The Potential of Community Radio in Fostering Economic Empowerment of Youths in The Cape Flats Communities

"Bush Radio has a strong representation of young people in the driving seat in the production of these programmes, giving youths a voice to be heard."

Media development scholars have recognised community radio in South Africa as an essential component of the overall democratisation of communications that started in the 1990s in the wake of a crumbling Apartheid system. Given that community radio's mandate is to support the quest for community development, it is noteworthy that the South African youth unemployment rate escalated exponentially from 53.22% in 1999 to 61.04% in 2013. This study examines the role community radio plays in fostering the economic empowerment of young people in the Cape Flats of Cape Town, South Africa using Bush Radio as a case study. Cape Flats refers to areas that the Apartheid government carved out for non-white Capetonians forcefully relocated under the Group Areas Act.

Bush Radio regards itself as the "Mother of Community Radio in Africa" (Bush Radio, 2021). Its history dates back to the 1980s, when it was formerly known as the Cassette Education Trust (CASET). It started during the height of apartheid as an audio-cassette production project, at the time when  South Africa's media industry was under the government's control. The rationale behind the selection of Bush Radio as a station of choice for this study is that it is the only station in Cape Town, with approximately 80% of its listeners youth within the age group 15-35 (Bush Radio, 2021).

For the purposes of this study, youth empowerment (from the media consumption perspective) is a process of capacitating young people between the ages of 18 and 35 through information, education, and entertainment to make choices and to then transform those choices into desired aspirations. It also means supporting them to develop the knowledge and the necessary skills required for success. The term empowerment refers to a range of activities, from individual self-assertion to collective resistance, protest, and mobilisation that challenge fundamental power relations.  

Media convergence has opened communication mediums to be more affordable and accessible to society, especially to marginalised groups such as youth, disabled people, and women. Introductory portions of the study explores how community radio has been (or can be) utilised as a vehicle to foster the social inclusion of young people through media production. Examples such as the Children's Radio Foundation (South Africa) and the Young Reporters Network (Tanzania) illustrate how radio can be a tool that young people can utilise to gain experiential knowledge by producing media content that speaks about youth and their challenges in society.

McQuail's Mass Communication Theory (1987) underpins this study. The theory's central argument is that the media should prioritise the coverage of those areas that touch people's lives. Also, it emphasises that the media should play a supportive role in government policy and programmes rather  than being critical of governments, their programmes, and personnel. This study employs this theory because, as a powerful mass medium in South Africa, radio serves as a crucial mass media platform to assist the government in accelerating youth empowerment and development. By employing this theory,  the researchers assessed the Bush Radio station's role in fostering youths' economic empowerment in the Cape Flats through its programming.

As part of the qualitative study, the researchers conducted in-depth interviews with staff and management of Bush Radio; they also collected about 20 questionnaires from young inhabitants of Cape Flats. The study focuses on five programmes with presenters below the age of 35 that explore a range of topics such as health, gender equality, entrepreneurship, unemployment, service delivery, education, arts and culture, politics, sports, and labour matters. The survey distributed to youth revealed that 40% of the respondents sampled are aware of the programmes designed by the station focusing on youth empowerment, whereas 25% of the respondents are not aware, and the other 35% are not quite sure if these programmes exist. Data also showed that most (45%) of the respondents are not aware of channels at the station to add or forward their suggestions and inputs regarding programming.

Findings revealed that Bush Radio positions youth at the forefront of their programming. The station serves as a credible source of information relevant and beneficial to young people focusing on entrepreneurship, financial literacy, education, and employment creation. For example, the Everyday People's programme dedicates Mondays to local entrepreneurs, offering them a platform free of charge to promote their products and services and to share their business experiences with other aspiring  young entrepreneurs listening to the station. It also offers free advice on business-related matters such as business registrations, financing, and taxes. Similarly, the Morning Cruise has a segment where youth interested in starting a business in need of a business mentor can connect via invited experts that are part of the show.

Data revealed that Bush Radio has a rich history in skills training and employment for youth interested in community broadcasting. The station offers young aspiring broadcasters with (or without qualifications in journalism or broadcasting) opportunities to gain professional on-the-job experience in presenting, producing, and post-production. These interns and volunteers are not paid a salary but receive a stipend to cover their basic needs. Just like many other community radio stations across the country, Bush Radio acts as a training ground for aspiring broadcasters who require experience in broadcasting; they then migrate to the commercial space.

Furthermore, the station's youth-centric programmes focus on community media tenets of localism and participation, which affords local young talented artists a platform to promote and monetise their creative material. Having their music played more frequently allows these local artists to claim royalties from the South African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO).

Finally, the study revealed the station acts as a conduit that connects youth with government and relevant organisations offering opportunities to uplift and better their livelihoods. For example, the programme Sakh'isizwe is centred on youth empowerment, and it has a segment focusing on job  creation. This feature offers listeners basic soft skills to enable them to get a job, including how to craft a CV, write a cover letter, and register a business. The Jobshop feature lists vacant jobs in Cape Town on-air to unemployed listeners with no access to online employment opportunities (advertisements) and newspaper classifieds.

The researchers sought to understand how the station can improve its programming to empower its listeners to support the current programmes. Here are two of the proposals generated by the young respondents: "Running youth workshops for entrepreneurs and work[ing] together with schools on upliftment programmes in poor communities" and "Bringing in youth [who are] successful in their respective fields to share their journey in the world of work, to inspire the[ir] fellow South African[s] sitting at home without hope and unemployed."