Africa Now Radio expands delivery to South African airwaves
Weekly Sunday slot on Y extends the show's syndication network to South African listeners
Africa Now Radio’s expansion onto South African airwaves is, at its core, a delivery story: a programme built for continental audiences is being pushed through a new distribution channel, with a fixed schedule, an existing syndication network behind it, and a clear operational goal of getting more African music and artist stories to local listeners.
From 1 November, Africa Now Radio with Nandi Madida will air on Y every Sunday at 1pm. That weekly slot gives South African audiences a reliable, recurring point of access to the artists and sounds shaping African music. It also plugs the show into a station with a long history of shaping South African youth culture and music.
The broadcast is an addition to an already functioning distribution setup. Africa Now Radio, launched in 2020, has spent years running a consistent format: each episode features “The Big 5”, a selection of the week’s hottest new tracks, alongside major releases and conversations with artists making their mark on the industry. The programme’s existing radio syndication network includes Cool FM in Nigeria and YFM Ghana, and the Y deal extends that reach onto South African airwaves, widening the footprint of a show built around the diversity and evolving sound of the continent’s music.
For the station, the operational case is straightforward. Y Managing Director Haseena Cassim says the show will give listeners access to a broader range of African sounds while creating more opportunities for artists and their stories to reach audiences locally and internationally. In practice, that means a weekly pipeline moving new tracks, releases and artist interviews from across the continent to a South African audience, with the potential for those stories to travel further.
The host frames her role in terms of execution and continuity. “It is an absolute honour to add to their legacy. I cannot wait to share amazing sounds and stories coming out of this beautiful continent,” says Nandi Madida, reflecting on Y’s longstanding place in South African youth culture and music.
Artists, who depend on platforms to actually carry their work to audiences, have welcomed the move. “What Apple Music and Nandi Madida are doing with Africa Now Radio is giving our music space to live on a global stage,” says rapper Focalistic. “She’s one of our own giving a voice to the sounds of South Africa and beyond.” DJ and record producer De Mthuda echoes the sentiment, highlighting the importance of celebrating genres such as amapiano with the context and respect they deserve. For Kwesta, the programme gives African artists an opportunity to tell their stories in their own voices, reaching audiences from local communities to the rest of the world.
The practical effect for listeners is greater access to music beyond familiar borders, delivered through a programme that brings together different genres, perspectives and voices from across Africa. It also reflects the growing importance of radio as infrastructure for connecting audiences to a music scene that is increasingly finding listeners around the world. As African genres continue to gain international recognition, platforms that document the music and the people behind it play an important role in shaping how the continent is heard and understood. For emerging artists, greater access to audiences can open doors; for listeners, it offers a chance to discover music and perspectives they might otherwise miss.
From amapiano and Afro-house to the many other genres shaping the continent’s musical identity, Africa Now Radio with Nandi Madida offers listeners a weekly window into the artists, stories and sounds moving African music forward. The reference for this coverage appears on Glamour South Africa at https://www.glamour.co.za/lifestyle/entertainment/africa-now-radio-with-nandi-madida-to-reach-more-south-african-listeners-through-y-9b3f3b31-b348-47dc-b137-2f3d00048bf4, and the measure of the partnership will be simple: whether that Sunday afternoon slot consistently delivers the continent’s sounds and stories to the listeners it now promises to reach.
Q&A
When and where does Africa Now Radio with Nandi Madida broadcast in South Africa?
It airs on Y every Sunday at 1pm, starting from 1 November.
Which stations already carry the show as part of its syndication network?
The existing syndication network includes Cool FM in Nigeria and YFM Ghana, and the Y deal extends that reach onto South African airwaves.
What is the format of each episode?
Each episode features The Big 5, a selection of the week's hottest new tracks, alongside major releases and conversations with artists.
What does Y Managing Director Haseena Cassim say the show will deliver?
She says the show will give listeners access to a broader range of African sounds while creating more opportunities for artists and their stories to reach audiences locally and internationally.