The Sunday News
ZVISHAVANE-BASED commercial radio station; YaFM last month celebrated its first year anniversary. As part of its celebrations, a series of activities were lined up that included a business forum, and a cycling event, among other activities.
Sunday Life Senior Reporter Roberta Katunga (RK) interviewed YaFM chairman Munyaradzi Hwengwere (MH) to discuss the station’s journey to one year. According to Hwengwere, it has been a bittersweet road but the station has delivered in that it has continued to broadcast to the mining community in the Great Dyke area despite some challenges.
RK: Mr Hwengwere, congratulations on your station turning one. What does the name YaFM mean?
MH: When we came up with the idea of the station, our vision was to let the youth run it but bearing in mind that adults know the way. The station is a union between the energetic youths who carry out the day to day torch of the business yet depend on the wisdom of their elders to guide them as they engage with their audiences. YaFM stands for Youth and Adults Frequency Modulation.
RK: What has been the station’s major highlight?
MH: The greatest highlight would have to be the pleasure we have from having carved a niche in Zimbabwean history as the first ever regional commercial station to operate in the country. Secondly, we brought broadcasting to a people situated in a place where there was never an institution of that sort. We have made history by being the only radio station that offers such a platform to the mining community, for us that is our highlight.
RK: Can you describe how the journey to your first anniversary has been?
MH: It has been mixed; we have always been clear about it. From our inception we have received tremendous support from the communities we serve. Being a former employee of the national broadcaster ZBC, I am well aware of the fact that broadcasting has a tremendous impact on society but I wouldn’t have imagined the impact YaFM would have in the Mberengwa, Zvishavane, Shurugwi and Chivi areas.
However, on the commercial side, we have experienced some highs and lows. The highs being that the small business community has done its best to support the station and use it as a medium to grow their businesses. Nevertheless the disappointing reality is that decisions in Zimbabwe are still primarily centralised in Harare. This therefore means that for every pitch you make in Harare, you are making it to a decision maker who has no clue of what the southern region of the country is; you almost have to carry them through a geography lecture to explain the potential of the place and the opportunities available.
It takes a long time before big players with big advertising budgets come on board.
RK: Is it not the responsibility of media houses to be innovative and come up with survival strategies in such a market?
MH: Certainly, we realise that it is a challenge for broadcasting entrepreneurs to advance new models for the business and take advantage of the market to create new opportunities. However, what may seem like a disadvantage can be transformed into an opportunity for business.
Another important thing that we have to keep doing is talent identification, we need to continuously search for new talent because in broadcasting it’s about getting the best but knowing that you can never hold on to it for eternity. When we started out, we had Davis Mugadza as the first manager, he left but we have had a capable replacement in Collin Nikisi. Realising that the market is not static and always being on the lookout for new trends will make us survive.
As a station we are not limited by the boundaries that confine us, our listeners can listen to us through online streaming on our website www.yafm.co.zw <http://www.yafm.co.zw> or download our mobile app on Google Playstore. So no one has an excuse not to listen to YaFM.
RK: If the mining community has been supportive to the station, what has the station done to benefit the community?
MH: The community was hungry for information and needed a voice for the voiceless. YaFM gave them that voice that is why we say: “Finally miners have a voice.” But we have gone beyond that, we have held a series of business conferences for instance the Great Dyke Business Investment Forum last year. We brought in Dr Nigel Chanakira who spoke about how to unlock investment opportunities. This year Dr John Mangudya addressed small-scale miners. We have just concluded the Tour De Great Dyke for the purpose of making our communities aware of the area they live in and the opportunities available to them. We have basically provided a platform for the community.
RK: What are your future plans for the station?
MH: We want to change from being merely a broadcasting outfit to a lifestyle hub. At the moment we are constructing what we want to be Zvishavane’s biggest entertainment arena. By this time next year, we won’t be talking about YaFM a radio station but YaFM a Multi-Media Lifestyle Centre.
RK: Thank you for your time and all the best going forward. Any last words to our readers?
MH: I would like to acknowledge the support of my team, fellow directors but most of all the staff at Ya, they have done so much to keep the station going and I want them to know all their hard work is appreciated.
