More voice for your moola – @Bushradio and @Mxit

In our continuous effort to engage with the communities we serve and make that interaction as easy – and cost effective- as possible, Bush Radio, Africa’s pioneering community radio station project, and Mxit, Africa’s largest mobile social network, have joined forces to provide listeners with a way to send messages to the station at 2 moola (that’s two cents!) per message.

According to Bush Radio Programme Integrator Adrian Louw: “Giving listeners another platform to interact with the station serves to fulfill our license conditions by making it easier for our audience to air their views and opinions.”

The new service combines Mxit‘s over 50 million registered users, and about 40 000 new registrations a day, and Bush Radio’s ability to be heard not only in Cape Town on 89.5FM, but nationally and internationally on mobile phones via its online stream.

Mxit Spokesperson Sphiwe T. Mahlangu says; “We are very happy to provide this solution to Bush Radio for all listeners of Bush Radio that are already on Mxit and the Mxit community that will have the opportunity engage with Bush Radio on this application.”

The station is confident that it will take radio to a new level of interaction and continue to be the leading community radio station on the continent.

Listeners who currently use Mxit will now be able to add Bush Radio on Mxit by going to Tradepost > Entertainment > Radio > Bush Radio.

You will then be able to find Bush Radio under Apps and send us a message whenever you like.

Get involved and join the conversation!

To download Mxit, go to m.mxit.com on your cellphone and follow the prompts.

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Connect with Bush Radio on the platform that suits you

UNESCO and Bush Radio present “Women and Technology”

Bush Radio in partnership with UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) is currently hosting a two-week training course for twelve women in community radio to produce radio features on women in the fields of science, technology and engineering.

At least one radio producer from each province of South Africa is included in the training with four coming from Western Cape stations.  “The stations included in the training are mix of urban, peri-urban and rural stations,” says Brenda Leonard, the managing director of Bush Radio.

This training is taking place from the 24^th October 2011 to the 4th November 2011, and will form part of a broader project called “Upgrading the technical and radio production skills of women in community radio to produce features and documentaries on women in science and engineering” that is funded by the UNESCO International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC). This activity falls within the framework of UNESCO contribution towards strengthening free, independent media and developing human capacity.

It is hoped that the project will not only benefit the women, but those radio stations they represent, and the broader community they broadcast too, as the skills attained during the training will improve the overall quality and content of each station.

Quanita Kamaar from Voice of the Cape said, “Participating in the training programme has enabled me to develop my skills and share what I have gained with the rest of the community.”

Another participant, Granny Makhinya from Phalaborwa FM, ended off by saying, “The training has given me the opportunity to develop my technical capabilities.”

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