Various radio station staff members came together to celebrate World Radio Day in Durban
Seven radio stations set aside rivalry for a groundbreaking Games Night celebrating the enduring power of radio on World Radio Day
Durban, South Africa – On Friday, 13 February 2026, something happened in Durban that had never happened before in South African broadcasting. Seven radio stations – spanning public, private, and community platforms—walked into the same venue. Not as competitors. Not to outdo each other. But to celebrate World Radio Day together.
World Radio Day is observed globally every 13 February since UNESCO first proclaimed it in 2011. The United Nations General Assembly endorsed the day in 2012, marking the anniversary of the establishment of United Nations Radio on 13 February 1946. This year’s theme, “Radio and Artificial Intelligence,” called on broadcasters worldwide to reflect on how AI is reshaping the industry—while reminding us that technology is a tool, not a voice. Trust, creativity, and human connection remain at the heart of what makes radio matter.
A Medium That Changed the World
Radio has been shaping how humans connect for more than a century. When Guglielmo Marconi sent the first wireless telegraph signals in the 1890s, he set in motion a communications revolution that would eventually reach every corner of the globe. By the early twentieth century, radio had evolved from a scientific curiosity into a household companion—carrying news from battlefields, music into living rooms, and voices across borders that no newspaper could cross. Even today, with the rise of streaming, social media, and podcasts, radio remains one of the most widely consumed media platforms on the planet. It requires no internet connection, no expensive device, and no digital literacy. It simply speaks—and millions listen.
Radio in South Africa: From State Control to Community Voices
South Africa’s relationship with radio is deep, complicated, and deeply political. Broadcasting began in the country in 1923 in Johannesburg, and by 1936, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) had been established through an Act of Parliament. For decades, the SABC held a near-total monopoly over the airwaves. During the apartheid era, radio was tightly controlled by the state, used to shape public opinion and reinforce government policy. The only independent stations to emerge during that time were Capital Radio in 1979 and Radio 702 in 1980.
The fall of apartheid changed everything. With the advent of democracy came the liberalisation of the airwaves. The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) was established to regulate the sector. In 1995, the first community radio stations were launched—giving a voice to communities that had been silenced for generations. In 1996, six SABC commercial stations were privatised, and by 1997, eight new commercial licenses had been awarded. The IBA later merged with the Telecommunications Authority in 2000 to form the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), which regulates broadcasting to this day.
Today, South Africa’s radio landscape is built on a three-tier model: public broadcasting through the SABC, commercial stations owned by private groups such as Primedia and Kagiso Media, and a thriving community radio sector with over 250 stations serving every language, culture, and corner of the country. It is a landscape shaped by struggle, resilience, and the belief that every community deserves to be heard.
One Stage, One Night, Seven Stations
It was against this backdrop that Karma Sutra Empire, the designated marketing agency for Underground Radio, dreamed up something bold: bringing together competing and community stations on World Radio Day, under one roof, for a Games Night unlike anything the country had seen. And they pulled it off.
Hosted at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban, the evening brought together Ukhozi FM—the SABC’s isiZulu service and the largest radio station in Africa by listenership—alongside Umlazi FM, Vibe FM, Eita Radio, Underground Radio, Southside FM, and Mystery Radio. Public, private, and community. Big and small. All on one stage.
What followed was an evening of laughter, friendly competition, and genuine connection. Presenters and producers who normally compete for ratings sat side by side, played games, cracked jokes, and reminded each other—and everyone watching—why they got into radio in the first place. Not for the rivalry. For the love of the medium.
Why This Matters
In an industry built on competition—where listener numbers, advertising revenue, and ratings dominate every conversation—this kind of collaboration is almost unheard of. The fact that it happened in South Africa, a country whose broadcasting history is defined by control, exclusion, and hard-won freedom, makes it all the more significant.
This year’s World Radio Day theme could not have been more fitting. As the industry grapples with the possibilities and challenges of artificial intelligence, the Durban Games Night was a flesh-and-blood reminder that radio’s greatest asset has always been its people. The presenters who wake up at 4 am to prep for breakfast shows. The community volunteers who keep small stations running on shoestring budgets. The listeners who tune in every day because they trust the voice on the other end.
AI may help automate schedules, sharpen audience insights, and streamline production workflows. But it cannot replicate what happened in that room on Friday night—human beings choosing unity over competition and reminding an entire industry what radio was always meant to be about.
This is exactly what observations like World Radio Day aim to achieve.
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