Not all treasures are silver and gold, sometimes they are yellow!

Central South Africa's leading radio station, OFM, was named one of the readers' favourites in the 'national radio station' category alongside RSG and Jacaranda FM.

Says Nick Efstathiou, CEO of Central Media Group, of which OFM is a subsidiary: “We have a deep understanding of the market we serve, and to receive this plaudit is humbling. We tailor our content offering to meet the needs and preferences of our wonderful listeners. Central South Africa is a special place, with special people, and I thank them for this recognition.”

OFM is proud of the way we reflect the essence and lifestyle of our listeners in our programme offering.

"Receiving such an award is not only great for OFM as a station, but also for our advertisers. Everyone contributes to the sound of your life! It makes us proud to know that the product we put out there is heard, enjoyed and supported," says Anchen Lintvelt, OFM sales and marketing manager.

Although the station is licensed by the Independent Communications Authority to broadcast in Afrikaans and English, OFM understands the importance of developing and supporting an indigenous language, unique to Africa.

So we go to great lengths to ensure that our music and content presentation also appeals to Afrikaans and even touches on issues that are of specific importance to Afrikaans communities.

"It is an incredible privilege to be able to express yourself in Afrikaans in a creative environment. Our listeners' love for the language makes it possible for our content creators to also embrace the language and offer them only the best. Thank you for the recognition, it's a pleasure to serve you," says OFM content manager, Elzette Boucher-Krüger.

In addition to having the news, entertainment and lifestyle content available on air and online in Afrikaans, OFM also takes the lead in regularly promoting fun campaigns and innovations in Afrikaans – recent examples include 'onsie' (a selfie of a group of people) and 'bakkie arm' (a sleeve that protects against the sun).

Then there are also our programmes that are specifically dedicated to Afrikaans: Opstaan ensures that those who are out of bed early on weekends wake up to a 100% Afrikaans music offer, weekends 05h00 - 06h00; Nuut in Afrikaans offers listeners the latest Afrikaans music releases, Sundays 19h00 – 20h00; and OFM Stasie2, our free streaming service, plays your favorite hits online 24-7.

It is a special honour for OFM to receive recognition from Beeld readers with this accolade. We appreciate it and take it as an incentive to continue our support of the Afrikaans language.

Why OFM?

OFM, the Sound of Your Life, is Central South Africa’s premier commercial radio station, offering a mix of music, news, and entertainment. The station celebrated 35 years in the broadcasting industry in 2021. OFM is part of the Central Media Group, with its head office in Bloemfontein, and a satellite studio in Welkom.

The station serves the affluent SEM 7-10 economically active marketplace with a broadcast footprint across the Free State, Northern Cape, southern Gauteng and North West. OFM is synonymous with the people of Central South Africa, and includes a full spectrum of listeners, from urban working moms and dads to corporate professionals, as well as rural communities and agricultural producers.

The station has an incredibly loyal and supportive audience. OFM enjoys one of the highest occurrences of time spent listening to the radio in South Africa. This is achieved by the station’s great music offerings – such as playing listeners their favourite songs on the Request Network and counting down Central South Africa’s 30 biggest hits on the Central SA Top 30.

OFM offers several niche features – including a dedicated agricultural programme with three additional agricultural news updates a day, as well as a dedicated business programme with two additional economic news updates throughout the day.

Sport is close to OFM listeners’ hearts and is what brings much of Central South Africa together. The station is a proud partner, sponsor, and supporter of the Cheetahs, Griquas and Leopards rugby teams as well as the Knights, Heat and Dragons cricket teams. OFM is committed to living the real good life, while at the same time helping Central South Africans to live their best lives.