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The author is an award-winning youth advocate. He is the co-founder of a number of community initiatives including the Youth Congress, a premier youth-led organization in Kenya.
In Africa, and especially in areas where many people don’t own television, cannot afford smartphones and and lack access to the internet, African football [i.e. soccer] fans use radio to follow major football leagues and tournaments.
Radio remains a key media source for many Africans, especially in far flung areas across the continent — rural and off the grid areas. It is the most-used mass communications medium in Africa; and, with the widest geographical reach, it has the biggest audience numbers compared to other media.
Because many Africans have access to radio, they find it convenient to follow football and easy to keep up with the action. Also, some people find following the game on radio more enjoyable. In some cases, radio broadcasters are the best at keeping their listeners locked into the game. Commentators are able to bring the passion and excitement of the games to the fans through the power of radio.
Indeed, radio has a unique ability to convey all the live drama of a 90-minute football match. Also, many people find radio less distracting, especially if there are other essential engagements. At the same time, radio broadcasting takes care of listeners specific interests needs, including preferred languages.
A few years ago, Kenya’s Radio Africa came together with the world’s biggest sports radio station — UK-based talkSPORT — to air English premier league matches that are quite popular in the country. These matches were made available in Kiswahili on Radio Jambo.
Generally, European football attracts a huge following in Africa, and the rise in some countries like Uganda is attributed to local commentators who promote it through their popular radio programs.
[Related: “Radio Plays a Pivotal Role in Music Discovery and Promotion“]
