Rainbow FM gets R2.15 million studio as Morolong tells youth their future is on the ballot

Rainbow FM, the West Rand community station known as the “Voice of Hope”, has received new broadcasting studio equipment valued at R2.15 million, approved by the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) to strengthen its broadcasting infrastructure.

Deputy Minister in the Presidency Kenny Morolong handed over the equipment on Friday. The station serves communities across the West Rand, including Roodepoort, Randfontein, Krugersdorp, Kagiso and Ennerdale, and broadcasts in English, isiZulu, Afrikaans, Tshivenda, Sesotho and Sepedi. It airs on 90.7 FM in Gauteng and streams worldwide through its website, reaching an estimated audience of more than 100 000 listeners.

“Today, we are not simply handing over a new studio but rather strengthening a powerful voice in our community. This is an investment in the power of community media to inform, inspire, educate and unite people,” Morolong said.

The R2.15 million investment builds on the MDDA’s support for the station in 2018 and again in 2024 through the current funding programme. The agency’s board member Jayshree Pather said the handover was a proud milestone. “The new facilities will strengthen the station to perform its duties. Our mandate is very important, and that is to communicate to the public through radio,” she said.

With South Africa preparing for the Local Government Elections on 4 November 2026, Morolong called on the station to use its platforms to encourage voter education and participation, particularly among young people. “As we approach the Local Government Elections, community radio has the power to turn information into participation and voices into action,” he said.

“Through the microphone, Rainbow FM can take voter education into homes, taxis, workplaces and communities, helping people understand how local government affects their daily lives and why their vote matters. We must make a special appeal to our young people that their future is on the ballot.”

He encouraged the station to engage young people through interactive programmes, interviews with young leaders and initiatives aimed at mobilising eligible first-time voters. “Let us use the airwaves to remind young people that democracy is not a spectator sport. It requires their voices, their choices and their votes.”

Morolong tied the station’s role to the social pressures its listeners face. “At a time when communities are confronting challenges such as substance abuse, gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), crime and fragmented family structures, institutions that promote positive values become increasingly important. The fight against these social ills cannot be won by government and law enforcement agencies alone,” he said. He said addressing these challenges requires a collective effort involving homes, schools, places of worship and community spaces.

Local ward councillor Caled Finn, who said he has spent many years working with the station, welcomed the upgrade. “I am happy to see progress and development at the station. The development is incredible, as this enables the station to serve its people better,” Finn said. He thanked government and the MDDA for supporting and guiding the station.

Morolong said government has invested in funding, training, infrastructure and capacity building to help community media organisations operate sustainably, and that community media has grown into a vital platform for diversity, participation and inclusion since 1994.

This report is based on SAnews (South African Government News Agency), the government’s own summary of the handover rather than a verbatim record of the event. The original item is at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/community-media-still-powerful-tool-democracy-project.