Mdantsane’s online radio station aims to make a positive impact

Mdantsane's new bilingual online radio station, Radio 537, wants its content to change the narrative of the township and how it’s perceived.

It is only a month old but the station has already been listed on Radio App SA, and has conducted interviews with locals who are doing great work within their communities and further afield.

“Radio 537 is founded on the principle of positive societal impact and it is driven by a team of dynamic young people,” said station manager Thobane Vumindaba. “We take pride in engaging great minds doing great things and affecting the lives of other people with purpose.

“It is the first bilingual online radio station based in Mdantsane, and it is dedicated to giving all our listeners diverse shows that challenge thinking and offer fresh content, including discussions on topics that are usually left alone,” Vumindaba said.

Honest and spirited conversations are not always the ones that are trending, but they want to air the views of people because of their substance and not simply the size of their following.

“Our mission is to propel and facilitate robust and informative conversations towards positive societal impact and development,” he said.

The station airs from Monday to Friday, 11am to 11pm, and some highlights among interviews so far include Fort Jackson sanitary towel entrepreneur Babalwa Mbuku — a passionate feminist whose factory staff complement is 60% disabled —  and Lonwabo Rani, the founder of IT company Silulo Ulutho Technologies, which specialises in bringing internet cafes and computer training to rural areas.

Radio 537 is a commercial radio station with 60% talk and 40% music, and a language mix of 80% English and 20% isiXhosa.

“We are a group of young people with a vision of growing the radio station by sharing stories of what is happening in and around our township,” Vumindaba said.

They can be found on social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. — DispatchLIVE