Podcaster Penuel The Black Pen flipped the script when he became the interviewee on Gift Nduma’s business podcast recently.
While the conversation was insightful, some people where revved up and didn’t agree with a statement he made about his fellow podcaster MacG.
“It is MacGyver's interest with ‘Podcast and Chill’ to make sure no other podcast makes it,” he said while discussing podcast monopolies in South Africa.
He continued, “So that everyone, everyone is forced to watch ‘Podcast and Chill’, and the 500k views I get, go to him, and the two million viewers DJ Sbu gets goes to him, and lets says five million viewers every other podcast gets goes to him, to a point where ‘Podcast and Chill’ becomes so big it’s forced to broadcast every day, all day....
“If all of me, DJ Sbu... want to have platforms we have to ask him for a slot.
“It’s in his best interest to do that. It’s in his best interest to not shout out our shows, to not come on our platforms, because capitalism works like that.”
Upon listening to Penuel’s views, DJ Sbu took to his channel, “The Hustlers Corner SA”, to distance himself from the topic.
Sbu said he had no vendetta against Penuel before adding that the entertainment industry was all about “creating opportunities on your own”.
“I don’t share the same views. I don’t think anyone is gatekeeping and I don’t like that mentality of people saying gatekeeping.
“That’s only in your own mind. I believe anyone who wants to get to the top can put in the work, just like MacG did… I don't think anybody did MacG any favours.
“He was down and out, kicked to the curb by the industry. I’ve experienced similar stuff, but he bounced back and built himself up to be where he is, if he does not feel like visiting other podcasts, I don’t think it’s a form of gatekeeping.
“You can form your own bedroom studio and record… Internet is for everybody,” he added.
Watch the full podcast below.