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COMMUNICATION CHANNELS Radio: Still making (air)waves for African marketers While there’s an increasing focus on digital channels as a means of communicating with consumers, radio still remains a tried-and-tested medium on the continent. HEN BRITISH POP DUO Buggles sang the 1979 hit W Video Killed the Radio Star they were certainly not referring to Africa. Radio has the ability to reach the broader mass market which, on the continent, equates to huge numbers of listeners at any given time. In South Africa alone, more than 33-million people tune in to, on average, three-and- a-half hours of radio a day, according to the South African Advertising Research Foundation (Saarf). Given its relative affordability, ease of transmission and broad geographic spread, radio remains the most accessible communication medium on the continent. In almost any African community, upwards of 50% of people have access to radio, with this figure growing to almost 100% in wealthier and more connected areas. In less affluent countries like Tanzania, up to 90% of the population will listen to radio at some point during the week, according to British radio historian Graham Mytton, in his paper ‘The History of Radio in Africa’. 14 strategicmarketingafrica Third quarter 2014 14-19 Radio v4.indd 38 2014/06/26 11:59 AM