South African commercial broadcaster Jacaranda FM has launched a multi-city road tour across parts of the country as the station celebrates 40 years of broadcasting.
Known as the “Feel Good Tour,” the month-long campaign will take Jacaranda FM presenters and production teams to communities across Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West provinces, bringing live radio broadcasts directly to listeners through public events, school visits, shopping malls, and community venues.
The station said the initiative is designed to strengthen engagement with audiences while celebrating four decades of entertainment, music, and community broadcasting in South Africa.
The tour features some of the station’s best-known radio personalities, including Martin Bester, host of Breakfast with Martin Bester, alongside presenters from The Drive with Rob and Roz, as well as Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp and Alex Jay.
Broadcasts are being conducted from a specially branded Jacaranda FM bus travelling through the station’s broadcast footprint, allowing fans to interact directly with presenters and experience live radio production outside traditional studio settings.
According to Vuyani Dombo, the tour is intended to recognize listeners who have supported the station over four decades.
“This tour is about celebrating with the people who have made Jacaranda FM what it is today,” Dombo said in a statement. “For 40 years, our listeners have been at the centre of everything we do.”
The roadshow began earlier this month with stops between Pretoria and Mbombela and is continuing through Johannesburg, Rustenburg, and Polokwane before concluding with additional events across Johannesburg later in May.
Media analysts say such listener-focused activations are increasingly important for radio stations seeking to strengthen audience loyalty in an era of growing digital competition and changing media consumption habits.
Despite the rise of streaming services and online platforms, radio remains one of South Africa’s most accessible and influential media sectors, particularly for commuters and regional audiences.
Industry observers note that community engagement tours have become a major strategy for broadcasters across Africa seeking to deepen audience connections by taking radio beyond studio walls and into local communities.
Founded in 1986, Jacaranda FM has grown into one of South Africa’s leading commercial radio stations, broadcasting music, entertainment, news, and talk programming to millions of listeners across the country.