According to industry reports, South Africa’s high penetration of smartphones and digital devices is driving more listeners to online radio platforms as mainstream radio listeners decline.
This is according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), South Africa’s Industry Measurement Dashboard, which reveals growth in dedicated online audiences for radio station websites in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) for Q2 2024.
According to the report, the increase in internet penetration and growing smartphone accessibility prompted online radio audiences to grow significantly across the two provinces in April, May and June.
According to the industry body’s audience data, 5.6 million listeners visited independent radio station Jacaranda FM’s website across the three months − nearly a million more than its closest competitor, East Coast Radio, which recorded 4.7 million website visits during the same time.
According to the IAB, these figures refer to radio audiences accessing the radio stations’ websites, both to access audio (livestream/on-demand radio and podcasts) and other information.
It says niche radio station sites that also enjoyed high online page impressions during this period included Sepedi, Zulu, and Tswana stations Thobela FM, Ukhozi FM, and Motsweding FM.
Chris Borain, an independent media and digital innovation consultant and board member at the IAB SA and Advertising Regulatory Board, told ITWeb that the pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital technologies in SA by an estimated four years, according to McKinsey and Company (October 2020).
He adds that this has contributed to the large-scale shift to online radio listening.
“Key factors driving online audio listening include the increased utilisation of digital devices to listen to audio − a result of the massive penetration of smartphones, smart TVs, smart speakers, etc, and the decline of traditional radio sets.
“[It is also due to] an increase in audio content choices, such as podcasts and audio streaming services, as well as an increase in broadcaster apps, such as LiSTN, SABC+ and PrimediaPlus,” notes Borain.
Costs in SA and the bundling of data services by mobile networks—for example, receiving a free YouTube data bundle when a data package is purchased—also contributed to the shift in online radio consumption habits.
“According to the Broadcast Research Council of South Africa report (CATI DAR Sep 2023), the marginal decline in radio audiences (terrestrial) was matched by an increase in streaming audio and podcast listenership. South African audiences are migrating to digital devices to access their audio, but there is no general decrease in listening overall,” adds Borain.
SA’s podcasting experts previously highlighted that more South Africans are consuming podcasts exponentially, with listenership numbers catching up with the rest of the world faster than anticipated.
While many doubt podcasting will one day become mainstream media, they said it remains undisputed that traditional radio is undergoing a tectonic shift.
