Outside broadcasting vans are on the move, bringing the heartbeat of radio right into the heart of the community!

Radio Khwezi, based in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, reaches over 140,000 listeners daily, primarily from rural, underdeveloped, and economically disadvantaged communities. Khwezi empowers its community through various tangible initiatives. Its mission and programs focus on educating, empowering, and mobilising individuals, families, and communities to improve their social, economic, and spiritual well-being. It addresses issues that directly affect its audience, including education, health, crime prevention, and disability – among others.

Khwezi brings the heartbeat of radio right into the heart of the community. Its meet-and-greet roadshows, such as the one held in Keats Drift in August 2025, show a clear shift towards more in-person, community-focused interactions. This aligns with the station's vision to collaborate with its community to uplift and empower them. Its Masibumbane listeners' club, with more than 6,500 registered members across 40 branches, promotes dialogue between the station and local officials, helping to educate communities and bridge gaps in understanding local governance and service delivery.

To extend its reach, Khwezi communicates with community members through its outside broadcast (OB) van. This OB van, also known as a mobile production unit, is equipped with tools to capture and transmit live studio content. It operates from remote or community-based locations and connects to its central live studio or broadcasts directly to the air. The OB can be set up at various venues, making it ideal for covering events in remote or temporary locations where permanent infrastructure is unavailable.

One example is the Ikhwezi Lizakuwe initiative, powered by the OB van, which takes outreach directly into remote rural areas for events, community education, and engagement—enhancing its role as an active and accessible community platform. It acts as a mobile classroom for training young people or aspiring broadcasters in live production, on-location interviewing, audience interaction, and audio engineering.

Khwezi encourages participation and civic engagement by urging people to engage in dialogues, debates, and decision-making processes that influence their lives. The OB van plays a crucial role in achieving these goals, especially in fostering democratic participation. The outdoor broadcasts travel to rural areas using their OB van to discuss relevant topics and connect with the audience, sometimes hosting events with giveaways and prizes.

Khwezi’s future is anchored in community immersion, innovation, and digital evolution, which will expand listener interaction, deepen outreach, enhance programming, and create a more substantial digital footprint — all grounded in the station’s long-standing mission to educate, uplift, and empower its community.

Khwezi is a community radio station operated by the community for the community. Located at the centre of grassroots initiatives, it signifies transformative change, promoting vibrant engagement that empowers individuals and encourages the development of essential skills.

(If you want to know more about the Khwezi Radio station and its work, read the online special publication, Devoted, for free by following the link: https://devotedmag.co.za/magazines/#flipbook-radio-khwezi/1/