Springbok Radio Preservation Society of South Africa

Springbok Radio was the first commercial radio station of the SABC. It began operating on 1 May 1950 and was closed on 31 December 1985 following the arrival of television in 1976.

Its programmes were uniquely different and fresh, and became people’s companion over the years. Drama, adventure, comedy, documentaries, variety among many other programme formats, kept the listeners entertained and glued to the radio. It also created a platform for artists and actors who became well-known and loved by the public and who were afforded the opportunity to live out their creativity. Springbok Radio contributed to a wealth of local content.

Unfortunately, much of the material was not archived for many reasons such as tapes been re-used, and commercial programmes not seen as ‘culture’ – a world-wide tendency at the time. Since the closure of Springbok Radio in 1985, interest by the public has grown and the nostalgic value of old time radio has increased over the years.

Therefore the SABC Radio Archives, now the custodians of this precious collection, with the valuable assistance of the Springbok Radio Preservation Society who handed their collection over to the SABC, is preserving and exploiting the material in various ways, since it is believed that any collection is only as valuable as the ears it can reach.