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South African radio online

Many of South African's most popular radio stations are available online, so if you can't tune in, you can still log on to all the SA music, news and talk - no matter where you are in the world.

Streaming audio

The sites listed below all provide live streaming radio and instructions for how to listen in. Some of the sites require Windows Media Player, which you will be able to download from that site.

• For the full list of South African radio station websites, see the box down right.

Metro FM

Broadcast in English, Metro FM is the largest national commercial station in South Africa, targeting 25- to 34-year-old black urban adults - who its owner the SABC describes as "trendy, innovative, progressive and aspirational". While the station does have some information and educational aspects, the focus is firmly on contemporary international music - hip-hop, R&B, kwaito and more.

SAfm

SAfm is the SABC's English public broadcasting service, covering the news and canvassing the opinions of the country. It is almost 71 years-old, the same age of its 'owner'. It was first known as the "A Programme", becoming the English Service when the Afrikaans Service came into being a year later. In 1985 it changed its name again to Radio South Africa and, ten years later, to SAfm.

Radio Sonder Grense

The SABC's national Afrikaans cultural service, Radio Sonder Grense - meaning "radio without borders" - targets the white, coloured and Indian market, offering news, current affairs, sport, lifestyle, education and music - alles in een - sonder grense.

Lotus FM

Lotus FM is a metropolitan, music- and talk-focused Indian lifestyle station, reflecting the music, culture and lifestyle of the progressive South African Indian community. With the pay-off line "Not everything is black and white", the station emphasises both the South African and Indian identity of its listeners.

Jacaranda FM

One of the largest independent commercial stations and also broadcasting in Gauteng, Jacaranda offers a mix of more easy-listening adult contemporary music and news.

East Coast Radio

East Coast broadcasts a mix of music and news to Durban and throughout KwaZulu-Natal.

Yfm

Home of Kwaito and the "Y Generation", Y is the country's most popular youth station. Yfm has a self-imposed 50% local music quota - more than any other radio station in the country.

5FM

The SABC's trendy youth-oriented station, 5FM's emphasis is on the latest music, movies and South African youth trends. Broadcasting in English to South Africa's metropolitan areas, its music styles are international, and include a strong component of South African artists of world standard.

94.7 Highveld Stereo

Popular home of Jeremy Mansfield's Rude Awakening, Highveld Stereo broadcasts a mix of contemporary music throughout Gauteng.

Kaya FM

Kaya FM provides an African-focused adult contemporary and jazz format, with a mix of music and talk. One of the country's newest radio stations, Kaya broadcasts throughout Gauteng.

Good Hope FM

Cape Town's largest radio station, the SABC's Good Hope FM plays contemporary music ranging from R&B, ballads and pop through to hip hop, dance, jazz and old school.

Algoa FM

Algoa FM's music and news is broadcast to the entire Eastern Cape region.

702 Talk Radio

702 Talk Radio is Johannesburg's number-one current affairs and information station, offering news, sport, business and actuality programming - and lots of phone-in debate.

567 Cape Talk

567 Medium Wave Cape Talk is Cape Town's first ever talk radio station. Twinned with Johannesburg stalwart 702 Talk Radio, Cape Talk promises to bring you all the news, views, sport, weather, traffic and information you need.

Classic FM

Based on the UK station, Classic FM has been broadcasting classical music throughout Gauteng since September 1997. Through their partnership with Business Day, the station offers in-depth business coverage each week night from 6pm. There are also lifestyle features, news, financial updates, sport, and interviews with local artists and composers.

Kfm

For the "best hits and memories", Kfm broadcasts adult contemporary music in the Western Cape and as far afield as Alexander Bay and the Northern Cape.

OFM

An adult contemporary station broadcasting in the Free State.

Channel Africa

The international radio service of the SABC offers a multilingual source of information on Africa - with news, music and sports. Broadcasts are in Chinyanja, Silozi, Kiswahili, English, French and Portuguese, with shortwave broadcasts covering south, east, central and west Africa, satellite broadcasts covering the sub-Saharan region - and internet broadcasts covering the entire world.

Radio Pretoria

With the slogan Trots Afrikaans (proudly Afrikaans), Radio Pretoria broadcasts from Tshwane through 14 transmitters in towns in Gauteng, Limpopo, Free State, Mpumalanga, North West and KwaZulu-Natal.

Radio Tuks

Radio Tuks broadcasts from the University of the Pretoria campus, reaching most of the greater Tshwane area. The station targets an Afrikaans-speaking audience.

Campus Radio

The station is owned by the University of Johannesburg and run by students on a voluntary basis. Predominantly English, it includes Afrikaans and several vernacular languages, with new music taking up 60% of airtime, with the rest cutting-edge features.

Impact Radio

Impact Radio broadcasts from studios in Waterkloof Glen in Tshwane. Programming is Christian, with 20% talk and 80% music.

Radio Islam

Broadcasting from Lenasia, south of Johannesburg, Radio Islam aims to promote the religion of Islam, and to dispel myths about Islam and Muslims in South Africa and around the world.

Radio Kansel / Radio Pulpit

For the past 26 years Radio Pulpit has been broadcasting the gospel in both English and Afrikaans. The station broadcasts from studios in Pretoria on 657 MW, 24 hours per day and on the transmitters of Radio 2000 nationally between 4am and 11am.

90.6 FM Stereo

The station broadcasts from Vereeniging, targeting an audience aged 20 to 50 with multilingual programming made up of 20% talk and 80% music.

Bush Radio

Bush Radio broadcasts to the Cape Flats, targeting coloured listeners aged 18 to 39, and features music, community issues, news, interviews and drama - such as Can Themba's The Suit.

Fine Music Radio

The station broadcasts from Cape Town, targeting discerning listeners over 35 with a taste for fine art, jazz and classical music.

MFM 92.6

MFM broadcasts from Stellenbosch University to a largely student audience, and features music and talk.

Radio UCT

UCT Radio broadcasts from the University of Cape Town to students and young professionals, offering the latest music, artists, lifestyles, news, sport and clubbing information.

Bay FM

Bay FM was born out of Radio Uppie at the University of Port Elizabeth. Now independent of the university and run by members of the community, the station's programming reflects its young target market and goes out in a mix of English and Xhosa, with 60% music and 40% talk.

Article last updated: April 2007

SAinfo reporter