The DRM South Africa Group has reached a major milestone in its digital radio journey with the approval of its DRM in FM demonstration licence, issued by ICASA in November 2025. This regulatory green light establishes the foundation needed to move forward with South Africa’s first coordinated DRM FM demonstration – an initiative aimed at showcasing the value of Digital Radio Mondiale as the country accelerates its shift toward digital sound broadcasting since the regulator already recommended DRM (and DAB) as its digitisation path.
The demonstration will focus on showcasing DRM’s advanced capabilities, including Emergency Warning Functionality (EWF), distance learning through Journaline, multi-channel broadcasting on a single FM transmitter, and significant energy-efficiency gains. Alongside the technical demonstrations, the project will assess digital-era business processes for broadcasters, explore new revenue opportunities, and stimulate local receiver manufacturing across portable, in-car, and mobile platforms. Key stakeholders representing the DRM Consortium widely and the DRM South Africa Group will be actively involved throughout the 8-month demonstration period.
With the licence secured, the DRM South Africa Group can now proceed with completion of the transmitter installation, equipment integration for data services, awareness-building, and project coordination. As outlined in the official project brief, the objective is not only to validate the technical and economic feasibility of DRM in the FM band, but also to produce an implementation guide for community broadcasters and provide meaningful insights on how DRM can support national development goals through education, access to information, and emergency communication.
This landmark approval marks a significant step forward for digital radio in South Africa and reinforces the momentum behind DRM as a modern, flexible, and future-proof solution for the broadcasting ecosystem.
