South Africa's voice on shortwave goes silent

by Hans van de Groenendaal, features editor, EngineerIT

Shortwave is where radio communication began. Once a powerful voice to tell the story of South Africa to the world, this voice has gone silent as Sentech closed down its shortwave broadcasting facility at Bloemendal near Meyerton on 30 March 2019.

Sentech inherited South Africa’s Bloemendal shortwave radio station near Meyerton when Radio RSA was closed down. Radio RSA started its broadcast on 1 May 1966 and by 1976 the station transmitted for 36 hours a week in twelve languages including English, French, Portuguese, and Afrikaans. The service was discontinued in 1992. The only transmission that survived the close down was a broadcast into Africa, renamed Channel Africa which has daily programmes in Chinyanja, Silozi, Portuguese, Swahili, and English. The SABC also transmits Radio Sonder Grense (RSG) on shortwave to the Northern Cape.

Additional story at: https://www.ee.co.za/article/south-africas-voice-on-shortwave-goes-silent.html

Channel Africa Summer 2018 schedule update

Frequency changes of Channel Africa effective from May 7:



Effective from 07 May

All times UTC

0400-0455  6145*MEY 250 kW / 019 deg to EaAf English Mon-Fri, ex  6060
*to avoid on  6060 BAU 100 kW / 010 deg to ENAm Spanish Radio Habana Cuba


1700-1755  11885#MEY 250 kW / 328 deg to WeAf English Mon-Fri, ex 11745
#to avoid on 11745 JED or RIY / unknown to N/ME Arabic BSKSA Al-Azm Radio
(DX Bulgaria 06 May 2018)(graphic via playdx)

Channel Africa Summer Schedule

(via Playdx # 1635)

A15 Summer Schedule

Effective: 29 March - 25 October 2015

All times UTC

Chinyanja
1200-1300 9625af

English
0300-0355 5980af
0300-0459 3345af
0500-0600 6145af
0600-0655 15255af
0600-0659 6145af
0700-0800 6145af 9625af
0800-0859 6145af
0800-0900 9625af
0900-1000 9625af
1000-1100 9625af
1100-1200 9625af
1500-1559 9625af
1700-1800 15235af

French
1600-1655 15235af

Portuguese
1400-1500 9625af

Silozi
1300-1400 9625af

Swahili
1500-1555 15660af
http://www.channelafrica.co.za/sabc/home/channelafrica/frequencyfinder
06 Apr 2015

South African stations winter schedules

All times UTC

South Africa

B-13 schedule of Channel Africa
0300-0355  3345 MEY 100 kW 005 deg to SoAF   English Mon-Fri
0300-0355  6155 MEY 250 kW 019 deg to EaCeAF English Mon-Fri
0400-0700  7230 MEY 100 kW 005 deg to SoAF   English Mon-Fri
0600-0655 15255 MEY 250 kW 328 deg to WeAF   English Mon-Fri
0700-1200  9625 MEY 100 kW 005 deg to SoAF   English Mon-Fri
1200-1300  9625 MEY 100 kW 005 deg to SoAF   Nyanja Mon-Fri
1300-1400  9625 MEY 100 kW 005 deg to SoAF   Lozi Mon-Fri
1400-1500  9625 MEY 100 kW 005 deg to SoAF   Portuguese Mon-Fri
1500-1600  9625 MEY 100 kW 005 deg to SoAF   English Mon-Fri
1500-1555 17770 MEY 250 kW 019 deg to EaCeAF Swahili Mon-Fri
1600-1655 15235 MEY 250 kW 340 deg to WeAF   French Mon-Fri
1700-1755 15235 MEY 250 kW 340 deg to WeAF   English Mon-Fri

B-13 schedule of South African Radio League
0800-0900  7205 MEY 100 kW non-dir to SoAF English Sun
0800-0900 17760 MEY 250 kW 019 deg to EaAF English Sun
1630-1730  4895 MEY 100 kW non-dir to SoAF English Mon

B-13 schedule of Radio Sonder Grense
0400-0700  7285 MEY 100 kW 275 deg to SoAF Afrikaans
0700-1800  9650 MEY 100 kW 275 deg to SoAF Afrikaans
1800-0400  3320 MEY 100 kW 275 deg to SoAF Afrikaans
(DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov-BUL, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Nov 25)
(WWDXC/Top Nx 1139)

South Africa summer schedule updates

South Africa

Channel Africa A13 summer schedule 
0300-0355  5980 MEY 250 kW 019 deg to EaCeAF English Mon-Fri
0300-0455  3345 MEY 100 kW 005 deg to SoAF English Mon-Fri
0500-0655  7230 MEY 100 kW 005 deg to SoAF English Mon-Fri
0600-0655 15255 MEY 250 kW 328 deg to WeAF English Mon-Fri
0700-1200  9625 MEY 100 kW 005 deg to SoAF English Mon-Fri
1200-1300  9625 MEY 100 kW 005 deg to SoAF Nyanja Mon-Fri
1300-1400  9625 MEY 100 kW 005 deg to SoAF Lozi Mon-Fri
1400-1500  9625 MEY 100 kW 005 deg to SoAF Portuguese Mon-Fri
1500-1600  9625 MEY 100 kW 005 deg to SoAF English Mon-Fri
1500-1555 15660 MEY 250 kW 005 deg to EaCeAF Swahili Mon-Fri
1600-1655 15235 MEY 250 kW 340 deg to WeAF French Mon-Fri
1700-1755 15235 MEY 250 kW 340 deg to WeAF English Mon-Fri

SA Radio League A-13 summer schedule 
0800-0900  7205 MEY 100 kW non-dir to SoAF English Sun
0800-0900 17660 MEY 250 kW 019 deg to EaAF English Sun, not 17570
1630-1730  3230 MEY 100 kW non-dir to SoAF English Mon

Radio Sonder Grense A-13 summer schedule
0500-0755  7285 MEY 100 kW 275 deg to SoAF Afrikaans
0800-1755  9650 MEY 100 kW 275 deg to SoAF Afrikaans
1800-0455  3320 MEY 100 kW 275 deg to SoAF Afrikaans
(DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov-BUL, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews July 3)

(WWDXC/Top News 1122)