The DRM Southern Africa (DRM SA) Group will officially launch a DRM in FM demonstration and showcase on Friday, 13 February 2026, coinciding with UNESCO World Radio Day. The demonstration marks an important step in South Africa’s journey toward digital sound broadcasting and forms part of DRM’s global partnership with UNESCO in support of World Radio Day.

The DRM in FM demonstration will broadcast a live digital radio signal from a high-site in Northcliff, Johannesburg, operating at 70 watts transmitter output power on 91.25 MHz. Multiple radio services will be carried simultaneously on a single FM frequency, including Radio Pulpit, HOT1027, amongst others.

The demonstration is conducted under a test licence issued by ICASA, South Africa’s communications regulator, and is intended to showcase the technical, commercial, and public-interest benefits of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) operating in the FM band.

World Radio Day and UNESCO Partnership

The launch takes place on World Radio Day, celebrated annually by UNESCO to recognise radio as a powerful medium for education, information, and social connection. DRM is an official partner of UNESCO World Radio Day, and the South African demonstration actively contributes to this global initiative.

As part of the World Radio Day programme, the DRM in FM platform will also be used to showcase education-focused and informational digital radio content, demonstrating how DRM can support learning, accessibility, and public communication through data services such as Journaline. This is a world first for DRM.

Objectives of the DRM in FM Demonstration

The demonstration aims to:

1. Create awareness of DRM among broadcasters, regulators, industry stakeholders, and the public
2. Demonstrate key DRM features and benefits, including:

• Distance learning and information services via Journaline
• Emergency Warning Functionality (EWF) for public safety communications
• Multi-channel broadcasting using a single FM transmitter
• Energy efficiency compared to analogue FM transmission.

3. Test business and operational processes for a digital radio broadcast service, including potential new revenue models and cost efficiencies

• Stimulate the local DRM receiver ecosystem, including automotive, mobile, and standalone receivers
• Engage the automotive industry, including stakeholders such as naamsa, to support future digital sound broadcasting (DSB) adoption

The demonstration also highlights that DRM is currently the only digital radio standard capable of serving all coverage needs — from national and regional coverage to local and community broadcasting — making it particularly well suited to a country with South Africa’s geographic and demographic diversity.

Technology and Supporting Partners

The DRM in FM transmission uses professional DRM broadcast equipment previously deployed in South Africa during earlier technical evaluations. The transmitter installation and antenna system have been implemented by BluLemon, a member of the DRM SA Group.

The demonstration is supported by a broad ecosystem of DRM technology partners, including:

• Fraunhofer IIS, providing DRM ContentServer and MultimediaPlayer technologies
• RFmondial
• Starwaves
• DRM Consortium and Programme Office, providing coordination, technical guidance, and international support

This collaborative approach brings together broadcasters, signal distributors, technology providers, receiver manufacturers, automotive stakeholders, and policy bodies to demonstrate DRM in a real-world South African FM environment.

Looking Ahead

Insights gained from the DRM in FM demonstration will contribute to future digital radio planning in South Africa, support broadcasters evaluating DRM adoption, and inform the development of practical implementation guidance for both South Africa and the wider African region.

DRM partners are also planning for the first time global demonstration broadcasts on shortwave across five continents and, also, for the first time in DRM FM!

Thus, the DRM Southern Africa (DRM SA) Group will officially launch a DRM in FM demonstration and showcase distance learning content on Friday, 13 February 2026, coinciding with UNESCO World Radio Day. The demonstration part of DRM’s global partnership with UNESCO in support of World Radio Day. The DRM in FM demonstration, the first of its kind using educational content, will consist of a live digital radio signal broadcast from a high site in Northcliff, Johannesburg, operating at 70 watts transmitter output power on 91.25 MHz. Multiple radio services will be carried simultaneously on a single FM frequency, including Radio Pulpit, Hot 102.7, amongst others.

Please check the complete World Radio Day DRM broadcast schedule.

We would welcome reception reports from listeners and partners, including audio recordings, photos, or short videos documenting the reception of DRM educational broadcasts. Please send any material to projectoffice@drm.org.
A selection of the best contributions will be mentioned on the DRM communication channels.

The DRM Southern Africa Group has reached a major milestone in its digital radio journey with the approval of its DRM in FM demonstration licence, issued by ICASA in November 2025. This regulatory green light establishes the foundation needed to move forward with South Africa’s first coordinated DRM in FM trial - an initiative aimed at showcasing the value of Digital Radio Mondiale as the country accelerates its shift toward digital sound broadcasting since the regulator already recommended DRM (and DAB) as its digitisation path.

The trial will focus on demonstrating DRM’s advanced capabilities, including Emergency Warning Functionality (EWF), distance learning through Journaline, multi-channel broadcasting on a single FM transmitter, and significant energy-efficiency gains. Alongside the technical demonstrations, the project will assess digital-era business processes for broadcasters, explore new revenue opportunities, and stimulate local receiver manufacturing across portable, in-car, and mobile platforms. Key stakeholders—including broadcasters, signal distributors, the automotive industry, government entities, and receiver manufacturers—will be actively involved throughout the 8-month demonstration period.

With the license secured, the DRM SA Group together with the DRM Consortium, can now proceed with completion of the transmitter installation, equipment integration for data services, awareness-building, and project coordination. As outlined in the official project brief, the objective is not only to validate the technical and economic feasibility of DRM in the FM band, but also to produce an implementation guide for community broadcasters and provide meaningful insights on how DRM can support national development goals through education, access to information, and emergency communication.

This landmark approval marks a significant step forward for digital radio in South Africa and reinforces the momentum behind DRM as a modern, flexible, and future-proof solution for the broadcasting ecosystem.

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DRM Southern Africa is pleased to welcome LS of South Africa (LSofSA) as the newest member of our regional DRM community. With a strong legacy dating back to 1999, LSofSA brings deep expertise in radio-frequency engineering, spectrum management, broadcast network planning, and advanced monitoring solutions. Their longstanding contribution to Southern Africa’s communications landscape aligns closely with DRM’s mission of promoting efficient, future-proof, and inclusive digital radio technologies in the region.

As a member of the DRM SA group, LSofSA will collaborate with broadcasters, regulators, manufacturers, and industry bodies to strengthen the technical foundation for digital radio deployment across Southern Africa. Their proven capabilities in planning, designing, and supporting complex RF and broadcast networks significantly enhance the group’s collective capacity. We look forward to partnering with LSofSA as we continue building a robust ecosystem to support the adoption and growth of Digital Radio Mondiale in the region.

To explore the progress and potential of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) in South Africa and Africa the DRM SA Group organised its first DRM Southern Africa Webinar on 22 October. The event brought together broadcasters, industry experts, and technology partners to explore the progress and potential of DRM in the region. Presentations made by South African experts and colleagues in the umbrella DRM Consortium highlighted DRM’s efficiency in energy and spectrum use, its ability to broadcast multiple channels on a single frequency, and its applications in education and emergency communication. To increase audience engagement, attendees participated in live Slido polls, a way to provide live feedback and share their own perspectives. These showed that over half of the participants were already familiar with DRM, while another 25% were somewhat familiar.  Interestingly, 43% identified commercial radio and advertising as the sector most likely to benefit from DRM, followed by community radio (29%). A big vote of confidence and interest were shown for the potential of DRM in education/distance learning (29%). As to the challenges and barriers to implementation, costs and limited awareness were cited as the most important, though 56% rated DRM’s energy and spectrum efficiency as “very valuable” to broadcasters. The webinar concluded with a strong call for on-air demonstrations, business plan development, and broader public education as those involved in the event reaffirmed collective commitment to advancing digital radio adoption across Southern Africa.