Listen To Your Footsteps

Kojo Baffoe | Zebra Culture

Kojo Baffoe is a South Africa based storyteller, writer, author & content strategist, driven by curiosity & a fascination with how people got to where they are and how they do what they do. In the Listen To Your Footsteps podcast, he has in-depth 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.

  1. 23 HR AGO

    Emily Ntuli, Taxi Ranks To C-Suite

    Her father owned taxis. She runs a law firm. Emily Ntuli grew up the fourth daughter in a township in Pretoria, in a household shaped by the grit, dignity and stigma of South Africa's taxi industry. There was no professional blueprint to follow, no family member who had walked into a boardroom before her. What Emily had was a work ethic inherited from her parents, a quiet and relentless drive, and an ability to read systems — in organisations, in people and in herself. Today she is the Chief Operations Officer of HBGSchindlers Attorneys in Johannesburg, a Non-Executive Director, a Committee Chair, an IoDSA member, and one of the most compelling voices in South Africa's legal and corporate leadership space. The distance between the taxi ranks and the C-Suite is not a gap she glosses over. It is the whole story — and in this episode, she tells it with full honesty. This is a conversation about what it takes to move from a reception desk to a corner office, how to build HR and operational systems that actually serve the people inside them, and why the most powerful thing Emily Ntuli can do now is be visible — for her daughter, for township youth, and for every first-generation professional trying to find their footing in a world that was not designed with them in mind. On this episode: Growing up in a taxi-industry household and the values her parents built into herMoving from receptionist to HR administrator and discovering her gift for people and processHow law chose her — long before she had the language to choose it backNavigating retrenchment on both sides — as someone retrenched, and as someone who had to do it to othersRunning a beauty salon as an act of entrepreneurship, survival and self-determinationBecoming a mother and how it sharpened her sense of purpose and urgencyQuiet leadership — why introversion is a strategic advantage in loud corporate environmentsBuilding systems that protect people, not just organisationsHer vision for making South Africa's legal sector more human and more inclusiveLegacy, visibility and the open door she is determined to hold for those coming behind herFrom the taxi ranks of Pretoria to the C-Suite of a Johannesburg law firm. This is Emily Ntuli's story. Listen now and follow Listen To Your Footsteps for new episodes every week. #EmilyNtuli #ListenToYourFootsteps #TaxiRanksToCsuite #HBGSchindlers #WomenInLeadership #COO #SouthAfricanPodcast #LegalSector #HRLeadership #BlackWomenInBusiness #TownshipToBoardroom #CareerJourney #FirstGenerationGraduate #AfricanLeadership #WomenEmpowerment #SocialMobilitySA #OperationsManagement #SystemsThinking #SouthAfricaBusiness #PodcastSA

    1hr 34min

  2. 23 APR

    Eddie Hatitye, Quiet Architect of African Sound

    Eddie Hatitye has spent two decades quietly building the infrastructure behind African music. From growing up in Harare with no access to instruments to leading the Music In Africa Foundation and founding the ACCES music market, he has become a key architect of how African sound is documented, funded and shared. Kojo and Eddie unpack the African music ecosystem beyond the stage: live performance and touring, royalties and data, management as the continent’s biggest missing skill, and why civil society and independent organisations are doing so much of the heavy lifting. They discuss diversifying revenue, youth internships and what it takes to turn creative passion into a sustainable career. Eddie also reflects on leadership, fatherhood, travel and the opportunities and risks AI brings to music makers and arts institutions. If you care about African music, creative careers or the future of the continent’s cultural economy, this episode is your starting point. Recorded at Vodcast TV #AfricanMusic #MusicBusiness #MusicInAfrica #CreativeEconomy #ACCESMusicMarket #AfricanCreatives #MusicManagement #LivePerformance #Royalties #ArtsFunding #CreativeCareers #AfricanSound

    1hr 26min

  3. 16 APR

    Nzinga Qunta, From Newsroom Lights To Law

    From teen model and Channel O presenter to SABC business news anchor and, now, advocate of the High Court of South Africa, Nzinga Qunta has lived several professional lives before forty. In this intimate conversation, she opens up about feeling like she was “performing smartness” on television and why she walked away from the newsroom to test the true limits of her mind in the notoriously gruelling Johannesburg Society of Advocates pupillage programme. Nzinga traces a childhood spent in exile across Botswana and Zimbabwe, the shock of coming “home” to South Africa to confront race labels and class divides, and how language, Pan-African politics and Black Consciousness shaped her sense of belonging. She speaks honestly about imposter syndrome, becoming a beginner again among younger lawyers, and the quiet discipline of building a reputation through work rather than social media performance. Along the way, we move through modelling castings and music television stages, the baptism of fire that was ANN7 and SABC live news, to international moderation gigs with presidents and CEOs, and her commitment to showing up as a fully visible Black woman—headwrap, Umbhaco fabric and all—without dimming her intellect. We also sit with motherhood, scouts, school runs and the realities of raising a daughter while fighting through one of the toughest spaces for Black women in South Africa’s legal profession. If you have ever wondered whether it is too late to start again, whether your mind can stretch further, or how to find your place when you do not quite fit the mould, this episode is a masterclass in purposeful reinvention, humility and courage. Listen in, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and leave a review so more people can discover these stories. #NzingaQunta #ListenToYourFootsteps #AfricanStories #BlackWomenInLaw #CareerReinvention #SouthAfricanPodcast #BusinessNewsAnchor #AfricanIdentity #JohannesburgSocietyOfAdvocates #Storytelling

    1hr 19min

  4. 9 APR

    Apiwe Bubu, Persistence Between Two Worlds

    In this episode, South African pianist, producer and label head Apiwe Bubu unpacks a 20-year journey from Eastern Cape school halls and Roman’s Pizza shifts to Berklee College of Music, Grammy-winning LA studios and Amapiano nights in Los Angeles. He shares how three failed Berklee auditions, immigrant hustle and a belief in persistence shaped his craft as a mix engineer, composer, DJ and founder of global music ecosystem We Want More and the AmaKinezi Vibe brand. Apiwe reflects on turning jazz piano into a foundation for everything from TV scores and trap beats to his debut solo album, why he calls mixing the “dark art” of music making, and what it means to build home across Pretoria, Johannesburg, the Eastern Cape and LA. The conversation dives into mentorship, signing his own mentor, navigating label partnerships with Virgin, and designing systems that let African creatives thrive across continents. If you are an emerging producer, sound engineer, artist or storyteller balancing multiple paths, this is a masterclass in craft, resilience and improvising a life that fits who you are. Listen, follow and share this episode with a friend chasing a creative path between worlds, and leave a rating or review so more people can discover these stories. #ApiweBubu #SouthAfricanMusic #JazzPiano #Amapiano #MusicProduction #SoundEngineering #BerkleeCollegeOfMusic #CreativeJourney #AfricanCreatives #ListenToYourFootsteps

    1hr 14min

  5. 2 APR

    Ntsika Tyatya, The Quiet Custodian Of Culture

    In this intimate conversation, culture and communications lead Ntsika Tyatya traces his journey from “between a mud house and a brick house” to stewarding MAXHOSA AFRICA’s voice on the global fashion stage. He reflects on being a lifelong “B-side” player, exporting African culture from Eastern Cape to Paris, and the sweat equity that turns campus poetry nights into Vogue‑level runways. We explore what it means to be a human, comma, being – a quiet custodian of culture negotiating faith, ancestors and pressure as a privilege, while fatherhood destabilises every plan he thought he had. From proximity and presence to the unseen labour behind African luxury, this episode is a masterclass in purpose, patience and working without ego. If you are a creative, strategist, parent or culture worker questioning your place in the story, this one is for you. Listen, share and leave a review so more people can discover these African stories. Subscribe to the show, tag us with your favourite quote, and let this episode travel further than the runway. #NtsikaTyatya #ListenToYourFootsteps #AfricanStorytelling #MAXHOSAAfrica #AfricanFashion #CreativeCommunications #CultureAndCommunication #BlackFatherhood #HumanBeing #SweatEquity #ParisFashionWeek #AfricanLuxury

    1hr 23min

  6. 26 MAR

    Kutlwano Masote, Conducting Life’s Imperfect Harmony

    South African conductor, cellist, broadcaster and now author Kutlwano Masote joins this episode to trace a life lived between orchestra pits, radio studios and a Soweto home that doubled as a musical oasis. From grandparents who mixed political activism with choir rehearsals to his father Michael’s pioneering work with township orchestras, Masote shows how classical music was never far from Black South African life – even when it seemed unlikely.​ We talk about his memoir Imperfect Harmony and what it means to conduct a life that holds family, faith, work and addiction recovery in the same score. He shares the story of homeschooling his son Pendo so he could pursue the violin all the way to the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal College of Music, and the equally brave decision to let his younger son Kago walk away from a music scholarship to chase cricket instead.​ In a conversation that moves from Baroque favourites to TKZee, from church choirs to Classics on Turf, we explore how to de‑mystify classical music, how to turn creative skills into a portfolio career, and why each generation’s job is to raise the platform for the next. If you are a creative, a parent or anyone trying to balance passion with responsibility, this episode offers language, lessons and permission to embrace your own imperfect harmony.​ Listen, follow and share this episode with someone who loves music, works in the arts, or is raising the next generation of creatives; and if it resonates, leave a rating and review so more listeners can find these stories. #KutlwanoMasote #ImperfectHarmony #SouthAfricanClassicalMusic #SowetoStories #AfricanCreatives #MusicAndFatherhood #PortfolioCareer #ClassicsOnTurf #ListenToYourFootstepsPodcast

    1hr 42min

  7. 19 MAR

    Donovan Goliath, Notes From A Relentlessly Curious Storyteller

    Donovan Goliath has built a career out of saying “yes” to his curiosity – from comedy stages and Netflix campaigns to design studios, cameras and a 365‑day make‑and‑share project. In this deeply reflective conversation, we slow everything down and unpack what actually sits behind that restless output.​ We talk about the multihyphenate struggle to find a stable “why”, how childhood rejection and art‑school doubt still shape his drive, and why he keeps gravitating towards ordinary moments with a quiet twist. Donovan opens up about beating procrastination with daily deadlines, using analog notebooks and Post‑it notes to simplify ideas, and resisting the pull of algorithms and metrics when they start to define his value.​ Along the way, we explore journaling as a creative practice, the power of limiting your tools and inspirations, and the hard questions around legacy: what your kids will really remember, and how podcasts, photos and books become the archives our families inherit. If you’ve ever felt torn between too many creative lanes – or wondered whether any of it really matters – this episode will sit with you for a long time.​ Listen, save and share this episode with a fellow relentlessly curious storyteller, and tag us with the one idea you’re taking into your own practice. #DonovanGoliath #ListenToYourFootsteps #CreativeProcess #Multihyphenate #Storytelling #SouthAfricanCreatives #365Project #CreativePractice #Journaling #Photography #Comedy #DesignThinking #Legacy #ContentCreation

    1hr 51min

  8. 12 MAR

    Buyi Mafoko, Nomadic Roots and the Luxury of Choice

    Nomadic childhood. Eight schools in twelve years. Bucket baths in the village, champagne in the city. Kojo sits with African luxury strategist, Matte BLK co-founder and Africa on Luxury podcast host Buyi Mafoko to explore how a life built on movement, matriarchs and education shaped her ability to belong anywhere.​ Buyi talks about money as a means to freedom, the pressure of being “the successful one” in a Black family, and redefining luxury as ease and the luxury of choice – the power to choose your work, pace and environments without betraying where you come from. They dive into parenting Black boys, reparenting themselves and how a new generation is forcing African luxury brands to centre ethics, sustainability and human dignity.​ Listen, follow and leave a review to help more people discover African stories about work, culture and becoming – and go subscribe to Africa on Luxury wherever you get your podcasts. #africaluxury #africaonluxury #matteblk #africanbranding #luxurystrategy #southafricanpodcast #africanstorytelling #blackwomenentrepreneurs #africanleadership #workandparenting

    1hr 29min
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About

Kojo Baffoe is a South Africa based storyteller, writer, author & content strategist, driven by curiosity & a fascination with how people got to where they are and how they do what they do. In the Listen To Your Footsteps podcast, he has in-depth 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.

Information

  • Creator
    Kojo Baffoe | Zebra Culture
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    125
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 880426
  • Show Website
    Listen To Your Footsteps

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