Radio & Audio News South Africa

Metro FM to tour Africa

In celebration of its 20th birthday, radio station Metro FM will broadcast in twelve African countries over 20 days. Objectives of the tour include ensuring that the radio broadcaster plays a meaningful role in supporting the objectives of the African Renaissance and NEPAD and promoting Africa as tourist destination to South Africans, according to Metro FM's station manager, Matona Ntshona.
Azania and Thabiso Tema of Metro FM
Azania and Thabiso Tema of Metro FM

It is also "to inform and educate our listeners with the aim to eradicate the perceptions that birth xenophobia, to share the successes of South Africa being awarded the 2010 Soccer World Cup with the rest of Africa, and to make a contribution towards the African struggle against Malaria and HIV/AIDS," he adds.

From the end of August 2006, the Sound of Breakfast, hosted by Azania along with TT, the 326 Glenzito Avenue team with Glen Lewis and Dineo Mphahlele, as well as the Metro FM talk hosted by Criselda, will present their shows en-route the African continent from Kruger National Park to Addis Ababa and back until September 20.

The route

The project starts at the Kruger National Park with Glen and makes its way to Zambia's capital Lusaka. Libreville in Gabon is the next stop followed by Lagos in Nigeria. The great trek hits Cotonou in Benin and then heads off to Accra, the capital of Ghana.

The team then go deep into the West African region as they get to Bamako in Mali. Then comes a two-day stopover in the coastal city of Dakar, Senegal. They wake up on 11 September in Ethiopia's Addis Ababa celebrating the advent of 1999 (according to the Ethiopian calendar it will be New Year) and begin their descent down south visiting Nairobi and Mombasa in Kenya.

The coastal city of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania is next, followed by a weekend on the island of Zanzibar. The team then visit Mozambique and will broadcast from Matemo, Beira and Maputo. The voyage winds up in Maropeng, west of Joburg, on Wednesday, 20 September.

As part of the 20th birthday festivities, Metro FM is giving away a million rand to a lucky listener. Details on how to enter the competition will be available on shows across the station and on the Metro FM website. The winner will be announced on 20 September. Ten listeners will also stand a chance to win a weekend trip to the Metro FM Island Party in Zanzibar.

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