South Africa is populated with countless radio stations. This is a good thing. It gives variety.
Now, the SA Radio Awards for 2025 were held in Sandton in early December. And I mean, how many awards were there? Something like 76 awards. If you want the full list, there’s a 25-page PDF. It’s a hard job wading through it all.
But before we get into radio properly, I must mention a personal anecdote.
Many, many years ago I was at an evening dinner in Linden, Johannesburg. We heard a loud bang outside Tom’s townhouse. We got up and went outside to see what had happened. To cut a long story short — can you believe it? — there was the radio presenter Darren Scott, a very young man at the time, helping the victims of the accident. Ever since that evening, I had the greatest respect for Darren Scott.
Darren Scott won the Afternoon Drive Presenter award (also referred to as Afternoon Drive Show Presenter) at the 2025 Telkom South African Radio Awards for his show Just Plain Drive on Hot 102.7FM. This was a posthumous honour, presented emotionally at the ceremony on 6 December 2025, recognising his lasting impact on radio.
Darren Scott passed away on 27 May 2025 at age 61 after a long battle with stage four malignant melanoma (skin cancer), which he had fought since the 1980s. His death was widely reported and tributes poured in from the South African broadcasting community. He had been inducted into the Radio Awards Hall of Fame in 2024 for his 40+ year career.
Turning to a young radio station that essentially began in 2025 — 919 FM (Sandton Radio). They entered this year’s awards in their first year and were commended for one of their talk shows. This is incredible for a brand-new station.
In that category, 919 FM was a finalist in the Community category for their show:
• Best Talk Show (Community) – Finalist:
The Sandton Times Hour
It’s just wonderful to listen to 919 FM, with Allan Smyth (Al Your Pal) and Lesedi Marumo now doing the afternoon drive show, The Drive Train (3pm–6pm). So great to hear their voices again, especially after that hostile takeover of Mix 93.7 — a total disaster. Fortunately, Mix FM is dwindling into the ether. Serves them right. Justice is being done, and now out of the ashes, 919 is slowly coming back.
It’s fantastic to have Gavin Kay (Gavin K), a popular presenter on Sandton’s 919 FM, on weekends, and I’m sure they’ll strengthen their lineup as they go.
Now this brings me to a very important point.
Mediocre radio stations will stay mediocre. The problem with mediocrity is that it lacks diversity.
Near to where I’m currently living, there’s a local radio station that is the epitome of mediocrity. One of these mom-and-pop owned stations — and that’s the problem. The owner gives his wife nine hours of airtime to do whatever she wants. Apparently, she’s a blues expert. What she knows about blues is dangerous.
After every single song, there’s a long sing-song, giggling at her own jokes, and endless bragging about which local musicians — most of them has-beens — she’s met. The guests are untalented. It’s relentless.
Mediocrity is rewarded with loss of listenership.
Wouldn’t it be far better to give her a late-late show for three hours when nobody’s listening, and then put people with talent into the six-to-nine slot? People with range. People with variety. I’m not going to use that word in this country — I don’t use it — but let’s just call it diversity.
This station has absolutely no diversity across its entire schedule. Something is going on, and I honestly don’t think they’re even complying with their licence conditions. There are selective programmes that are very well done — there’s a chap on Friday evenings who is a cut above the rest — but we won’t name him yet. No need to identify the station.
It just proves the point: mediocrity is not rewarded.
By the way, I was very happy to see Derrich Gardner with Brêkfis met Derrich on RSG (that’s R-S-G), Saturday mornings, getting a special mention. And Mariette Kruger was inducted into the Hall of Fame — a true stalwart of Afrikaans radio. She’s now retired, and good luck to her.
What’s amazing is how many radio stalwarts are still around.
We still have Chris Prior belting out his rock show. Can you believe Errol Ballantyne is still doing his morning show on Radio Today? He’s been at it for years, through all that station’s wobbles, and he’s still there — tunes, jokes and all.
And then there’s the doyen of radio motoring, Roger McCleary, on Tuesdays — I think between six and seven — still doing his motoring show. If you want to know what’s happening in South African cars and motorsport, Roger McCleary is still the man after all these years.
And let’s not forget Ettienne Ludick on RSG — a true stalwart. His Monday evening music show is a thrill to listen to, week after week, and a reminder of just how good experienced radio can be.
One of these days they really should give a prize to Willem Viljoen for his fantastic Saturday programme, Vastrap. It’s long overdue.
These are the stalwarts. There are many others still providing entertainment, information and interest.
So yes, the South African Radio Awards 2025 have come and gone. Awards were handed out through a judging process. Some people deserved to be on that list and were. Others deserved to be there and weren’t.
And then there are those who will never get there — not the way they’re carrying on.
