Icasa licenses 18 new community radio stations across South Africa

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has recently licensed 18 new community radio stations across the country, as announced in Pretoria on Wednesday, 12 August 2026. This expansion of community radio access is part of Phase 2 of the Invitation to Pre‑Register (ITP‑R) process for Community Sound Broadcasting Service and Radio Frequency Spectrum licences, which concluded after receiving 93 applications.

The newly licensed stations span all nine provinces, including Lit Radio Academy and uThukela FM in KwaZulu‑Natal, Bulungula Community Radio and Sabela FM in the Eastern Cape, and Tsantsi Rise FM in the Northern Cape. Community radio, as highlighted by Councillor Ntombiza Sithole, Chairperson of the Committee on Sound Broadcasting Services, plays a vital role in promoting access to information, supporting local development, fostering social cohesion, and preserving South Africa's diverse cultures and languages.

The regulator expressed its congratulations to the successful applicants, emphasizing that their contribution will help strengthen the community broadcasting sector by giving voice to grassroots issues, promoting local languages, and ensuring diverse communities are represented in the national conversation.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Citizen's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.