Almost 70% of South Africans are listening to the radio but increasingly using their phones, computers or even TV sets to tune in. This is one finding from the new "Infinite Dial" survey, conducted by Edison Research, which explores the penetration of online digital audio and social media in SA, as well as the online platforms and technologies used.
The survey also points to an increasing uptake of podcasts. In 2019 only 22% of South Africans were aware of the medium. In 2021 that figure increased to 48%. The country, though, is still lagging global podcast awareness. That figure is 92% in Australia and 78% in the US. Among South Africans, 25% listen to a podcast every day and almost 35% several times a month.
The survey also shows an increase in monthly online audio consumption, up by over 30% in 12 months. Deirdre King, MD at Gauteng radio station Jacaranda FM, believes screen fatigue is driving more people to audio options.
A separate survey conducted by the radio station shows that after experiencing screen fatigue, 68% of respondents claimed they listen to radio more, and 62% would prefer to listen to content in their native language if it was available.
King says radio as a medium for advertisers is developing different audio touchpoints for brands. Jacaranda’s data from more than 1,400 respondents shows that 41% of respondents say radio remains a trusted channel because of accurate news, 22% because of informed presenters, and 22% because of the consistency of the presenter teams for each show.
But that feedback must be weighed against the worrying backdrop of a recent Edelman Trust Barometer reporting that general trust in media the world over has declined in 15 of 27 countries — including in SA — surveyed last year.
King says as TV becomes more competitively priced, radio has expanded its audio offering from on-air promotions tied to activations or events, to an entire ecosystem of supplementary audio products such as audio-on-demand podcasting, events and pop-up stations themed to fit advertiser content.
The "Infinite Dial" survey says most South Africans listen to podcasts via YouTube, followed by platforms like Spotify and Facebook. Most South Africans listen to podcasts at home (76%), with 13% listening at work. Only 4% of consumers listen in their vehicles, but with more Bluetooth installation in vehicles, that number is likely to increase, and the medium should become more attractive to advertisers.
The gender split for podcast listening is about equal with a slight bias towards women in major metro areas. Currently among SA’s top podcasts are The Joe Rogan Experience — the highest-earning podcast in the world — Podcast and Chill with MacG hosted by MacGyver Mukwevho, and True Crime SA hosted by Nicole Engelbrecht.
According to online data shared by eMarketer, it’s expected that global podcast ad revenues will be more than $2bn in 2023.
Another useful number for advertisers to consider is the increasing number of South Africans who are downloading radio station apps on their smartphones. In 2019 that figure was only 10%; by the end of last year it had increased to 36%.
And those numbers should also be evaluated against the country’s smartphone ownership. At 90%, the figure is up by four percentage points compared with 2019 and is more than the US and the UK.
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