a limited documentary series, and in development on various factual and scripted projects.

We Are Not The Machine was founded in 2016 as an independent Kenyan production company that provides creative production, fundraising and service production support, regularly collaborating on shorts, feature documentaries, and series with content creators from across the world.