MSG Group Sales celebrate success and future growth

By David Jenkin

MSG Group Sales represent MSG Afrika Group radio stations, namely Power 98.7, a commercial talk radio station in Gauteng and surrounds, and Capricorn FM, a commercial music radio station broadcasting in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and parts of Gauteng. With the launch of two new stations planned for the second half of 2016, MSG Group Sales will have a presence in seven of the nine provinces, competing with SABC Radio. Rhythm FM will be launched in the Eastern Cape and Beat FM will be launched in the Free State and the Northern Cape.

Founder and Group CEO of MSG Afrika Investment Holdings, Given Mkhari, began by speaking about Capricorn FM and how the station had grown into something special in the eight years since its inception.

“Building organically, from the ground up, forces you to be humble,” he said. The process of acquiring a license also forces one to be humble, he added, as the airspace is highly contested. He explained the airwaves belong to the people of South Africa and so it is a massive responsibility to occupy a place on the spectrum. “We must do it well, otherwise we are taking fore-granted the privilege to serve,” he said.

The purpose of these stations, he explained, has always been to serve a group in South African society that has not had proper representation before, the black middle class. He said that black professionals in both the public and private sphere were frustrated for many reasons, and he would like to see these people ‘activated’. He said that there are important conversations taking place in private that should be given a platform in the public sphere, in an environment where people can speak freely.

The listeners they have attracted are young and upwardly mobile, primarily in the LSM 7-10 group, and Mkhari praised them as an audience of high quality. Mkhari explained that the two new stations would continue this mandate by serving that same demographic in other parts of the country.

Following after Mkhari, a number of radio personalities were given a chance to say a few words, introducing themselves and their programmes, and speaking about their personal journeys. Among them were household names including Ursula Chikane (aka Brown Sugar), Imam Rappetti, Pabi Moloi, Andile Khumalo, Thabiso Tema and David O’Sullivan, to name a few.

Aside from the new stations, MSG Group Sales has other plans for the future that were briefly discussed in the course of the evening, namely the Tshwane Power Walk, a family event set to take place in June, and the Power Woman Weekend during which Power 98.7 will play host to some of the country’s influential woman, including Thuli Madonsela and Lindiwe Mazibuko.

For more information, visit www.powerfm.co.za or www.capricornfm.co.za. Alternatively, connect with Power 98.7 on Twitter or Facebook or with Capricorn FM on Twitter or Facebook.