DRM Africa Newsletter – March 2026 - Digital Radio Mondiale

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Partners,

Welcome to the first Africa newsletter of 2026.

Announced at IBC 2025, the quarterly African newsletter sees its third edition which includes more updates and announcements from the Consortium, like the excellent demonstration in South Africa during the World Radio Day, alongside inspiring stories and insights from across the region.

Digital Radio Mondiale – DRM – is made for Africa with its many big countries, and smaller ones, and with a lot of rural communities that need and deserve the same services as the listeners in the big cities.

The newsletter stays as a strong invitation to all those interested to learn more about DRM and share their news so that digital radio can become reality and bring its good audio and many digital benefits to the millions of avid African listeners.

Please send us your news, opinions, projects and questions to projectoffice@drm.org and we will make sure that the next edition will include your name and capture your communication, if relevant to your country or your region.

Ruxandra Obreja

DRM Chairman

Latest News

DRM in FM Demonstration Launched in South Africa on World Radio Day

South Africa has achieved a global first. The DRM South Africa Group has successfully completed its inaugural DRM in FM demonstration, carried by several partners, launched on World Radio Day in partnership with UNESCO. Broadcasting live from Northcliff, Johannesburg, the showcase digital broadcast highlighted how DRM can deliver multiple radio services and rich educational content on a single FM frequency.

📄 Read the full story to see how this milestone advances South Africa’s digital radio future

Videos

🎞️ South Africa Launches DRM in FM Demonstration – YouTube

DRM Broadcasts on World Radio Day – Feedback from Around the World

The DRM Consortium participated in the UNESCO World Radio Day 2026 by showcasing AI-enabled e-learning via digital radio. The DRM Consortium demonstrated in unique ways the capabilities of the DRM standard, the only all-frequencies, open digital radio standard.

Live Transmissions Across Five Continents

On February 13th DRM partners transmitted DRM broadcasts on shortwave for the first time on one single day across five continents demonstrating DRM’s global credentials and reach. Please check the complete World Radio Day DRM broadcast schedule. Education content was also broadcast for the first time in DRM FM by South African partners.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all participants, whether they joined our live training sessions, followed by our global demonstration transmissions, or both! Their very detailed feedback, recordings, and reception reports are encouraging and a great proof of the DRM advanced technology and its benefits for both broadcasters and their listeners.

Some of the enthusiasts who have signed and sent us their reception reports are: Hallvard Gjerde, Rafael Rodríguez R., Rob den Boer, Patrick Robic, Ding Lu, Raphaël Voydis, Tanino Marabello, Rafael Orlando Rodríguez, Francisco Braccini, Jose Jacob, Fabrizio Savini, Eduardo F. Araujo, Isao Yamanaka.

A selection of the videos and audio recordings are available on YouTube:

🔗 More on World Radio Day: drm.org/wrd-2026.

For further information and to explore 3 demo applications, please visit: e-learning.drm.org.

DRM Aligned with Education Goals as They Take Centre Stage at the World Government Summit

Education really is the engine of Africa’s future, and its urgency was recognised at the World Government Summit. DRM digital radio stands out as the only digital broadcasting system capable of delivering nationwide, cost-effective coverage for African countries, not just a select few. In a region where every learner deserves to be reached, DRM offers a powerful, futureproof tool to help make that vision real.

With nearly half of Africa’s population projected to be under 25 by 2050, speakers at the World Government Summit in Dubai stressed that investing in skills, learning systems, and youth opportunity is no longer optional – it’s urgent. At the conference, Africa’s leaders and global partners aligned around one clear message: education is the continent’s most powerful lever for transformation.

Education emerges as Africa’s top priority at the World Government Summit

🎥 Watch the Full Video

DRM Aligns with UNESCO – 2026 GEM Report on Equity and Access in Education Launched

UNESCO and the Global Education Monitoring team published its 2026 GEM Report on Equity and Access. Its focus on inclusion, resilience and practical solutions speaks directly to the challenges faced by underserved communities around the world.

The report highlights the need for technologies that are affordable, accessible and designed for equity. DRM digital radio shares this ambition. It offers a scalable way to deliver learning, information and support to communities that are often left behind.

DRM’s strengths map directly onto the report’s ambitions.

Equitable access at national scale

DRM delivers audio, text and data to vast geographic areas at very low cost.

Works on low power
Reaches remote and rural communities
Does not require smartphones or broadband

Technology designed for inclusion

DRM supports:

Multilingual audio
Text services for learners with limited literacy
Emergency alerts and educational data
Low-cost receivers

Distance learning that does not widen the digital divide

DRM enables structured lessons, teacher messages and curriculum aligned content without requiring internet access.
This directly supports the report’s emphasis on continuity of learning during crises.

Support for national education strategies

DRM can be integrated into ministries’ distance learning plans as a stable, scalable channel.
DRM strengthens national resilience by keeping education flowing during crises.

📄Read the full report

DRM Alone Offers Full Country Coverage

In her recent guest commentary for the Red Tech publication, the DRM chairman argues that the selection and implementation of a digital broadcasting standard for a country need to stand the test of time and cover the entire broadcast landscape: public, private, and community broadcasters. For full country coverage and additional benefits, DRM has been adopted or is under serious consideration as the sole standard by countries such as China, Pakistan, Nepal and other countries in Asia and as part of a dual solution in Africa and other parts of the world. She argues that regulators, broadcasters and manufacturers must work together, as no regulator or government would accept the idea that one person, one “influencer,” or one group of stakeholders can have the ultimate word and vote.

📄 Digital Radio – Dual standards not double standards – RedTech

👍 Read and like the post on LinkedIn

DRM Multi Standard Receivers Are Here

Elements Innovation in cooperation with RF2Digital, both DRM members, have just unveiled one standalone multi-standard receiver. Under the name ES006 FM/AM/CDR/DRM the desktop receiver offers reception for DRM in the AM bands and in FM and CDR 87.50-108 MHz and DRM-FM 87.10-201.85 MHz Its battery is rechargeable, and the antenna is placed at the back of this solid, elegant receiver. This receiver includes the CDR standard and is aimed at the Chinese market.

The other receiver shown by Elements Innovation is the dual EJM326FM/AM/DAB/DRM after-market car receiver with remote control and antenna at the back. Currently EI is supporting major automotive brands like Volkswagen and Renault, delivering digital radio systems that enhance in-car entertainment and connectivity.

DRM Receiver in Over 13 million Indian Cars

Over 1.32 Crore DRM-enabled cars are on Indian roads today, and it is expected that this number will grow in 2026.

The radio receiver industry both in India and abroad has invested millions of dollars in the development of DRM digital radio capable receivers for use in Indian cars.

And here is more of a background:
📄 The DRM Success Story of Indian Automotive Industry 13.2 million Cars on the Indian Roads

DRM General Assembly in Indonesia in May

Preparations are underway for the 2026 DRM General Assembly, to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia, May 5-6. The DRM General Assembly will be held in partnership with our key member Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI), a first for RRI and the DRM not-for-profit Consortium as well.