South Africa's first DRM AM trial
The DRM Consortium launched the Southern Africa Platform, spearheaded by Radio Pulpit's Managing Director — leading to South Africa's first successful DRM AM (mediumwave) trial.
The Static Is Over — Digital Radio Has Arrived
DRM SA Group is leading the charge to transform Africa's radio industry with crystal-clear, future-ready digital sound.
Still stuck in analog? You're not alone.
Outdated infrastructure is holding back community and commercial radio stations across South Africa. DRM changes the economics of broadcasting entirely.
Analog today
- Patchy reception across large, diverse geographies
- Limited reach for community and commercial stations alike
- One signal, one channel, per frequency
- No built-in emergency alerting
- Higher energy cost per coverage area
With DRM
- Crystal-clear digital sound on existing AM, FM, SW and VHF spectrum
- Multiple channels broadcast on a single frequency
- Emergency Warning Functionality (EWF) for public safety
- Journaline data services — text, images and distance learning alongside audio
- Lower energy consumption than analogue FM
When the big players were hesitant, community stations stepped up. Radio Pulpit's DRM AM trial and Kofifi FM's DRM FM success proved this tech works, right here in South Africa — and their results are becoming part of an official ITU document.
Proof, not promises
Every claim on this page has a name, a date and a frequency attached to it.
Kofifi FM 97.2 proves DRM on FM
The Johannesburg community station ran a successful DRM FM trial with Wecodec and local partners. The findings were recognised as an official ITU document.
DRM in FM demonstration launches on 91.25 MHz
Broadcasting from Northcliff, Johannesburg at 70W transmitter output, the demonstration carries Radio Pulpit and HOT 102.7 simultaneously on a single FM frequency — launched on UNESCO World Radio Day under an ICASA test licence.
Watch the demonstration →Regional collaboration with Mozambique
DRM SA hosted a delegation from INCM Mozambique and Radio Mozambique at its demonstration site, with a joint meeting with Sentech SOC Ltd, South Africa's national signal distributor.
Partners and members
Broadcasters, engineers and technology partners building South Africa's digital radio future with us.
DRM AM & FM pioneer
Commercial broadcaster
Commercial broadcaster
Transmitter & antenna systems
RF engineering, est. 1999
Broadcast engineering
DRM ContentServer & MultimediaPlayer
DRM technology
DRM receivers
Global standards body
Three ways to join the movement
Full membership details →Full Member
Strategic influence, early access to insights, invitations to high-level forums, and a seat at the table shaping the future of digital radio in Africa.
Learn more →Associate Member
Stay connected to industry developments, benefit from knowledge exchange, and help foster innovation and research around digital broadcasting.
Learn more →Individual Member
Access to the tools, resources and support to grow in the digital space, as part of a greater movement.
Learn more →From the newsroom
All news →BluLemon: An Early DRM SA Member Helping Drive the Future of Digital Radio in South Africa
From broadcast infrastructure expertise to enabling South Africa's pioneering DRM in FM trial, BluLemon is playing a practical role in advancing digital radio across the region.
Read article →
Strengthening regional collaboration in digital broadcasting
We hosted the delegation from INCM Mozambique and Radio Mozambique at the DRM South Africa demonstration site for a strategic engagement on the future of digital radio across the continent.
Read article →
South Africa launches DRM in FM demonstration on 91.25 MHz
The DRM Southern Africa Group has officially launched its DRM in FM demonstration from the Northcliff site in Johannesburg, broadcasting Radio Pulpit and HOT 102.7 on a single frequency.
Read article →Part of one global movement
DRM SA stands alongside national DRM platforms working toward a shared vision: the digital transformation of radio. We are a non-profit group committed to supporting broadcasters, communities and governments in making this leap together.
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Let's broadcast the future, together.
Whether you're a national broadcaster or a grassroots community station, there's a membership tier built for you.