By Adam Wakefield

As those who come to Johannesburg for the first time realise, there is a lot more to the City of Gold than meets the eye. Knowing he would likely come north from Cape Town at some point, when Hamman did make the move to Johannesburg upon landing his role at 5FM, he was pleasantly surprised.

“When I eventually received the call up from 5FM, it meant that I would have to leave behind my friends, family and comfortability in Cape Town. The move was also quite sudden, as is the nature of the beast. Despite those teething challenges, relocating to Jozi changed my life for the better,” Hamman says.

“Johannesburg has been amazing to me. Reluctantly, I must admit I was somewhat ignorant about all the city had to offer and I quickly became aware of all of its colourful nuances, places and people. From Melville to Sandton and Fordsburg to Braamfontein, I am never bored and always inspired.”

Hamman’s radio pedigree was first honed on student radio at MFM in Stellenbosch before he made the move to Good Hope FM. It was not long before he was snapped up by sister and national station 5FM. It’s a platform Hamman covets, as he does radio itself. However, he feels some of his peers are more focused on themselves than their audience, which undermines the medium’s public value.

“I would like to encourage broadcasters to think differently about their craft. To me, radio is an art form. It is one of the most exciting forms of media and it requires practitioners who are mindful of this,” Hamman says.

“Too many presenters are there either because they want to be famous or because it is another avenue in which to expand their brand and raise their profile. Radio people need to realise that the world is changing.”

Those in radio, according to Hamman, are no longer competing with each other but against all forms of media with the consumer enabled with more choice than ever before, be it from other frequencies, smartphones, podcasts or apps.

Hamman says local radio is fortunate that it remains a “powerful first choice medium” for many South Africans, but because of that status, it’s undermined by complacency and laziness.  

“Instead, we should view ourselves as creators of breakthrough, intelligent content that can enrich and inspire the lives of our listeners. South Africa has proven that we are more than capable of competing on an international stage,” Hamman says.

Something especially close to Hamman’s heart, which he uses his pulpit to advance, are issues affecting the youth. Hamman believes the youth must engage meaningfully on questions that will shape their future, with such conversations only starting to happen.

“The vicissitudes of our past mean that we need to constantly be in a state of contention with the status quo in order to comprehend and clarify the way forward. The power of the youth must never be underestimated and the challenge of society as a whole is to figure out how best we can ensure that we do not prohibit honest and open dialogue between perspectives and experiences,” Hamman says.

“In recent months, we have seen how the youth have been able to collectivise on issues that desperately need to be brought to the public’s attention. I believe that in order for us to prosper we all need to be aware of our roles and responsibilities.”

This sometimes requires being able to look beyond ourselves as individuals and view our society within the historical context from which it emerged and largely remains.  Of particular importance, according to Hamman, is that South Africa’s youth believe in their own potential and veer away from apathy.

“Yes, we live in challenging times, but this also can mean exciting. We need young South Africans who are conscious and progressive and who have a shared intention of wanting the quality of life to improve for all our people,” Hamman says.

For more information, you can connect with Hamman on Twitter.