Baraza
Research
Surfacing Insights to Strengthen the African Media & Creatives Ecosystem
About
Our Themes
“Exploring the
ever-evolving media spaces that shape our communities”
Our Approach
“At Baraza, we take a collaborative and action-driven approach to research. Our work is deeply embedded within community programming and strengthened by close partnerships, ensuring that every insight we generate is practical, relevant, and ready to be used. Our interdisciplinary team brings together expertise in media studies, anthropology, international development, statistics, and communications. Research managers at Baraza lead our projects day-to-day, supported by technical advisors and community-based consultants. With strong roots in the creative sector and a commitment to applied research, we’re uniquely positioned to turn data into meaningful action.”
Sectoral Deep-Dives
The Reports
The State of Influencer Marketing in East Africa
Influencer marketing in East Africa is evolving beyond follower count to emphasize authenticity, audience engagement, and niche expertise. Baraza Media Lab and Wowzi conducted a groundbreaking survey of over 1,500 young men and women across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania to explore these shifts and what they mean for brands, creators, and consumers. The findings reveal that brands are increasingly prioritizing engagement rates and community interaction over sheer reach, signaling a maturing digital ecosystem where credibility and trust matter more than ever. This shift presents opportunities for micro and nano influencers, who often cultivate stronger, more interactive relationships with their audiences.
The report also highlights key trends shaping the industry, including the rise of short-form video content, the increasing demand for authentic storytelling, and the growing monetization opportunities for influencers in emerging markets. Challenges remain, such as inconsistent pay structures and lack of formal industry standards, but the insights from this survey provide actionable recommendations for brands looking to refine their influencer marketing strategies. Download the full report below to delve deeper into the data and discover how brands and creators can navigate this evolving landscape.
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic within creative industries in Kenya
In 2022, #BarazaResearch conducted a survey in four counties in Kenya: Kisumu, Malindi, Nyeri and Uasin Gishu as part of its exploration of the theoretical and applied aspects in the Creative Economy, following one of the most significant challenges in decades, the Covid-19 pandemic.
In this first phase of the project, we engage creative entrepreneurs from the respective hubs on how we can strengthen the creative sector and its contribution towards sustainable and inclusive economic development.
Media Law Handbook for Journalists in Kenya
Determined to support media professionals through various policies, we have initiated our work in legal policy with a compilation of Media and ICT case laws in Kenya.
The Media Law Handbook for Journalists in Kenya elaborates on the law as relates to media practice in Kenya, where we examine the constitutional right to free speech, Copyright Law, Data Protection, Cybersecurity, Right to privacy, other media regulations and statutory frameworks.
Baraza Media Creative Sector Research
The Creative Economy in Kenya has created diverse employment opportunities, income-generation avenues, and bolstered innovation while at the same time having an impact on the people’s well-being.
In order to improve the state of this market, it is important that we highlight the challenges experienced in the sector, identify their root causes and propose recommendations that support the Creative industry. These reports offer insights into the survey carried out on Audiovisual, Performing Arts, Print & Publishing sub-sectors and their growing importance as crucial industries for sustainable development.
Here are our two reports: Findings Report & Literature Review
Reporting on suicide through social media by Kenya’s broadcasting stations
In this study, we carry out content analysis evaluating how suicide is reported through Twitter by some of Kenya’s leading broadcast stations in adherence to the WHO reporting guidelines.
We look into how media and online coverage of this public health crisis have been done over a period of time, the language used in reporting and the potential risk the aforementioned could have in our communities. By highlighting the best practices of responsible media reporting on suicide, our aim is to support the ongoing efforts in suicide prevention globally.
Podcasting in Africa
Africa Podfest and Baraza Media Lab have partnered to launch a series of reports on podcasting in Africa. This collaborative project seeks to surface crucial information and insights to support investment in innovative business models within the podcasting industry, which is showing tremendous potential.
Through this project our objective is to develop a baseline understanding of the trends in African podcasting from which to frame further programming; and to use reliable data to map the potential of and make a strong case for further investment in African podcasting
Discovery tour, Data Edition
The aim in this second phase of research was to better understand the growth and sustainability of African podcasting in three leading African podcasting markets – Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
The research question being addressed is “What does growth and sustainability for African podcasting mean?” During the project, we have been able to uncover podcast themes, needs and perceptions of podcasters, audience engagement and motivations driving podcast growth in three of Africa’s largest podcast markets – Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
Is this Mic On?
In December 2021, Africa Podfest and Baraza Media Lab came together to launch a report on the state of African podcasting.
For the first edition of the Podcasting in Africa report, we directly engaged with pioneer African podcasters, enablers & decision-makers in the African & global podcast and media ecosystem to uncover new findings, garner feedback from the stakeholders and build support for the research initiative.
“Is This Mic On?” explores how podcasting is taking root in Africa, going into what are some of the broadcasters motivations, their needs, the relationship between podcasters and their audiences, as well as look into the sustainability in African podcasting.