Eastern Cape Radio Station Grows From 2 Hours to 70 Villages

Sikelela Thobigunya started his radio career in high school by recording segments and sending them to 16 classmates on WhatsApp. Eight years later, he's the station manager of Bulungula Community Radio, a youth-powered broadcaster connecting 70 remote villages in South Africa's Eastern Cape.

When Thobigunya joined the station in 2018 fresh out of school, only one other person worked there. The broadcasts ran just two and a half hours each afternoon from a colorful rondavel building in Xhora Mouth.

Today, 13 presenters in their twenties run 16 different programs from 5am to 9pm. The station reaches an estimated 20,000 listeners via FM radio and online streams, most between ages 18 and 40.

Thobigunya's love for radio started as a child listening with his uncle to stations in different languages. That passion led him to create his WhatsApp "broadcasts" for classmates, where one listener told him about Bulungula Community Radio.

He traveled three hours to visit the station in late 2017 and pitched his first show the following year. Inspired by traditional music presenters on national radio, he launched a show featuring local artists and later added an afternoon drive program.

Other young people from nearby villages took notice. Performer Mzi Sakabhe came to submit his music and stayed to co-create Vukanathi, a breakfast show that extended the station's hours into early morning.

The Ripple Effect

The station has become more than entertainment for these rural communities. It delivers local news, runs weekly health segments, and features regular storytelling for schoolchildren in an area where information access is limited.

For the young presenters, the station offers hands-on skills training in broadcasting, time management, and media production. Thobigunya now focuses on developing each presenter's abilities, carefully monitoring feedback and listener data.

The station operates under the Bulungula Incubator nonprofit and currently holds a low-power broadcasting license. After two rejected applications, Bulungula Community Radio has now passed phases one and two of the formal licensing process with South Africa's Independent Communications Authority, bringing them closer to expanding their reach to even more communities.

From a WhatsApp group of 16 to 20,000 listeners across 70 villages, Thobigunya's journey shows how one person's passion can amplify an entire region's voice.