Best Narrative Declaration Podcasts (2025)

1
The Martin | Rotgrind | S4 E6 2:24:45

5d ago2:24:45

2:24:45

By Narrative Declaration

1
Johannesburg: A city in dire state 43:35

3h ago43:35

43:35

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa met senior leaders of Johannesburg and Gauteng, the province it’s located in, in March 2025 to discuss ways to arrest the steep decline in South Africa’s largest city. Ramaphosa announced a two-year-long presidential intervention to tackle some of the city’s most pressing issues. It is to be led by the Presid…

1
Construction mafias target R550-million Gauteng Golden Highway project 18:10

3h ago18:10

18:10

A construction company that was awarded the contract worth almost R550 million earl this year to rehabilitate the Golden Highway in Gauteng, has dragged Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, several taxi associations, business forums and councillors to court over allegations of extortion, threats, assaults and attempted murder of its employees workir on th…

1
Boipatong Massacre etched in many minds 33 years on 24:53

3h ago24:53

24:53

On 17 June 1992 the Joe Slovo Informal settlement in Boipatong outside Vereeniging was attacked by a group of about 300 armed men from Kwa Madala Hostel in nearby Sebokeng Township. Over 40 people were killed in the Massacre and scores injured. The armed men were affiliated to the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and observers suspected that the attack …

1
South Africa’s GNU Turns One: Marking one year of Unity and Friction 33:10

3h ago33:10

33:10

As South Africa marks the one-year anniversary of its Government of National Unity (GNU), the country stands at a crossroads, again. The 2024 general election failed to produce an outright majority, ushering in a coalition arrangement intended to provide political stability and economic direction. But has it worked? Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is in conversat…

1
Barney Pityana and the Making of a black concious Post-Apartheid South Africa:Reflecting on The South African Students' Organisation (SASO) as a key student movemen in South Africa during the apartheid ... 1:10:51

8h ago1:10:51

1:10:51

The Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) was a South African grassroots anti-apartheid movement that emerged in the late 1960s, largely due to the banning of the African National Congress (ANC) and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). The movement, spearheaded by figures like Steve Biko, aimed to foster black pride, self-reliance, and solidarity, ultimatel…

1
Barney Pityana and the Making of a black concious Post-Apartheid South Africa:Reflecting on The South African Students' Organisation (SASO) as a key student movemen in South Africa during the apartheid ... 1:10:51

8h ago1:10:51

1:10:51

The Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) was a South African grassroots anti-apartheid movement that emerged in the late 1960s, largely due to the banning of the African National Congress (ANC) and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). The movement, spearheaded by figures like Steve Biko, aimed to foster black pride, self-reliance, and solidarity, ultimatel…

1
South Africa’s TikTok Generation: Using Social Media to spark conversation, entertain, educate and develop new narratives and identities . In conversation with SA’s most sought content creators 24:30

8h ago24:30

24:30

TikTok, the short-form video platform developed by Chinese tech company ByteDance, was launched globally in 2016 and quickly became a dominant force in the digital content landscape. In South Africa, the platform began gaining significant popularity around 2019, driven initially by the youth demographic seeking new and creative forms of expression.…

1
South Africa’s TikTok Generation: Using Social Media to spark conversation, entertain, educate and develop new narratives and identities . In conversation with SA’s most sought content creators 24:30

8h ago24:30

24:30

TikTok, the short-form video platform developed by Chinese tech company ByteDance, was launched globally in 2016 and quickly became a dominant force in the digital content landscape. In South Africa, the platform began gaining significant popularity around 2019, driven initially by the youth demographic seeking new and creative forms of expression.…

1
#1656 A Conversation with Novelist Anne Hillerman 52:15

16h ago52:15

52:15

Clay interviews the southwestern crime novelist Anne Hillerman, now publishing her 10th novel about crime-solving in the land of the Navajo in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. Anne is the daughter of the acclaimed and bestselling Tony Hillerman, who wrote 19 novels before he died in 2008. Anne decided to carry on the tradition, and her succ…

1
‘You can let go now’: inside the hospital where staff treat fear of death as well as physical pain 38:52

1d ago38:52

38:52

In a Danish palliative care unit, the alternative to assisted dying is not striving to cure – offering relief and comfort to patients and their families By Line Vaaben. Read by Freya Miller. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
City of Johannesburg A former World Class African City. Can it be saved 1:07:42

4d ago1:07:42

1:07:42

Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic hub, is falling apart. The state of the road, electricity, and water infrastructure is showing clear signs of collapse. As the country’s largest city and primary economic hub, Johannesburg is home to over 5.5 million people and contributes nearly 16% of South Africa’s GDP. The City is home to the headquarters o…

1
City of Johannesburg A former World Class African City. Can it be saved 1:07:42

4d ago1:07:42

1:07:42

Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic hub, is falling apart. The state of the road, electricity, and water infrastructure is showing clear signs of collapse. As the country’s largest city and primary economic hub, Johannesburg is home to over 5.5 million people and contributes nearly 16% of South Africa’s GDP. The City is home to the headquarters o…

1
Israel attacks Iran and declares emergency over expected 'missile and drone' retaliation 23:17

4d ago23:17

23:17

Israel launched a series of airstrikes against Iran early Friday morning, targeting locations it said were related to Iran’s nuclear program. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, chief of the Iranian Armed Forces, the country’s most senior military official, was killed during the strikes, alongside the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard …

1
Israel attacks Iran and declares emergency over expected 'missile and drone' retaliation 23:17

4d ago23:17

23:17

Israel launched a series of airstrikes against Iran early Friday morning, targeting locations it said were related to Iran’s nuclear program. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, chief of the Iranian Armed Forces, the country’s most senior military official, was killed during the strikes, alongside the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard …

1
An English gentleman, a crooked lawyer: the secrets of Stephen David Jones 54:02

4d ago54:02

54:02

With his brilliant mind and impeccable credentials, it’s little wonder that wealthy clients trusted him with their fortunes. Then they started to get suspicious By Hettie O’Brien. Read by Simon Vance. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
From the archive: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: three days with a giant of African literature 59:05

6d ago59:05

59:05

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2023: The Kenyan novelist’s life and work has intersected with many of the biggest events of the past century. At 85, he reflects on his long, uncompromising life in writing Written and read by Ca…

1
Statistics South Africa’s data ecosystems: Analysing the work of Stats SA amid a stagnant economy 1:14:04

7d ago1:14:04

1:14:04

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) publishes the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) every quarter. GDP measures the size of the economy and its growth rate over time and is the most familiar and widely recognised feature of the national accounts. The international gold standard for national accounts compilation is the System of National Account…

1
Statistics South Africa’s data ecosystems: Analysing the work of Stats SA amid a stagnant economy 1:14:04

7d ago1:14:04

1:14:04

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) publishes the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) every quarter. GDP measures the size of the economy and its growth rate over time and is the most familiar and widely recognised feature of the national accounts. The international gold standard for national accounts compilation is the System of National Account…

1
National Lottery Commission: Ithuba Holdings Granted 12-months Extension 16:44

7d ago16:44

16:44

The minister responsible for the National Lottery has awarded an “emergency” 12-month temporary licence to Ithuba Holdings, the company that has operated the National Lottery for the past 10 years. The awarding of the temporary licence was made just hours before Ithuba’s contract ended on 31 May 2025. According to the Lotteries Act, an operator’s l…

1
National Lottery Commission: Ithuba Holdings Granted 12-months Extension 16:44

7d ago16:44

16:44

The minister responsible for the National Lottery has awarded an “emergency” 12-month temporary licence to Ithuba Holdings, the company that has operated the National Lottery for the past 10 years. The awarding of the temporary licence was made just hours before Ithuba’s contract ended on 31 May 2025. According to the Lotteries Act, an operator’s l…

1
When ELIZA meets therapists: A Turing test for the heart and mind 22:08

7d ago22:08

22:08

If your relationship is on the rocks, your best bet to patch things up might not be to seek counseling from a therapist, but from AI — or so posits a new study exploring the potential of ChatGPT in couples therapy. The experiment, which was published in PLOS Mental Health, put 830 participants in couples therapy scenarios to determine whether AI wo…

1
IN CONVERSATION WITH… 38:16

7d ago38:16

38:16

Ihashi Elimhlophe is a household name in South African maskandi traditional Zulu music. Leader Bheki Ngcobo, the brains behind the group, first recorded in 1986. He has never looked back since. In 1976 Bheki Ngcobo left his small village of KwaBiyela in KwaZulu-Natal for Johannesburg, in search of opportunities in the big city of gold. He started h…

1
Rectifying the ‘false’ colonial narrative of Nongqawuse and the cattle culling of 1856 25:13

7d ago25:13

25:13

Traveller and author Treive Nicholas reclaims the tragic story of the Gcaleka clan by exploring ancient amaXhosa heritage and offering a powerful re-examination of Nongqawuse within a harshly scarred history. In his book "In Search of Nongqawuse," Nicholas tells the story of a young orphan girl whose life intersects with a catastrophic historical c…

1
Trump and Musk Feud 20:16

7d ago20:16

20:16

President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to cut off government contracts with billionaire Elon Musk's companies, while Musk suggested Trump should be impeached, turning their bromance into an all-out brawl on social media. The hostilities began when Trump criticized Tesla CEO Musk in the Oval Office. Within hours, the once-close relationship h…

1
#1655 Clay and Lindsay Live: Religious Freedom 51:37

8d ago51:37

51:37

Clay’s live conversation with Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky on Religious Freedom. Clay and Lindsay met in person at The Historic Christ Church and Museum in Weems, Virginia to discuss the history of religous freedom in the United States. They talk about how many Presidents have shared the faith, why there was an effort to separate the church and state fro…

1
Parks Tau's appoints Ithuba Holdings to operate the national lottery for the next 12 months 9:45

8d ago9:45

9:45

The minister responsible for the National Lottery has awarded an “emergency” 12-month temporary licence to Ithuba Holdings, the company that has operated the National Lottery for the past 10 years. The awarding of the temporary licence was made just hours before Ithuba’s contract ended on 31 May 2025. According to the Lotteries Act, an operator’s l…

1
DA Federal Leader, Helen Zille looking to be Johannesburg’s next Mayor 22:22

8d ago22:22

22:22

Helen Zille is considering throwing her hat into the ring to become the DA’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg. Senior DA sources indicated to City Press sister publication Rapport in the past week that Zille is being encouraged to make herself available as the party’s candidate for the municipal election set to take place at the end of 2026. Zill…

1
Death, divorce and the magic of kitchen objects: how to find hope in loss 28:45

8d ago28:45

28:45

As they pass through different hands, cooking utensils can magically connect us to loved ones who are no longer with us By Bee Wilson. Read by Colleen Prendergast. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
Missing in the Amazon: the disappearance – episode 1 26:51

11d ago26:51

26:51

Three years ago British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian indigenous defender Bruno Pereira vanished while on a reporting trip near Brazil’s remote Javari valley. The Guardian’s Latin America correspondent Tom Phillips investigates what happened in the first episode of a new six-part investigative podcast series. Find episode 2 – and all future…

1
FUND TO HELP PEOPLE PAY BAIL 45:57

12d ago45:57

45:57

More than 2,600 awaiting-trial detainees are stuck in overcrowded South African prisons because they cannot afford to pay bail of less than R1,000. Many more cannot afford low bail amounts of more than R1,000. The Bail Fund working group, led by the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) and with the support of the Bertha Centre and…

1
Western Cape Gang Monitor report: Gangs recruit 12-year-olds, fuelling rise in child murders 24:05

12d ago24:05

24:05

Western Cape gangs are recruiting children as young as 12 to conceal dangerous weapons and as “spotters” to watch out for the police. This phenomenon is driving up the rate of child murders in the province, according to a Western Cape Gang Monitor report released by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC). Citing police…

1
Florence Nightingale and her Geeks Declare War on Death 46:01

12d ago46:01

46:01

In this episode from the Cautionary Tales podcast, Harford teams up with actor Helena Bonham Carter, a distant relative of Florence Nightingale, to tell the story of how the ‘“Lady with the Lamp” revolutionized public health with a pie chart. Nightingale was a statistician as well as a nurse, and it was her use of data graphics that led hospitals t…

1
A deadly mission: how Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira tried to warn the world about the Amazon’s destruction 30:36

12d ago30:36

30:36

The Guardian journalist and the Brazilian Indigenous expert were killed while investigating the impact of deforestation. In this extract from the book Phillips was writing at the time of his death, he reflects on his encounters with the rainforest and its people – and why it is so vital to save this precious place By Dom Phillips. Read by Felipe Pa…

1
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: REFLECTIONS ON FOOD (IN)SECURITY 46:52

13d ago46:52

46:52

Civil society organisations are calling for amendments to the updated National Food and Nutrition Security Plan to address and monitor affordability and food pricing and give people economic access to nutritious food.  This is one of the recommendations in a new report by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (Seri). The report, launc…

1
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: REFLECTIONS ON FOOD (IN)SECURITY 46:52

13d ago46:52

46:52

Civil society organisations are calling for amendments to the updated National Food and Nutrition Security Plan to address and monitor affordability and food pricing and give people economic access to nutritious food.  This is one of the recommendations in a new report by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (Seri). The report, launc…

1
GDP growth subdued in the first quarter: Why is SA economy stagnant? 22:02

13d ago22:02

22:02

The South African economy kept its head above water in the first quarter of 2025 (January–March), expanding by a marginal 0,1% compared with the fourth quarter of 2024.1 Four of the ten industries on the production (supply) side of the economy recorded positive gains, with agriculture driving most of the upward momentum. Household spending, stronge…

1
GDP growth subdued in the first quarter: Why is SA economy stagnant? 22:02

13d ago22:02

22:02

The South African economy kept its head above water in the first quarter of 2025 (January–March), expanding by a marginal 0,1% compared with the fourth quarter of 2024.1 Four of the ten industries on the production (supply) side of the economy recorded positive gains, with agriculture driving most of the upward momentum. Household spending, stronge…

1
State to appeal ruling on Moroadi Cholota's extradition from US 13:14

13d ago13:14

13:14

The State in the Free State asbestos trial has confirmed that it plans to appeal the Bloemfontein High Court judgment that overturned Moroadi Cholota's extradition from the US. Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is in conversation with NPA Spokesperson, Advocate Mthunzi Mhaga. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
State to appeal ruling on Moroadi Cholota's extradition from US 13:14

13d ago13:14

13:14

The State in the Free State asbestos trial has confirmed that it plans to appeal the Bloemfontein High Court judgment that overturned Moroadi Cholota's extradition from the US. Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is in conversation with NPA Spokesperson, Advocate Mthunzi Mhaga. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Narrative Declaration Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide