Africa’s radio and audio broadcasting industry continues to demonstrate resilience and relevance despite an increasingly competitive digital media environment. However, while broadcasters are successfully expanding their digital reach and audience engagement, many are struggling to translate that momentum into meaningful commercial returns.
These are among the key findings of the newly released “Radio & Audio Broadcasting in Africa 2026 Industry Survey”, published by Broadcast Media Africa (BMA). The industry-wide research provides an in-depth assessment of the sector’s current position, measuring digital transformation, audience trends, revenue generation, investment priorities and future growth opportunities across the continent.
The survey paints the picture of an industry that remains commercially resilient and audience-rich, with 60% of broadcasters reporting moderate to significant audience growth over the past three years. At the same time, the research reveals that Africa’s radio industry is still in the early stages of digital transformation. More than four in five broadcasters continue to operate either analogue-only or with only a basic online presence, while just 17% describe themselves as fully digitised or digital-first operations.
The most startling of the report’s findings is that there is a growing disparity between audience behaviour and commercial performance. Digital channels are now responsible for around 46% of audience engagement, and more and more listeners are turning to digital channels like streaming services, WhatsApp, mobile apps and social media for their news consumption. However, the revenues obtained from digital and streaming activities account for just 10% of the industry’s total revenue, showing that broadcasters have not yet developed viable digital business models able to monetise their massive online audiences.
The report also highlights persistent weaknesses in audience measurement and analytics. Around 20% of broadcasters do not measure audience size at all, while many organisations lack reliable demographic information about their listeners. This shortage of audience intelligence continues to affect advertising sales, programming decisions, commercial planning and the industry’s preparedness to adopt more advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Nevertheless, research demonstrates high industry confidence in the future of the industry. The survey also showed that all organisations planned to invest in new digital technologies in the next two years, highlighting a strong commitment within the industry to innovation and transformation in the long term. But the results indicate the primary challenges are no longer interest in investing, but limited infrastructure and lack of audience data, combined with low growth in sustainable digital revenue.
The survey also identifies podcasting and on-demand audio as the industry’s strongest growth opportunity. The format emerged simultaneously as the most widely adopted digital initiative, the highest investment priority and the leading area expected to drive future audience and commercial growth. Conversely, AI-powered content production ranked considerably lower, suggesting that many broadcasters view artificial intelligence as a second-stage investment that depends first on stronger digital and data foundations.
Commenting on the findings, Benjamin Pius, CEO of Broadcast Media Africa, said, “The findings clearly demonstrate that Africa’s radio industry remains strong, trusted and highly relevant to audiences. The challenge now is no longer attracting listeners—it is building the commercial capabilities that allow broadcasters to convert growing digital engagement into sustainable revenue. The organisations that invest in audience intelligence, digital monetisation and modern content delivery will be best positioned to compete and grow in the years ahead.”
The report suggests three strategic priorities that should drive the industry’s next steps: improving the measurement of audiences, speeding up the digitisation of the receipt of revenues and investing in the technologies that will support future digital operations. It also calls on the industry to scale up its podcast and on-demand content strategy, diversify its revenue streams beyond national advertisers, and foster industry cooperation to enhance audience measurement systems in African markets.
For regulators, industry associations and development partners, the report underscores the importance of supporting shared audience measurement frameworks, encouraging digital broadcasting infrastructure investment, and enabling greater innovation in advertising technologies and digital media services.
The Radio & Audio Broadcasting in Africa 2026 Industry Survey provides one of the continent’s most comprehensive assessments of the industry’s current state and future outlook. The report offers valuable insights for broadcasters, policymakers, technology providers, advertisers and investors seeking to understand the changing dynamics of Africa’s radio and audio broadcasting landscape.
To view the brief survey report, including detailed analysis, data tables, regional trends and strategic recommendations, please check HERE.
To access the full report of this survey, please check HERE.
