About Us
Youth Station
Radio Khaltsha is by youth for youth. Number one youth radio station in Western Cape, based in Cape Town, Khayelitsha, the second biggest township in South Africa.
This initiative is by youth for youth. This radio station exists because of you (artists), to express yourself in an artistic way, we believe that every artist has his/her way of communicating to the world. The studio is being taken care of by Yes Media House. One of our main goals is to empower young people out there, especially the local artist around Western Cape. We encourage people with a positive spirit in action, offering effective and affordable opportunities to turn the world around by initially building the 'youth of South Africa' and strong personal growth.
Station Profile & General Info
2017 -
Station Profile
- Name: Radio Khaltsha Frequency: 97.1fm
- Language Medium: Xhosa and English Broadcast
- Times: 24 hours
- Target audience: Between the ages of 6 – 80 years depending on the specific programme
- Format: Music, talk, and news
- Basic rates: Rates are quoted for 30 or 60-second advertisements Listenership: 5000+ independent
- Coverage: Greater Khayelitsha & surrounds, Mfuleni, Maccasar - Anywhere, Internationally via online streaming
2011 -
Khayelitsha DJ Mzuvukile Monco, tired of having doors being slammed in his face, has now started his own bedroom radio station.
He is the brains behind Radio Khaltsha (radio culture) and has been running his boudoir show for two years in a row and has a listenership of about a thousand regulars. According to Monco,25, he found a way to get on the airways in 2015, after he logged into a radio signal by mistake.
“It was by happenstance but luckily I’m good with technology, so I started exploring it ... In the first few days, I could only reach people in my street. I also had a friend whose dad had an antenna, so we used that antenna to spread our reach and that was the birth of Radio Khaltsha,” he said. Monco obtained an N5 certificate in Electrical Engineering at Northlink College which helped him set up his makeshift studio at home.
“As an upcoming DJ, you struggle a lot getting access to platforms such as radio, TV, and events. You find so many people blocking your way, so this is our (referring to him and other DJ friends) way of creating a platform for the underdogs,” he said.
The station consists of seven volunteers who run the station and 14 other presenters who run various shows in the line-up. The majority of the talent is youngsters from Khayelitsha, which is what he had aimed for as the founder. Their slogan is “Youth Empowering The Community” and their shows emphasise this notion. “We have various shows that are driven by the youth where we motivate and also expose local youth-owned businesses. We, unfortunately, have a revolving door of talent because while some of them get jobs, others get opportunities to work in other radio stations,” he said.
Monco said that he was happy to see growth, which includes streaming digitally. Their other concern is about Independent Communications Authority of South Africa(Icasa) approval. He says they are working on this but will continue broadcasting from his home. He said he has sacrificed his own bedroom by turning it into the studio. “At first it was difficult as we used to sit on my bed and broadcast. Sometimes I’d be sleeping and someone would be presenting a show,” he tells the City Vision team as he gives out a roaring laughter. One presenter who has been marveling at the opportunity is Lubabalo Ncipha, 24, who spearheads the Amazwi Enkuthazo Show weekdays between 10:00 to 12:00. He says that his show is about motivation.
“I have learnt a lot about radio in the past two years. My show is about encouraging people to go for the dreams,” he said. Learning to entertain people was what amazed him most, said Ncipha. Its a talent he had not been aware of, he added. Monco said that his dream is for his show to stream worldwide but he was happy for the progress Radio Khaltsha has made.