SA’s new radio measurement survey approaches first full annual sample

The Broadcast Research Council of South Africa (BRC) has issued an update on the progress of its new Radio Audience Measurement Survey (RAMS), as the programme moves towards completion of its first full annual reporting sample. The survey has now passed 29,000 respondents as Wave 4 fieldwork nears completion, marking a key milestone towards the country’s next radio trading currency. 

Following the successful completion of the first three waves of fieldwork, RAMS has achieved a cumulative sample of 29,380 respondents, exceeding the three-wave target of 27,000 respondents. 

Wave 4 fieldwork is currently under way and is expected to conclude at the end of September 2026. Its completion will mark an important milestone for the new measurement system, providing the first complete annual sample on which the new RAMS currency has been designed. 

Building the foundation for a robust radio currency 

The new RAMS was commissioned by the BRC to establish a robust, independent and future-focused radio audience measurement currency for South Africa. GfK, an NIQ company, was appointed by the BRC to design and deliver the new service, bringing established audience measurement expertise and experience from markets internationally. 

The study has been designed around a large national sample of 36,000 respondents per annum, providing the scale required to measure South Africa’s diverse radio market across demographic groups, provinces and geographic areas. 

The first three waves of RAMS fieldwork were conducted by GfK between September and November 2025, January and March 2026, and April and June 2026 respectively. 

Designed for South Africa 

RAMS uses a combination of face-to-face recruitment and digital data collection to ensure that different parts of the South African population can participate in the study. Across the first three waves, 85.3% of diaries were placed face-to-face, while 14.7% were placed through online panels. 

This blended approach is important in a market as diverse as South Africa, where levels of connectivity and digital participation differ considerably across geographic and demographic groups. 

The methodology is supported by a weighting framework designed to account for the disproportionate sample design and ensure that the final data reflects the underlying population. 

From rebuilding to currency 

The completion of Wave 4 represents more than another fieldwork milestone. It will complete the first full annual sample for the new RAMS and provide the industry with the depth of data required for the next stage of the currency’s development. 

BRC’s CEO Gary Whitaker believes the progress represents an important milestone for South Africa’s radio industry. 

“When we embarked on the new RAMS, our objective was not simply to replace the previous survey. We wanted to build a radio measurement currency that reflects South Africa today and provides the scale, methodological rigour and stability required by broadcasters, agencies and advertisers,” says Whitaker. 

“With almost 30,000 respondents already represented across the first three waves, we are now approaching the completion of the first full annual sample. That is an important milestone, not only for the BRC but for the entire radio and advertising industry.”