From the turbulence of a disrupted childhood to the global stage of the Venice Film Festival and the Emmy Awards, Joel Kachi Benson has lived a journey shaped by resilience, storytelling, and vision. Known for his groundbreaking VR documentary Daughters of Chibok, which brought the voices of mothers of abducted schoolgirls to the world, and Disney’s Madu, Benson has turned the camera into a compass for empathy and change.In this episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Benson reflects on:• How literature became a refuge after his early dreams collapsed, and why curiosity became his lifelong tool.• The leap from music videos and corporate work to purpose-driven documentaries that give dignity to the vulnerable.• The moment he emptied his bank account to train in VR, and how it transformed his storytelling.• Why empathy is never enough unless it leads to action, and how he designs impact into every project.• Fatherhood, presence, and teaching his children contentment and curiosity as the foundation for their future.Benson speaks with honesty, conviction, and creativity, showing how African filmmakers are pushing beyond borders while staying rooted in purpose. This is a conversation about taking risks, telling truths, and turning stories into action.Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Afripods, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Kachi Benson on the following platforms: LinkedIn | Instagram or visit his website kachibenson.comSubscribe to: WATCH | LISTENZebra Culture NewsletterRecorded at Vodcast TVShow Music by Kweku 'Taygo' BaffoeProduced by Ayob Vania
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1:15:37
Thabiso Mohare, Poetry As A Compass
From hip hop cassettes in Hammanskraal to founding one of South Africa’s most influential spoken word movements, Thabiso “Afurakan” Mohare has always treated poetry as more than performance; it has been a compass for life. As co-founder of Word N Sound, he has helped shape stages, archives, and voices that have defined a generation of poets. But his truest pivot has been personal: declaring himself “a parent first” and restructuring his life and work around family, time, and legacy.In this episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Afurakan reflects on:• How poetry offered survival, direction, and a lifelong foundation.• The making of Word N Sound and the challenge of archiving 15 years of formats, festivals, and voices.• Why he believes income belongs to the household, not the individual.• The shift from chasing gigs to building a consultancy that safeguards time with his daughters.• Lessons on creative freedom, parenting with intention, and redefining manhood beyond breadwinning.Spoken with honesty and vision, this conversation captures Afurakan’s journey as both artist and father, revealing why poetry is not only his craft, but his compass.Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Afripods, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Thabiso Mohare on the following platforms: LinkedIn | Instagram | X [formerly Twitter]Subscribe to: WATCH | LISTENZebra Culture NewsletterRecorded at Vodcast TVShow Music by Kweku 'Taygo' BaffoeProduced by Ayob Vania
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1:16:33
Chef Coco Reinarhz, Elevating African Cuisine
Chef Coco Reinarhz’s story is written in flavour. Born into a family of restauranteurs and chefs - his grandfather and his mother - he tried to escape the kitchen for construction engineering, only to discover that cooking was not just passion, but destiny.In this episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Chef Coco reflects on his journey from Eurocentric training in Belgium to building restaurants in Johannesburg and finally founding Epicure, a pan-African dining space designed to make African flavours part of everyday dining. He shares why “food is a love language,” why “you eat first with your eyes,” and how elevating presentation is key to reshaping global perceptions of African cuisine.The conversation moves through triumphs and trials:• The generational legacy that shaped his culinary DNA.• The rebellion of his youth and the return to his true calling.• Training in Belgium and realising how absent Africa was in the syllabus.• Building Johannesburg’s restaurants by word of mouth, before creating Epicure as a continental food journey.• The shock of COVID, which he reframed as a blessing that opened new markets in Dubai and beyond.• Why mentoring chefs, embracing copycats, and documenting recipes are central to his legacy.• Life beyond the kitchen: raising a family in South Africa, the joy of being a grandfather, and finding calm in golf and cigar appreciation.Whether you know him from Expo 2020 Dubai’s Alkebulan African Dining Hall or encounter him here as a restaurateur, father, and cultural storyteller, this is a conversation about food as identity, connection, and everyday experience.Chef Coco Reinarhz is not just cooking meals; he is reimagining how the world tastes Africa.Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Afripods, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Chef Coco on the following platforms: LinkedIn | Instagram, or visit the Epicure WebsiteSubscribe to: WATCH | LISTENZebra Culture NewsletterRecorded at Vodcast TVShow Music by Kweku 'Taygo' BaffoeProduced by Ayob Vania
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1:12:18
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1:12:18
Letitia Masina, Building Legacy Beyond the Spotlight
From her village roots in the Northwest to leading one of South Africa’s most creative production houses, Letitia Masina has built a life and career that embodies resilience, authenticity, and legacy. Having once walked the path of modelling, acting, and presenting, she made the conscious choice to step away from the spotlight and focus on what she truly loved: shaping stories, nurturing talent, and building spaces where creativity could thrive.In this compelling episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Letitia reflects on:Growing up in a rural village, navigating boarding school, and the journey that brought her to Johannesburg.Why she chose to leave the spotlight to tell stories behind the camera.Building Wife and Hubby Creative alongside her husband, and raising children who are also collaborators in the family business.How she reframes nepotism as intentional legacy building and why she believes in giving the next generation access and accountability.The responsibility of storytelling, balancing sensitivity with celebration, and why authenticity matters more than perfection. Adapting to new platforms where digital media reshapes how we tell and consume stories.Masina speaks with warmth, honesty, and conviction about creativity as a legacy that outlives us, family as a foundation, and the importance of crafting stories that empower. Her journey offers not just inspiration but a model for how to build with integrity while nurturing both personal and professional growth.Whether you know her as a producer, director, mother, or creative leader, this episode reveals why Letitia Masina’s work continues to shape South African storytelling and why her legacies reach far beyond the spotlight.Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Afripods, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Letitia Masina on the following platforms: LinkedIn | Instagram Subscribe to: WATCH | LISTENzebra culture NewsletterRecorded at Vodcast TVShow Music by Kweku 'Taygo' BaffoeProduced by Ayob Vania
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1:08:47
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1:08:47
Brian Baloyi, The Keeper of Legacies Beyond Football
From the dusty fields of Alexandra to the stadiums of Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Bafana Bafana, Brian Baloyi has lived the highs and lows of South African football. Known as Spider-Man between the posts, he now uses his voice and vision to teach lessons that go far beyond the game.In this powerful episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Baloyi reflects on:Why football is life’s greatest teacher, shaping resilience, discipline, and teamwork.The importance of planning for retirement early, and how he chose to leave on his own terms.His belief that true legacy lies in systems, not just money, and how generational wealth is secured through structure.The personal journey of navigating his wife’s cancer battle and choosing happiness as survival.How his Goalkeeping Academy aims to inspire the next generation to dream beyond borders.Baloyi speaks with honesty, humour, and authority, sharing how criticism, failure, and pressure built the man he became, and why he now dreams, not just for himself, but for his children, grandchildren, and society at large.Whether you know him as a legendary goalkeeper or meet him here as a mentor, father, and community builder, this is a conversation that shows why Brian Baloyi’s legacy stretches far beyond football.You can find the latest from Brian Baloyi on the following platforms: LinkedIn | Instagram | X [formerly Twitter]Subscribe to: WATCH | LISTENzebra culture NewsletterRecorded at Spotify Africa Joburg StudioShow Music by Kweku 'Taygo' BaffoeProduced by Ayob Vania
I have always been fascinated by how people got to where they are and how they do what they do. Having worked across multiple sectors including media, retail, consulting, fashion, etc, I am curious about a lot of things. In the Listen To Your Footsteps podcast, I get to have conversations with Africans operating across various fields like the arts, design, advertising, media, entertainment, technology and business about their life’s journey and the lessons they have learned along the way. It is a space for reflection, introspection, acknowledgement and celebration.
South Africa